Naturopathic medicine incorporates a set of principles that are fundamentally different from the conventional medical model, here’s is the abbreviated version:
Vis Medicatrix Naturae, or belief in the wisdom and healing power of nature.
Tolle Causum, work to identify and treat the cause of disease, as opposed to solely addressing symptoms.
Primum Non Nocere, first, do no harm.
Docere, doctor as teacher.
Tolle Totum, treat the whole person.
Praevenire, prevention is the best “cure”.
Naturopathic medicine also incorporates a large group of tools or “modalities” that Naturopathic Physicians use to treat illness on all levels; body, mind and spirit. Some of these tools include (this is not an exhaustive list):
Exercise and diet counseling
Nutritional support
Homeopathy
Botanical medicine
Physical medicine (from Naturopathic manipulations to hydrotherapy to therapeutic ultrasound)
Finally, Naturopathic medicine constitutes a method of identifying diseases through clinical investigations, patient history, physical exams, laboratory diagnosis, and imaging and a desire to offer the full spectrum of healthcare choices to patients emphasizing modern scientific research and multiple traditional healing practices.
