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Treating the Body as a Whole Comes Naturally

Learn About Our Naturopathic Approach

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a method of practicing healthcare that combines the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained as primary care providers who diagnose, treat and manage patients with acute and chronic conditions, while addressing disease and dysfunction at the level of body, mind and spirit. Naturopathic providers integrate conventional medicine with time-tested naturopathic methods to get to the root cause of disease and treat the whole person, rather than just the symptoms.

Therapeutic Order of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Therapeutic Order

Naturopathic physicians follow the Therapeutic Order of Naturopathic Medicine, which are guidelines that help a naturopathic physician to completely resolve the patient’s symptoms and address the underlying cause while using the least force necessary.

Followed in order, naturopathic physicians seek the root cause and move to methods that invoke the body’s natural healing powers, determining how supplementary naturopathic techniques may aid the body before addressing any physical alignments to restore structural integrity to the body. If patients find that they’re unable to find relief through natural symptom relief methods, only then do naturopathic physicians employ synthetic symptom relief tactics or high force interventions.

Steps of Naturopathic Therapeutic Order

  1. Establish the foundation for optimum health
    Ultimately, naturopathic physicians aim to bring patients back to health, so physicians start with removing any obstacles to health by creating a plan with the patient to address these obstacles. Oftentimes these obstacles include diet, excessive stress, destructive coping mechanisms, inadequate rest, and more. Removing obstacles to cure is core to the expression of the Naturopathic Philosophical Principle: Treat the Cause.
  2. Stimulate self-healing
    Naturopathic physicians believe in the body’s innate ability to heal itself and stimulate a patient’s healing nature through therapies like acupuncture, homeopathy, botanical medicine, nutrition, and more.
  3. Support and restore weakened systems
    Sometimes body functions need more than stimulation to improve, this is when naturopathic physicians employ their vast knowledge to aid in restoring optimal function to an entire physiologic or organ system. Modalities employed can include professional grade supplements, endocrine balancing, manual therapies, and more.
  4. Address physical alignment
    If patients require the use of physical therapies, naturopathic physicians call on treatments like massage therapy, spinal manipulation, cranio-sacral therapy, and more to improve and maintain skeletal integrity.
  5. Natural symptom relief
    While naturopathic physicians aim to restore heath by addressing the body as a whole and not just symptoms, there are instances where specific pathologies must be addressed and managed. In cases like these, naturopathic physicians utilize effective natural substances that are unlikely to cause toxic burden and can effectively relieve symptoms that cause suffering.
  6. Synthetic symptom relief
    Naturopathic physicians aim to avoid this step, but if necessary, they may employ the use of synthetic or pharmaceutical substances to restrain or manage symptoms that impact a patient’s quality of life or safety.
  7. High force interventions
    Sometimes it is necessary in the interest of patient health, comfort, and safety to suppress pathological symptoms prior to addressing underlying causal factors and ultimately restoring health.

Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

Six Principles of Naturopathic MedicineNaturopathic medicine works to implement the most natural methods of healing, prioritizing the least toxic and invasive therapies as a means of treating the illness and promoting wellness. Through viewing the body as an integrated whole, naturopathic providers honor the body’s innate wisdom to heal and use principles to guide the way they treat.

  • First Do No Harm
    This principle is core to naturopathic practice, where we approach care through utilizing the most natural, least invasive or toxic therapies.
  • The Healing Power of Nature
    Naturopathic providers recognize the body’s inherent healing wisdom and work to harness that healing power to guide patients to wellness and total health.
  • Identify and Treat the Causes
    This principle guides naturopathic physicians to not only address the reported symptoms, but to uncover the root cause and heal the body as an integrated whole.
  • Doctor as Teacher
    Through an education and trust-based relationship, naturopathic providers seek to not only heal patients, but educate them by elevating patient health literacy and ensure patients are empowered with a better understanding of their wellness.
  • Treat the Whole Person
    Naturopathic physicians understand how interconnected the body is, acknowledging that the restoration of balance and health comes through treating the body as a whole.
  • Prevention
    Comprehensive naturopathic care employs all principles to identify potential areas of imbalance to prevent illness.