Naturopathic medicine is a health based medicine that focuses on finding the cause of disease and removing it, rather than only treating the symptoms.

Naturopathic physicians attend an accredited four year medical education which includes coursework in sciences and research, patient care, clinical and lab diagnostics, and condition specific training and treatment options. During the program, students are required to participate in clinical rotations providing many hours of direct supervised patient care. In practice, treatments utilized include: diet and lifestyle modification, nutritional therapies, botanical therapeutics, and homeopathy to revitalize the body, mind, and spirit. Your naturopathic physician seeks to optimize your health by calling on the body’s innate ability to heal itself, restoring balance to your emotional and physical being. The fundamental treatment philosophy of naturopathic medicine stems from seven foundational principles that unify our profession.

Naturopathic Principles

The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

The healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems. 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 removing obstacles to health and recovery, and by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.

Find The Cause (Tolle Causam)
Every illness has an underlying cause, often in aspects of the lifestyle, diet or habits of the individual. A naturopathic physician is trained to find and remove the underlying cause of a disease.

First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)

Naturopathic physicians utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful effects, and apply the least possible force or intervention necessary to diagnose illness and restore health. Whenever possible the suppression of symptoms is avoided as suppression generally interferes with the healing process.

Treat The Whole Person (Tolle Totum)

Health or disease comes from a complex interaction of mental, emotional, spiritual, physical, dietary, genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and other factors. Naturopathic physicians treat the whole person, taking these factors into account.

Doctor as Teacher (Docere)

The original meaning of the word “doctor” is teacher. A principal objective of naturopathic medicine is to educate the patient and emphasize self-responsibility for health. Naturopathic physicians also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relationship.

Preventive Medicine

The naturopathic approach to health care can prevent minor illnesses from developing into more serious diseases. Patients are taught the principles with which to live a healthy life and by following these principles, they can prevent major illnesses.

Wellness

Establishing and maintaining optimum health and balance. Wellness is a state of being healthy, characterized by positive emotion, thought, and action. Wellness is inherent in everyone no matter what dis-ease(s) are being experienced. If wellness is really recognized and experienced by an individual, it will more quickly heal a given dis-ease than direct treatment of the dis-ease alone.