Naturopathic physicians are state licensed healthcare providers. Naturopathy is a distinct method of primary health care – an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of illness. Naturopathic physicians seek to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature’s inherent self-healing process. This is accomplished through lifestyle education and the rational use of natural therapeutics. Naturopathic medicine is safe and effective for health promotion and for the prevention and treatment of a broad range of acute and chronic conditions.
What Type of Training is Required of a Naturopathic Doctor?
Naturopathic physicians undergo comprehensive and rigorous training. After completing undergraduate degrees with premedical education requirements, prospective NDs must complete four to five years of full-time study at nationally accredited Naturopathic medical schools. The training and education include basic sciences (anatomy, biochemistry, pathology, physiology, cadaver lab, immunology and infectious disease), diagnostics, labs and physical exam for each system, pharmacology, plus all of our healing modalities (nutrition, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, herbal medicine, physical manipulation/adjustments). ND training is sculpted under hundreds of hours working alongside seasoned doctors and within teaching clinics working with real patients. Naturopaths are required to write and pass extensive examinations in order to be registered to practice and are regulated by boards within their prospective states. Annual, ongoing continuing education credits is required to maintain their license. Naturopathic doctors encourage open communication with all other healthcare professionals, including MDs. We know that there are situations that are appropriate to use Naturopathic medicine, and others when conventional medical approaches are required, and are trained to refer when necessary.
How is Naturopathy Different? What is Naturopathic Philosophy?
The healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which establishes, maintains and restores health. Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent. It is the Naturopathic physician’s role to support, facilitate and augment this process by identifying and helping the patient to remove these obstacles to health and recovery.
Naturopaths recognize that a person’s symptoms, like a headache or a runny nose, are the body’s way of healing. Therefore the objective isn’t to heal “the symptoms” but to use those symptoms as signs of underlying obstacles and instead to support the body in completing the healing. Naturopaths work to identify and eliminate the imbalance, support the weakened systems, restore/strengthen detoxification pathways and avoid suppressing symptoms. Naturopathic philosophy focuses on prevention and helps teach how what you put into and onto your body will affect your general health. When patients do get sick, we are the experts in natural medicine and may use many modalities such as herbal medicines, homeopathic remedies, nervous system regulation practices, nutritional supplements, physical medicine and detox protocols to gently move the body back to health. All of our treatments are based on the individual needs, whether that be physical, emotional or spiritual; we define the whole person medicine approach.
What are the Naturopathic Principles?
- Vis Medicatrix Naturae: This is the healing power of one’s own nature, the incredible ability for the body, spirit and mind to heal. The recognition of an intelligence that facilitates healing once we act to identify and remove any and all obstacles to cure.
- Tolle Causam: Identifying and treating the cause of disease is the highest calling of any doctor; we strive to identify that cause in a whole person paradigm. A symptom is not the cause, but a mechanism by that intelligent body to rid itself of unfavorable circumstances – whether physical, emotional or spiritual.
- Tolle Totem: Treat the whole person, not an organ system, and not to an unspecialized algorithm. Treatments take into account the individual’s history, physical characteristics, genetic variabilities, social environment and spiritual understanding.
- Docere: This is a teaching medicine, doctor as teacher, plant as teacher, the wild world as teacher, body as teacher. There is a need for education in our society and a letting go of the need to know all and to do all “right”. The doctor isn’t necessarily there to make the patient better, but instead to help them see the relationship between their health and their lifestyle.
- Praevenire: Prevention is the best cure. The thoughts of today, whether abundant or limiting, affects our mood and the language we use towards ourselves and others, which then defines our outwardly actions, which ultimately lead to the health or dis-ease of our bodies tomorrow.
- Primum Non Nocere: Primarily, do no harm. We work with every patient to strengthen their foundations of health, these topics aren’t minimalist or non-aggressive means; my experience has been that in these basics is where the magic happens.