Naturopathic
Medicine: The Natural Choice
Mothers
have a naturally healing touch. Virtually all of us can
remember a time in childhood when a mom kissed our “boo-boo,”
gave us a hug, and we instantly felt better. You can call
it magic, instinct, or intuition, but whatever it is, mothers
and women are often the natural healers of the family, physically,
emotionally, and spiritually. Perhaps this is why naturopathic
medicine is so appealing. Based on nature and the power
of life, naturopathic medicine is what many of us turn to
when traditional medicine does not meet all of our needs.
Naturopathic
medicine is supported by the belief that, under the proper
conditions, the body has the ability to heal itself. Some
basic principles of naturopathic medicine are as follows:
- There
is an underlying cause to disease that must be identified
- It
is preferable to treat the individual, not the symptoms
- A
person must be treated as a physical, mental, emotional,
and spiritual being
- Each
person is unique and should be treated that way
- Internal
disorders in the body are what cause ill health, not external
pollutants or influences
- Prevention
is the best way to optimum health
To
achieve these goals, naturopathic medicine practitioners
will use a wide variety of treatments such as nutrition,
herbs, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, supplements,
massage, educating the patient, and counseling. During every
therapy and treatment, those practicing naturopathic medicine
follow the standard of “vis medicatrix naturae,”
or the healing power of nature.
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