What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is a holistic approach to health that emphasizes the body's innate ability to heal itself. Rooted in centuries of tradition and modern scientific research, it focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying causes of illness rather than merely treating symptoms.

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) use a range of natural therapies, including clinical nutrition, clinal herbalism, physical manipulation, hydrotherapy, nutraceutical therapy, mind-body medicine, pharmaceutical medicine (state dependent), and lifestyle counseling, to support and enhance the body's natural healing processes. Our approach is guided by six core principles and our treatment method is guided by the therapeutic order.

The Naturopathic Principles

1. First, Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)

Naturopathic doctors work to help their help their patients as much as possible while not harming them in the process.

2. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

The body has an innate ability to heal itself. Naturopathic medicine supports and enhances this natural healing process by removing obstacles to cure and stimulating the body’s self-healing mechanisms. These therapies do not suppress symptoms but rather support the body's inherent healing processes.

3. Identify and Treat the Root Cause (Tolle Causam)

Instead of just addressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors seek to find and treat the underlying causes of illness through detailed lifestyle intake and functional laboratory testing.

4. Doctor as Teacher (Docere)

Naturopathic doctors empower patients by educating them about their health, encouraging self-responsibility and informed decision-making to support their own healing.

5. Treat the Whole Person

Naturopathic medicine considers the mind, body, and spirit, addressing all aspects of a person's health, including physical, emotional, mental, genetic, environmental, and social factors.

6. Prevention

Naturopathic doctors emphasize preventive medicine, helping to prevent illness before it starts by promoting healthy lifestyle choices and reducing risk factors for disease.

The Therapeutic Order guides the order of treatment in naturopathic medicine.

This structured, patient-centered approach helps naturopathic doctors create personalized treatment plans that are safe, effective, and sustainable.

It outlines a hierarchy of interventions used to restore health. It emphasizes starting with the least invasive methods and progressing to more intensive treatments if needed.

This approach seeks to address the root cause of illness, support the body’s natural healing ability, and promote long-term wellness.

Bottom of the pyramid

Top of the pyramid

Foundations of Health:

Remove Obstacles to Health
Identify and eliminate factors that prevent healing, such as poor diet, stress, or environmental toxins.

Stimulate the Self-Healing Mechanism:

Use techniques like nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes to activate the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

Strengthen Weakened Systems:

Support and restore the function of vital systems, such as the immune, digestive, or endocrine systems, through natural therapies.

Correct Structural Integrity:

Address physical misalignments and imbalances using methods like physical manipulation, chiropractic care, or acupuncture.

Use Natural Substances to Restore and Regenerate

Incorporate herbs, supplements, nutraceuticals, etc. remedies to promote healing

Use Pharmacologic Substances:

When necessary, employ pharmaceutical drugs to manage symptoms or conditions that cannot be resolved through natural methods alone.

Use High-Force Interventions:

Reserve surgery or other high-intensity interventions for serious or life-threatening conditions when all other methods have been exhausted or are insufficient.

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

The Naturopathic Principles

Bottom of the pyramid

Top of the pyramid

Foundations of Health:

Remove Obstacles to Health

Identify and eliminate factors that prevent healing, such as poor diet, stress, or environmental toxins.

Stimulate the Self-Healing Mechanism:

Use techniques like nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes to activate the body’s innate ability to heal itself.

Strengthen Weakened Systems:

Support and restore the function of vital systems, such as the immune, digestive, or endocrine systems, through natural therapies.

Correct Structural Integrity:

Address physical misalignments and imbalances using methods like physical manipulation, chiropractic care, or acupuncture.

Use Natural Substances to Restore and Regenerate

Incorporate herbs, supplements, nutraceuticals, etc. remedies to promote healing

Use Pharmacologic Substances:

When necessary, employ pharmaceutical drugs to manage symptoms or conditions that cannot be resolved through natural methods alone.

Use High-Force Interventions:

Reserve surgery or other high-intensity interventions for serious or life-threatening conditions when all other methods have been exhausted or are insufficient.