Naturopathic Medicine is a safe and effective approach to healthcare that uses natural therapies to treat health problems. The approach is patient-centered and emphasizes the prevention, treatment, and optimization of health through therapeutic methods meant to address the underlying causes of illness, not just the symptoms.
Naturopathic doctors start by making a comprehensive assessment of a patient’s health, considering the person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. This assessment identifies the cause of the health problem and develops a personalized treatment plan that supports the body’s natural ability to heal.
The therapies used in naturopathy include clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, and counseling. All of these therapies are non-toxic and are chosen based on their ability to address the underlying causes of the illness and promote wellness.
Naturopathic Medicine is a holistic approach to health and wellness that is gaining popularity across the globe due to being safe, effective, and treating health problems in the most natural way possible.
Naturopaths Treat ‘ALL’ of You
Naturopathic doctors have been trained and mandated to provide holistic treatments to their patients, whether the imbalance is in their mental and/or physical or spiritual health. This is why they check all aspects of a person’s being before providing or recommending any treatment.
For example, they may recommend meditation to help treat a person’s spiritual wellness. Meditation helps a person become more ‘mindful’ as they learn to see things ‘right here, right now.’ It helps them to live in the moment, not the past. Through meditation, people can also cultivate their sense of gratitude, compassion, and self-acceptance. Engaging in meditation sessions leads to increased awareness of their spirituality to pave the way for positive holistic wellness to take place.
Integrating the concepts of spirituality and increased consciousness for one’s physical, emotional, and mental health is necessary for holistic wellness. Therefore, giving patients spiritual insights and proper guidance helps them begin making healthy, life-changing decisions, leading them to holistic wellness.
The Philosophy of Holistic Healing
The philosophy behind holistic health is that the body (including the mind) be treated in its entirety. As explained above, the same philosophy is also applied in naturopathic medicine. Therefore, using naturopathy as your preferred ‘holistic healing’ method will complement your holistic lifestyle.
Unfortunately, many traditional doctors and patients only focus on healing the physical body or visible symptoms. However, the problem often lies deeper than a visible ‘sore’ or a felt pain. It’s one of the reasons why the first fix is not always the final fix. The doctor and patient’s goal is to obtain wellness, but it just doesn’t always happen. They don’t always achieve ‘overall health and wellness’.
To work towards holistic health more efficiently, addressing all elements, not just one, is necessary. For example, a high blood pressure reading may be caused by emotional and spiritual problems, not visible issues, rather than a dietary, smoking, or drinking habit. The focus should not be just a pill to treat a specific illness. The focus should address every aspect of the affected person’s life.
Sadly, people die from fatal diseases, but many also die from misinformation on how to help themselves. The holistic philosophies applied in naturopathic medicine help people learn how to make healthy lifestyle changes through holistic wellness and healing.