Naturopathy has been defined as “the creation of conditions which enable the body to heal itself as far as it is capable of so doing” (Turner, 1984). As Naturopaths, we seek to support and enable the body’s natural healing mechanism to bring the body back into a better state of function. This natural healing mechanism is the only way that the body heals and repairs itself, no matter the approach taken by the healthcare practitioner. If a plaster is applied to a cut, it is not the plaster that heals the cut, but the body’s healing mechanism. If a broken bone is put into a plaster cast, again it is the body that does the healing, not the cast itself. Many modern medical treatments, especially pharmaceuticals, work against this natural healing process, instead targeting the termination of the current symptoms, but inadvertently later enabling more serious pathology. As naturopaths, we instead work with the body to support its mechanism of healing through a range of different techniques.
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Naturopathy operates according to the following guiding principles:
1. First do no harm: We seek to use the most gentle and minimal of changes to support the body to move towards health. Causing no further harm is a priority and when we work with the body in a gentle way, rather than against it, the risk of harm is far reduced.
2. Work with the healing power of nature: as explored above, naturopaths seek to work with the healing power of nature in order to support the body to return to optimal health.
3. Find the cause “tolle causam”: naturopaths take into account the whole person, including the mental, emotional and spiritual factors that may be behind a health condition. We consider interactions between all parts of the body and understand that the cause may be located in another part of the body than where the symptoms are manifesting.
4. Treat the whole person “holism”: After finding the cause, we do not seek to address just the symptoms but rather than whole person in order to bring the whole system back into better function.
5. Preventative medicine: Naturopaths believe that it is important to pay attention to preventing ill-health rather than waiting for it to strike before making changes. It is far easier to remain healthy than to return to health, and naturopaths are able to support clients in maintaining optimal health.
6. Doctor as teacher “docere”: the word doctor originally comes from the Latin docere, meaning to teach. Naturopaths believe that this role is important and should be continued. We seek to educate our clients on the causes of their health conditions and how they might best go about correcting them. We find that when the client has a greater understanding, they achieve better results.
As stated above, naturopaths seek to alter the conditions inside the body to create an environment more conducive to better function of the natural healing mechanism and as a result, improved health. This includes the removal of toxic inputs, better processing and elimination of metabolic wastes and support for improving the energy production of the body and its vital force. All of these goals will result in a better function of the body’s natural healing mechanism which will facilitate an improvement in health and well-being. We may seek to achieve this in various ways including:
- Seeking to remove from the diet, environment and lifestyle any factors that may be negatively impacting the environment inside the body or mind. This might include processed food, any excesses of damaging foods, toxins from our house, air or water or even toxic personal situations which might be causing stress in the client’s life.
- Support the adoption of a healthier lifestyle through better dietary choices, exercise and mindfulness.
- Promoting better digestion and assimilation of foods so that the body receives improved nutrition, boosting energy production and the function of all systems in the body, as well as removing another source of toxic products that the body has to process.
- Improving the function of toxin processing and elimination in the liver, bowels, kidneys, lungs, uterus and skin so that the body can process and remove the toxins compromising function and energy production.
- Correcting structural issues that may affect the function of the body.
- Support weak areas of the body that may be inherited or damaged through previous actions.
Are you interested in a holistic approach to health and nutrition that incorporates naturopathy? Read about my programs here.
References
Turner, Roger Newman, 1984, Naturopathic Medicine: Treating the Whole Person, Thorsons, UK
