About Naturopathic Medicine
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
It is a system of medicine that recognized the complexity of the human body and of life and respects the processes that it requires. It is individualized to each person according to what his or her health concern is. Our underlying philosophy is listed below.
Principles and philosophy of Naturopathic Medicine:
To me this means that when you come to see me I will use the treatment that will be the most effective for you with the least possibility of causing any side effects while not simply medicating symptoms.
This is where both you and I work together to find out why you are suffering from your current ailment. This may require in-depth testing and history taking to find out what is going on that is leading your body to have these symptoms. Once we have determined this to the best of our ability, we can begin to address and treat the underlying issues.
This is a key piece of the philosophy right here. A person is made up of a variety of parts and pieces but they all work together to form the whole. We don’t understand all of the interactions, but I recognize that no one part of the body acts in isolation and that to treat one area may require more than just treatment for a specific part or function. The whole person includes not just the body, but the mind, emotions, and spirit. This really takes into account all areas of your life and how they affect your health.
Your body is an amazing machine with the ability to heal itself. This really is quite amazing; don’t you wish your car would do that? Disease is a message from your body that allows us to try and compensate for imbalances. All diseases are the same; it is the result of the disturbance of the determinants of health.
Healing is a process that is ordered and predictable. Health is the innate state of the body. That is what all of our physiological processes are designed to do. Ill health is an adaptive response to the disturbance in the organism. Symptoms are an indication of a disturbance; they are there to call our attention to the problem. Getting rid of the symptoms does not restore health. Symptoms get worse and longer lasting the more you suppress them.
My role as your doctor is to help you learn about your body; how it works and how to take care of it, so you get the best quality and length of life from it. I teach you what you need to know and support you in your decisions; it is your choice what you do with the information.
This is the state of optimum health emotionally, physically, and spiritually. This can be attained whether your body is whole and healthy or whether you have a disease and even in the dying process you can be well. It is a life-long path, not a final destination!
A good way to think about health is to picture a river from its source at the top of a mountain where it is clean and clear and refreshing and follow it all the way to the end where it may not be so attractive – all the trash and debris piles up here.
We are all at some point in this river, let me come along side you and guide you as you journey back upstream toward greater health!
