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 Dr. Mom
I am a Nurse Practioner, a Naturopathic Doctor, and a mother.
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The first thing that I teach is what a Naturopath is:
What is Traditional Naturopathy?
Although the term “naturopathy” originated in the late 19th century, the art can be traced back through Germany into Greece, to Hippocrates himself, and even beyond. There have always been people who understood that healing occurs naturally in the human body, when it is given what it truly needs: proper diet, pure water, fresh air, sunlight, exercise and rest.
“Natural forces within us are the true healers.”
—Hippocrates
Traditionally, individuals who understood this principle have focused on helping the body establish its own condition of good health, rather than on overcoming a particular disease. Today, these individuals are known as either traditional naturopaths or naturopathic consultants.
In the views of traditional naturopathy, good health encompasses far more than the absence of disease. Instead, it is a dynamic state in which body, mind and spirit maintain an energetic equilibrium known as homeostasis. While traditional naturopaths recognize the importance of allopathic healthcare in specific instances, they also understand that many accepted allopathic treatments may not truly promote homeostasis.
In an approach that often equates symptom and disease, allopathic philosophy holds that disease is often caused by external agents and cured when the offending agents, which cause the symptoms, are eliminated. The traditional naturopath sees a symptom as a signal that the body’s healthy balance has been upset. According to naturopathic belief, when a symptom alone is removed, it is most likely being suppressed and may return later in a chronic form. True health can be achieved only when balance is restored.
Traditional Naturopaths Do:
Education is celebrated in the Latin phrase docendo discimus: “by teaching, we learn.”
In teaching clients how to live a healthy, holistic lifestyle, traditional naturopaths follow these principles:
DO NO HARM.
Primum non nocere is part of the Hippocratic oath. Naturopaths do not use harmful, artificial substances such as drugs and pharmaceuticals; nor do they use invasive procedures, such as surgery.
RECOGNIZE THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE.
Naturopaths understand the body's innate capacity for self-healing. They educate clients in creating external and internal environments conducive to healing.
FIND AND ELIMINATE THE CAUSE OF POOR HEALTH.
Naturopaths help clients evaluate lifestyle choices to identify both the cause of a problem and how to correct it.
TEACH HEALTH.
Naturopaths teach clients how to achieve and maintain good health. They empower clients, enabling them to participate in the process of staying well.
HONOR THE TOTAL PERSON.
A person is never simply a headache, or a backache, or a sore throat. Except in the case of acute injury, seldom does any problem occur in isolation. Naturopaths understand that people are interconnected physical, mental, and spiritual beings, and that one “dis-ease” affects all areas of life.
PREVENT “DIS-EASE.”
By teaching clients how to create homeostatic balance, naturopaths help others achieve future health as well.
Traditional Naturopaths Do NOT:
The origin of “doctor” was in the Latin, docere: “to teach.”
In teaching clients how to live a healthy, holistic lifestyle, traditional naturopaths avoid certain allopathic practices:
DIAGNOSE DISEASE.
Naturopaths perform evaluations and analyses to determine the root cause of problems, but they do not diagnose disease.
TREAT DISEASE.
Naturopaths focus on health and education, not on treating any specific disease. Naturopaths empower clients to create internal and external environments that are conducive to good health.
PRESCRIBE DRUGS AND PHARMACEUTICALS.
Many naturopaths teach clients about herbs, homeopathic remedies, and the healing properties in foods and nutritional supplements. They do not prescribe drugs and pharmaceuticals.
PERFORM INVASIVE PROCEDURES.
Depending on the type and extent of their training, naturopaths may use hands-on modalities such as reflexology or acupressure. There are naturopaths who are also chiropractors or massage therapists, who may blend naturopathic modalities with those common to their other discipline. For example, this would include performing spinal adjustments if the naturopath is also a chiropractor. Naturopaths do not perform invasive procedures such as surgery of any kind. They do not give injections or draw blood.
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