WHAT IS NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE?

Who are Naturopathic Doctors?
Naturopathic doctors are licensed physicians from accredited and federally funded medical schools.  There are four schools in the country, one of which is here in Portland.  Naturopathic physicians are specialists of health and disease prevention.  They treat patients holistically to improve quality of life.  They practice medicine following six important principles.

What is the Philosophy of Naturopathic Medicine?
The philosophy is based on the following principles:
1.  The Healing Power of Nature
The healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing healing process of all living systems to maintain and restore health.  Naturopathic medicine supports and facilitates this process in the body by removing obstacles to health and recovery, and by supporting an optimal internal and external environment.
Example: Supporting the body's natural production of a fever during an acute infection using nature in the form of hydrotherapy and immune supportive herbs as opposed to supressing a fever with aspirin.
2. Identify and Treat the Causes of Illness
Underlying causes of illness and disease must be identified and removed before complete recovery can occur.  Symptoms may be signs of the body's attempt to heal itself, or a result of disease processes.  The natruopathic physician seeks to treat the causes of disease rather than supress symptoms.
Example: Characteristis of Attention Deficit Disorder, including hyperactivity, learning difficulties, and violent behavior, may result from a poor diet consisting of high amounts of refined sugars and few essential nutrients, allergies, or metal toxicities.  The condition may be treated with a nourishing diet, chelation therapy to remove toxins, and herbal treatments to support the immune system and boost cognition.
3. Do No Harm
Naturopathic Physicians follow three guidelines to avoid harming a patient:
1. Use of methods and medicinal substances that minimize the risks of harmful effects and apply the least possible intervention to diagnose and restore health, i.e. using nutrition and lifestyle coaching before jumping to drugs or surgery.
2. Avoid the supression of symptoms whenever possible to avoid slowing the healing process, i.e. treat the cause of an eczematous rash as opposed to supressing it with cortisol cream.
3. Respect and work with the healing pwoer of nature by supporting the funcion of the body using natural forms of healing.
4. Doctors as Teachers
An important objective of naturopathic medicine is to educate the patient, emphasizing self-responsibility to health.  N.D.'s act as wellness consultants for their patients.  The patient ultimately creates their health plan.
Example: Provide one-on-one health coaching, including materials to take home on nutrition, exercise and life style tips for wellness.
5. Treat the Whole Person
Illness and disease result form a disharmony between physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, environmental, and other factors.  The healthy function of all aspects of an individual are important to health.
Example: A patient's treatment plan may include body work, dietary changes, counseling, flower essences or homeopathy to support mental/emotional symptoms, referral for family or couples counseling, guidance or referrels on removing toxins from the home, and a prescription for meditation or prayer.
6. Prevention
Prevention of disease and attainment of optimal health in patients are primary objectives of naturopathic medicine.  Naturopathic physicians assess risk factors, genetic predispositions, a patients's occupation and living environments, and susceptibility to disease to make appropriate interventions in partnership with their patients.
Example: Prevent disease with regular testing of risk factors and promote health with balanced diets, positive attitudes and family relations, exercise and time with nature.

What methods are used in Naturopathic Medicine?
Modalities may include: homeopathy, energetic remedies, counseling, herbal remedies, natural obstetrics, therapeutic exercise, nutritional therapy, minor surgery, I.V. therapy, physical medicine, clinical and laboratory diagnostic testing, public health measures and use of water, heat, cold, light, electricity and air.  Every naturopathic physician practices medicine in their own eclectic way and no two patient treatments are alike.

What states are licensed?
Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

What schools license naturopathic physicians?
Bastyr University
Kenmore, WA 98208
www.bastyr.edu

University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine
Bridgeport, CT  06601
www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3240.asp

National College of Natural Medicine
Portland, OR  97201
www.ncnm.edu

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine
Temp, AZ  85282
www.scnm.edu