Curious About "Naturopathic Medicine"?
NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct method of primary health care -an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Naturopathic physicians seek to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature's inherent self-healing process, the vis medicatrix naturae. This is accomplished through education and the rational use of natural therapeutics.*
The 6 Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
F I R S T , D O N O H A R M
We use the least invasive, yet the most effective treatment.
T H E H E A L I N G P O W E R O F N A T U R E
We believe in the body's ability to heal itself.
T R E A T T H E C A U S E S
We look beyond the symptoms and identify the root causes of your health problems.
T H E D O C T O R A S T E A C H E R
We educate you about your own health, so you will have a clear picture of what is going on in your body.
T R E A T T H E W H O L E P E R S O N
Everyone is unique and our goal is to integrate your physical, mental, and emotional aspects together.
P R E V E N T I O N
Prevention is the best cure.
Naturopathic Diagnosis
The 2 main purposes when it comes to making a diagnosis are:
#1 To accurately categorize the disease.
#2 To determine the root causes of disease.
So you are curious how naturopathic doctor (ND) makes a diagnosis.
Comprehensive History Taking
Laboratory Tests (blood, urine, tissue, etc.)
Imaging (x-ray, ultrasound, CT scan, etc.)
Physical Examinations
Review of all previous medical records
Naturopathic Treatments
The seven core naturopathic modalities used in practice include:
Clinical nutrition and diet modification
Applied nutrition (use of dietary supplements, IV therapy, and natural health care products)
Botanical medicine (use of herbs and its extracts)
Lifestyle counseling
Hydrotherapy
Homeopathy
Physical Medicine
However, each practitioner integrates these modalities differently depending on their expertise. I personally focus more on modalities 1-4 (see bold ones above), with special interest and advanced training in botanical medicine and applied nutrition especially IV nutritional therapy. So the main modalities used in treatment plans may be varied from practitioner to practitioner, I suggest you should discuss directly to the naturopathic doctor who you are interested in working with.
*According to American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
About the Author:
Dr. Nichamon Samantarat, as known as Dr. Nicha, US-licensed naturopathic doctor and a founder of NICHE Natural Health. She is very passionate about natural medicine and all things healthy. Her goal is to meet her patients where they are and assisting them in their health journey to the point of optimal health. She is also an educator, guest speaker, university lecturer, columnist, and business consultant on natural health and wellness area.