Naturopathy

Nurture your nature

1.       Primum non nocere - First, do no harm.
Naturopaths utilize gentle treatments and methods as well as natural medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful effects and apply the least possible force necessary to diagnose a patient’s health concerns in order to restore health.  The Naturopath must work with and respect the vis medicatrix naturae to support the healing process, while avoiding suppression of symptoms which could cause harm to the patient.

2.        Vis medicatrix naturae - To cooperate with the healing powers of nature.
It is the Naturopath’s role to support and facilitate the body’s own innate healing power.  This is accomplished through identifying and removing obstacles standing in the way of achieving optimal health and well-being.

3.      Tolle causum - To address the fundamental causes of disease.
Signs and symptoms are reflections of a deeper root cause of disease.  Treatment is aimed at addressing and removing these root causes so recovery can take place.  Suppression of symptoms can be harmful to the patient because it does not address the root cause of the problem; it just merely palliates it.

4.        Docere - Teach
Naturopaths’ act as health care teachers educating the patients and empowering them to take charge of their own health.

5.        Treat the whole person - Both health and disease are a result of a complex combination of physical, mental, emotional, social, genetic, and environmental factors.  Every person expresses susceptibility and disease very differently and thus must be considered as individuals to ensure harmonious functioning of all these factors.  Naturopaths treat the ‘whole’ person taking all of these factors into account.

6.         To teach the principles of healthy living and preventive medicine -
By assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease, a naturopath can assist the patient in developing appropriate and individual interventions to prevent the occurrence of illness.