How Naturopathic Medicine Works

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ABOUT NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE 

Naturopathic medicine seeks to recognize and honor the wisdom of nature as it flows through the body, working to facilitate, encourage and stimulate revitalization. Providing proper nourishment, removing obstacles to healing, addressing underlying causes of ill health and stimulating inherent healing forces within the body are all part of a naturopathic approach to healing. Naturopathic therapies are safe, effective and, in some cases, may work more quickly than conventional methods. 

DO NO HARM 

Healing should progress in a manner that is gentle and rapid with no untoward effects.  Negative side effects are not expected with naturopathic therapies and if they do occur, it is an indication that the therapy should be changed in some way to better suit the individual patient. It is not necessary to trade one set of symptoms for another. 

NOURISH AND SUPPORT 

Proper Nutrition is essential for healing. Therapies may range from Simple changes in the diet 

to the addition of vitamins, minerals or other nutrients. Many herbs function by nourishing a specific organ or body system to enable more optimal function. 

HERBAL MEDICINE 

Plant medicines work largely by nourishing and supporting the healing process rather than directly altering biochemical pathways in the way that pharmaceutical drugs do. Side effects, so common with pharmaceuticals, are not expected with herbal medicines.  In fact, when whole plants are used, as opposed to isolated constituents, the many constituents in the plant act to compliment the actions of one another so that toxic effects do not occur or are very rare.

HOMEOPATHY

Nowhere is the philosophy of honoring and working with the wisdom of the body more present than in the practice of homeopathy. In administering a dilution of a substance than in a material dose causes the very symptoms we want to cure, homeopaths acknowledge symptoms as the body’s attempt to heal an imbalance. The diluted dose supports the body in its attempt to cure. Symptoms disappear, not because they have been suppressed, but rather because the healing process has been stimulated such that the symptoms are no longer needed. Selection of the appropriate homeopathic remedy is very individualized, not just to a diagnosis, but to a whole person who is struggling with that diagnosis. When the correct remedy is prescribed healing can sometimes be surprisingly dramatic.