What is Naturopathy?
Naturopathy is a distinct primary health care system that blends modern scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine.
Naturopathic medicine is the art and science of disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention using natural therapies which include botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, naturopathic manipulation, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and lifestyle counseling.
A Naturopathic Doctor is a primary care practitioner who seeks to restore and maintain their patient’s optimum health by emphasizing nature’s inherent self-healing process. A Naturopathic Doctor views the individual as an integral whole. This means that they take into account all the factors which affect health; the physiological, structural, psychological, social, spiritual, environmental and lifestyle factors. Symptoms of the disease are seen as warning signals of improper functioning of the body and unfavorable lifestyle habits.
Naturopathy Vancouver emphasizes disease as a process rather than a disease as an entity. The primary goal is to treat the underlying cause of the disease. This approach has proven successful in treating both chronic and acute conditions. Treatments are chosen based on the individual patient, not based on the generality of symptoms.
Naturopathic doctors can also complement and enhance health care services provided by other health care professionals. They cooperate with other branches of medical science referring patients to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate.
Naturopathic Doctors provide patients with a truly integrative form of health care. In Canada, the naturopathic medical profession’s infrastructure includes accredited educational institutions, professional licensing, national standards of practice, participation in many federal health committee initiatives, and a commitment to state-of-the-art scientific research.
We thank the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors for this article.
