Naturopathy is a wholistic and inclusive system of care that targets the cause of your health concerns. When you see a naturopath, their work is governed by the 6 Principles of Naturopathy.
primum non nocere – First Do No Harm
First and foremost, the role of a naturopath is to support the individual’s health and wellness and avoid creating any additional stress or harm through the treatments or medicines prescribed. A naturopath will work with you to support your body to overcome the disease/symptoms rather than suppressing them.
That being said, in some instances symptomatic management (acute care) may be employed in the short term to relieve pain, inflammation or control symptoms that are impacting your quality of life. Once these symptoms have been controlled, a naturopath will then move on to correct the underlying imbalances.
vis medicatrix naturae – The Healing Power of Nature
Our body is amazing! It possesses an inherent ability to establish, correct and maintain optimal health and wellness. The role of the naturopath is to facilitate this process, identifying any obstacles that prevent the body from healing itself.
This also extends to the types of treatments that a naturopath will prescribe. Drawing on the healing power of nature, a naturopath uses herbal medicine, nutritional and diet therapy and lifestyle modifications to treat the individual and restore balance in their health.
tolle causam – Discover and Treat the Cause, Not Just the Effect
Like warning lights on your car dashboard, signs and symptoms develop in our body to let us know that some things aren’t quite right! Treating the symptoms in isolation may give you temporary relief, but if you don’t address the cause of why they are there in the first place, the problem will just come back, sometimes stronger, more frequent or worse than before.
Take bloating for example. You could take an antacid or ‘de-gas’ pill every time you eat, but for long term management and resolution, a naturopath will look at nutritional intake, the balance of bowel bacteria, stress levels and stomach acid production amongst others. Once the cause has been identified, it can be accurately targeted so health and wellbeing is restored.
tolle totum – Treat the Whole Person
We’re complex creatures!
Our health, wellbeing and energy levels are often the result of a number of things all happening at once – after all, our lives don’t take place in a bubble! A naturopath works to treat the whole person, taking into account the complex interaction between physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual and environmental aspects.
By treating the whole person, a naturopath can often treat multiple things at once, especially when it is combined with treating the cause as opposed to just the symptoms.
docere – The Physician is a Teacher
“Doctor” is derived from the Latin “Docere” which means “to teach, and one who is trained in the healing arts”.
A naturopath will teach you what needs to be done to regain (and sustain) health and wellness. As a naturopath, Rebecca will inspire, motivate and empower you to take charge of your health for yourself, providing you with the tools and skills to achieve wellness.
praevenire – Prevention is the best “cure”
As the age old saying goes ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’. Once a naturopath has helped you restore your health and energy, they want to keep you there! Many naturopaths refer to this as ‘wellness’, where the emphasis is on retaining health and balance, rather than constantly fighting off disease. This principle often combines with docere – the physician is the teacher, as a naturopath will teach you ways to keep yourself well.