What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine is taught in approved schools of naturopathic medicine as a 4–5-year training program for a graduate degree that is completed after the completion of a prerequisite bachelor’s degree. Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary health care profession, emphasizing prevention, treatment, and optimal health using therapeutic methods and substances that encourage individuals’ inherent self-healing process. The practice of naturopathic medicine includes modern and traditional, scientific, and empirical methods.

The 6 Naturopathic Principles

  1. First do no harm (Primum Non Nocere):

    • Naturopathic doctors (NDs) practice in all aspects to keep the patient physically, emotionally, mentally, and ethically safe. ND’s understand patient limitations when recommending any type of treatment to ensure patient safety.

  2. The healing power of nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae):

    • The healing power of nature symbolizes the human body’s resilience and ability to heal itself naturally. ND’s focuses on treating the patient by applying natural therapies such as nutrition, light, air, sun, detoxifications, and tissue manipulation in which the healing power of the body is supported.

  3. Identify and treat the cause (Tolle Totum):

    • NDs believe in treating the root cause of the disease. It is a central principle of naturopathic practice to identify the main culprit of the condition.

  4. Treat the whole person (Tolle Causam):

    • The human body the connection between mind and body is inseparable. Therefore, NDs recognize and understand that each patient should be treated as a whole (physical, mental, emotional, environmental, social, genetic, and other factors).

  5. Doctor as Teacher (Docere):

    • One of the main roles of NDs is to educate patients on the factors that affect health and disease.

  6. Prevention (Praventare):

    • Prevention is part of the naturopathic care practice by making appropriate interventions in partnership with patients to prevent illness. It encourages and emphasizes disease prevention and health promotion.