Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
The Healing Power of Nature
Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing process in the person, which is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic Physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and to facilitate and augment this inherent self-healing process.
Identify and Treat the Cause
The naturopathic physician seeks to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness, rather than to merely eliminate or suppress the symptoms.
First Do No Harm
Naturopathic physicians follow three precepts to avoid harming the client:
- Utilize methods and medical substances, which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, using the least, force necessary to diagnose and treat.
- Avoid when possible the harmful suppression of symptoms.
- Acknowledge, respect and work with the individual's self-healing process.
Doctor As Teacher
Naturopathic physicians educate their clients and encourage self-responsibility for health. They also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-client relationship.
Treat the Whole Person
Naturopathic physicians treat each client by taking into account individual physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and other factors. Since total health also includes spiritual health, naturopathic physicians encourage individuals to pursue their personal spiritual development.
Prevention
Naturopathic physicians emphasize the prevention of disease – assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease and making appropriate intervention in partnership with their clients to prevent illness.
(Lack of licensing in Minnesota prevents us from calling our licensable Naturopaths physicians or doctors. They are addressed as practitioners within our specialty.)
