The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

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1. First Do No Harm 

Naturopathic doctors prefer non-invasive treatments, which minimize the risks of harmful side effects.  They are trained to know which clients they can help safely and which ones they need to refer to traditional medical doctors.  Naturopathic doctors are well trained in herbal remedies and potential drug-herb interactions.

 

2. The Healing Power of Nature  

God designed the human body and mind to maintain and restore health.  Naturopathic doctors work to restore and support these systems when they have broken down by using herbal remedies, nutrition, and other techniques that are in harmony with natural processes.

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3. Identify and Treat the Cause 

Every illness has an underlying cause, often in aspects of the lifestyle, diet, or habits of the individual. Naturopathic doctors are trained to find and remove the underlying cause of a disease.

 

4. Treat the Whole Person 

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

 

5. Preventive Medicine

The naturopathic approach to healthcare can prevent minor illnesses from developing into more serious or chronic degenerative diseases.  Patients are taught the principles with which to live a healthy life and, by following these principles, they can decrease the chance of developing chronic disease. 

 

6. Doctor as Teacher  

'Doctor' comes from the Latin word docere, which means 'teacher.' A key aspect of naturopathic medicine is to educate the client and emphasize self-responsibility for health.  Naturopathic doctors also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-client relationship.

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A true Naturopath is someone who has attended a board certified medical school that offers degrees in naturopathic medicine and has passed the NPLEX board licensing exams. This is similar to a medical doctor who has taken their USMLE board licensing exams.

 

There are people who masquerade as 'Doctors of Natural Healing' and these individuals usually do not have a degree in medicine and should largely be avoided. 

 

Naturopathic medical school is very similar to standard medical school for the first two years. In traditional medical schools, the students focus on clinicals with patients during their last two years of school.  However, naturopathic medical students continue on with more classroom curriculum on medicine, the human body, herbal medicine and more, while also doing clinical rotations with patients.