The Canyon

Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct medical system of healthcare: an art, science, and practice of diagnosing and treating people and preventing disease through the processes of nature. The scope of a Naturopathic practice varies from state to state, depending on current law. A Naturopath may diagnose and treat patients for both acute and chronic conditions. Treatment may include but is not limited to: nutrition, botanical medicine, NMT, acupuncture, homeopathy, mind-body, natural childbirth, minor surgery, prescriptions (natural and synthetic). A Naturopathic physician not only identifies a disease, but wants to know which way it is going; a naturopath believes disease is dynamic. Naturopathic medicine is governed by six principles:

Vis Medicatrix naturae:
The body possesses an inherent ability to heal, to restore health. The physician’s role is to facilitate this process with the aid of natural non-toxic therapies.
Vis:
energy, strength or force.
Medicatrix:
medicine or healing.
Naturae:
Nature.
Primum Non Nocere:
"First do no harm" Minimize harmful side affects; Avoid symptom suppression; Acknowledge, respect, and work with the individual’s healing process
Tolle Totum:
"Treat the Entire Person" Treat the entire person, not just their symptoms, not just a single body part. The body functions as a web – each area impacting the others, inextricably connected – synergistic, more than the individual parts. A wholistic treatment plan will address all areas as needed for the individual.
Genetics is an important piece of information relating to the individual’s health & risk for future disease. From the human genome project, we are seeing some fascinating research implying that we may be able to affect not our genes but the production of gene products – through diet, lifestyle & nutrition. For example, an individual may be genetically predisposed towards heart disease, but may not evidence symptoms until they begin to eat a high saturated fat & sugar, low dietary fiber diet with little to no exercise and high stress – stimulating production of gene products which are involved in the progression & risk of heart disease. The idea is to create a life that generates health in each of these areas. The definition of health can be different for each person – a naturopathic physician respects each patient without imposing his/her own views.
Docere:
"Doctor as Teacher" It is the role of the naturopathic physician to educate patients as to their role in their own health, to empower them with the knowledge that it is their everyday actions which determine the basis for their health, and motivate them to take responsibility for their health through positive daily action.
Much of this education takes place through a strong doctor-patient relationship. Once a person understands why some action is very important to the continuation or regaining of their health, they are much more likely to make the effort to do it. Compliance is enhanced significantly – especially when patients are encouraged to ask questions, to be active participants in their health care. This develops into a significant level of trust which allows for deeper and more honest communication – which only helps with accurate diagnosis and treatment. One of the ways in which we’re able to accomplish this type of interaction is by scheduling patient visits for an average of one hour each.
Tolle Causam:
"Identify and Treat the Underlying Cause" What situations, exposures, dietary/lifestyle habits could have contributed to the individual being susceptible in the first place? What are the obstacles to a rapid & complete recovery? It is important to look at the physical level of course, but also the mental & emotional levels which significantly impact not only our health but our ability to heal. Another important point is that symptoms are viewed as the body’s natural attempts to heal. They themselves are not the underlying problem. What is causing the symptom? If we habitually suppress the symptoms (the body’s attempts to heal), we miss the underlying issue. For example, headaches are not aspirin-deficiency symptoms. The body is trying to tell us something – perhaps we’re not drinking enough water, or we’re putting ourselves under more stress than we can functionally adapt to, or perhaps there’s a more serious issue we’re ignoring by suppressing those symptoms.
Prevention is the best cure:
Prevention is more of a modern concept. This involves understanding an individual’s risk factors to determine, as much as possibly, susceptibility. Look to their environment for exposure risks & social/emotional factors. Design an individualized appropriate intervention. This will involve removing obstacles to cure & supporting health through education around lifestyle & therapeutic support as needed.

Education

Before you can decide how you want to utilize information, you need to have that information. Naturopathic medicine begins with a study of the basic sciences in a very similar fashion to conventional medical school. Naturopathic medicine combines modern science with ancient healing wisdom for the benefit of each individual patient. This includes laboratory diagnosis, psychological assessment & counseling, clinical & physical diagnosis, natural & pharmacological therapies. Even if naturopathic physicians choose to do little or no prescribing it is crucial to have a knowledge of pharmacology & pharmaceutical because many patients you see will be utilizing them.

Treatment Modalities

Homeopathy:
Homeopathy involves utilizing an extremely dilute preparation of a substance to help the body heal from symptoms which are similar to the symptoms of toxic exposure of that same substance. This includes a very involved case taking, utilizing a book called the Repertory to look up symptoms & find which remedies commonly evince those symptoms & checking in a Materia Medica which lists remedies & their symptom pictures. The appropriate remedy is prescribed & then physician monitors the patient for changes to determine in which direction they are moving on the health/disease continuum.
Physical Medicine:
Physiotherapy including utilization of exercise therapies, US, diathermy & soft tissue techniques:
Osseous Manipulation:
similar to chiropractic techniques
Electrotherapy:
including sin wave & microcurrent applications to the body
Injection therapy:
utilized especially with chronic pain syndromes.
Counseling:
Naturopathic physicians receive significant training in counseling regarding lifestyle issues as well as traditional mental/emotional issues.
Hydrotherapy:
the use of water as a medium for application of different temperatures to the human body in ways that stimulate circulation such that it promotes healing.
Constitutional hydrotherapy–
a treatment which gently stimulates circulation throughout the whole body – very similar to sanatorium treatments still performed in Europe.
Localized hydrotherapy–
done to specific body areas for an intended effect rather than gentle stimulation of the whole body.
Botanical Medicine:
Pharmacognosy, Tinctures, Poultices/Fomentations, Encapsulations, Liquid Extracts

Licensure

National Board Exams

NABNE(North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners)

State Board Exams

NPBOMEX

Naturopaths are currently licensed in the following states:

Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.

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