What is Naturopathic Medicine?

     Naturopathic medicine is a holistic and natural approach to health and healing based on the belief that the body has an innate healing ability. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the word Chi is used to discribe the body's energy force. In western medicine the Chi force can be linked to the very mitochondria that is present in each cell. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off disease and maintain a healthy balance.

      Naturopathic doctors (NDs) treat the whole person, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually using a combination of modern medical science and traditional medicine. The main difference that separates NDs from the traditional medical system is the focus on treating the cause of disease instead of merely suppressing the symptoms.  

The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine:

The principles of Naturopathic medicine unite the profession and provide the foundation which Naturopathic medicine is built upon.

• First Do No Harm - Primum Non Nocere
  Naturopathic doctors prefer non-invasive, safe treatments, which minimize the risk of harmful side effects. Naturopathic doctors are also trained to know when to refer patients to other health care professionals.
• The Healing Power of Nature - Vis Medicatrix Naturae
  The body has an innate ability to restore health. It is the Naturopathic doctor’s role to support this process by using proven supplements and techniques that are in harmony with the natural process.
• Discover and Treat the Cause - Tolle Causam
  Naturopathic doctors seek to discover and address the underlying cause of disease.
• Treat the Whole Person - Tolle Totum
  Dis-ease comes from a complex interaction of physical, emotional, dietary, genetic, environmental, lifestyle and other factors. Naturopathic doctors take all these factors into account to formulate individualized treatment plans for the patient.
• Physician as Teacher - Docere
  The Naturopathic doctor’s major role is to educate and empower patients to take responsibility for their own health. This is done in a doctor-patient relationship that is an encouraging partnership to optimal health.
• Prevention - Preventare
  Patients are taught ways to live a healthy life so they can prevent major illnesses. Naturopathic doctors are preventative medicine specialists. ”An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”