Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is a unique system of health care which promotes natural healing and prevention of disease.  It is an art, a science, a philosophy and a practice of diagnosis and treatment that uses a blend of modern, evidence-based medicine and tradition, clinically proven approaches.  Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine are trained as primary care general practitioners who use a variety of non-invasive natural therapies to treat both acute and chronic health conditions.

Philosophy of Naturopathic Medicine

Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine are guided by six principals of Naturopathy, which emphasizes a holistic and natural approach to patient care, diagnosis, management and treatment of medical conditions.  The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine include:

• First Do Not Harm: Naturopathic Doctors use safe gentle therapies to improve the well-being of a patient’s health, while limiting the risk and adverse effects.
• The Healing Power of Nature:  Naturopathic Medicine respects the innate intelligence of the human body to heal.  The “Vital Force” stimulates the physiological systems of the body to bring the organism into balance and equilibrium, moving towards a state of optimal health.  The Physician’s role is to facilitate and augment this process and to help remove obstacles preventing the health and happiness of the patient.
• Find and Treat the Cause of the Illness:  Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine examine physical, emotional and spiritual factors, that when disordered, may cause disease, instead of suppressing symptoms, an individual plan is to create that is directed at the source of the disease, and promote the true treatment of illness.
• Treat the Whole Person:  Naturopathic Physicians realize that health and disease result from a combination of physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and spiritual influences.  A comprehensive, individualized approach is required to treat the whole person, and bring about better health and quality of life.
• Doctor as Teacher: “Docere” the Latin root for Doctor, means “to teach”.  A principle objective to Naturopathic Medicine is to empower, inspire and to educate the patient so that they may gain control over health and future.
• Prevention:  The primary goal of Naturopathic Medicine is to build health, rather than fight disease.  Naturopathic Medicine teaches the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, in order to prevent the development of chronic illness and disease states.

Naturopathic Training and Standards

Naturopathic Doctors are trained at accredited, four –year, post-Graduate Naturopathic Medical Schools.  The comprehensive training includes studies in basic medical sciences, clinical and physical diagnosis, laboratory and diagnostic imagining, clinical medical sciences, naturopathic philosophy, pharmacology and a wide variety of natural therapeutics.  In order to become licensed or registered practitioners, Naturopathic Doctors are required to have successfully passed National board exams in the basic sciences, clinical medical sciences as well as in all of the Naturopathic modalities.

In North America there are four accredited education institutions, as well as professional licensing/registering bodies, and strict codes of behavior and practice that are specific to each province and state.  There are also mandatory continuing education requirements to ensure that Naturopathic Practitioners are always aware of the most recent, scientific and clinical information.