Naturopathic doctors have a philosophy for everything we do in a set of six guiding principles. They influence how we make clinical decisions, how we think about medicine, and most importantly, how we treat patients.
The Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
- First, do no harm
- Treat the root cause of illness or disease
- Treat the whole person
- Use the healing power of the body and nature
- Empower patients through education
- Be proactive by emphasizing prevention
The Principles and You
Each principle plays a role in guiding your naturopathic doctor in your healing process.
Do No Harm
Our number one priority is not to do anything that will cause you further pain or illness, ever. You can rest assured that your ND has your best interest in mind.
Treat The Root Cause of Illness or Disease
We look for the cause and treat it. It’s different from a standard medical approach which is designed to treat the symptoms and not the causes.
Naturopathic doctors see symptoms as an expression of the body trying to heal itself. The symptoms aren’t the problem. We want to find out what’s causing your symptoms, so you can feel better and stay better, for longer!
Naturopathic doctors understand that covering up the symptoms will only inflate the condition and cause it to repeat, which is why we do a full assessment to find out where the symptoms are coming from, and then we treat that root cause to remove the condition completely!
Treat the Whole Person
Have you ever been told to only talk about one thing with a Doctor while at a walk-in clinic? Naturopathic doctors know that it isn’t possible to talk about only ONE thing in a visit. Treating the whole person means we look at each and every aspect of your health and wellbeing to get you at your best. It also means we make sure our treatment plan is a fit for you- if it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work for us.
Use the Healing Power of the Body and Nature
Naturopathic doctors know your body has its own wisdom and methods so we work with them to help your body heal itself. It’s you that does the healing. We know that natural therapies are very effective and come with fewer side effects than prescription medications which is why we choose targeted, non-pharmacological therapies first to help you on your way to wellness. Then if we have to, we can prescribe most of the medicines that an MD can to get the best of both!
Empower Patients Through Education
Have you ever been confused after speaking to a doctor or other health care provider? It’s in our guiding principles to educate you as a patient, so that you understand the treatments you’re getting and why you’re getting them. Instead of talking down to you, we work with you!
Be Proactive by Emphasizing Prevention
Nothing works better for curing a disease than not getting the disease! As a guiding principle, we identify risk factors, and together with education, help to get your health on track so suffering is left out of your future.
Using our philosophy, let’s work together to get you healthy! Call our clinic now to book an appointment!
