Naturopathic & Functional Medicine Philosophies
Naturopathic Medicine
...is a health philosophy that encourages the body’s self-healing process through the use of natural therapies, drawing on both traditional healing methods and modern medical science.
This philosophy blends the natural world with cutting edge technology and research.
Naturopathic doctors are trained in conventional, functional, traditional, and natural modalities making them the experts in integrative medicine.
They look at disease, health, and people with a unique and holistic perspective, as opposed to seeing someone as a list of symptoms and ailments.
Patients are valued as a whole person where every system is interconnected, including mind, body, and spirit.
The force that allows a plant to grow on its own is the same force that allows a baby to grow in our womb without us knowing how.
It is that same force that allows our bodies to heal.
Naturopathic doctors help identify and remove the barriers that may be hindering this process.
Our current state of health is constantly shaped by our experiences, beliefs, patterns, genetics, diets, medications, traumas, habits, relationships, and environments.
To address each aspect, naturopathic doctors are specially trained to integrate the whole body using various healing tools including:
In depth personalized health intakes
General physical exams
Food as medicine
Traditional and modern herbal medicine
Homeopathy
Lifestyle prescriptions
Targeted nutrient therapy including vitamin injections
Nutraceuticals / nutritional supplementation
Genetic and epigenetic medicine
Natural hormone balancing
Bio-identical hormones
Mind/body interventions
Hydrotherapy and various physical medicine techniques
Pharmaceuticals when appropriate and necessary
Core Naturopathic Principles
THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE - VIS MEDICATRIX NATURAENaturopathic medicine understands that there is an inherent self-healing ability in each patient and often naturopathic physicians try to eliminate obstacles or barriers that are preventing your body from healing itself.
FIRST DO NO HARM - PRIMUM NON NOCERENaturopathic physicians aim to diagnose and treat with the least invasive and harmful treatments first to avoid unnecessary harm to the patient.
DISCOVER AND TREAT THE CAUSE - TOLLE CAUSAMInstead of treating or covering up symptoms in patients, naturopathic doctors seek to find and treat the underlying cause of the ailment to reach an overall state of health.
DOCTOR AS TEACHER - DOCERENaturopathic doctors act as teachers as well as physicians to help their patients understand not only their individual condition but also their role in their own healing to help achieve long-term optimal health.
TREAT THE WHOLE PERSON - TOLLE TOTUMEvery patient is an individual with unique physical, emotional, mental, genetic, social, and environmental factors. Symptoms cannot be treated the same in every patient. You must look at the whole person, at all of the interconnected systems, and treat them as patients are: complex and individual human beings.
PREVENTION IS THE BEST “CURE” - PRAEVENIRENaturopathic medicine emphasizes greatly a preventative approach to healthcare. In many cases, tangible symptoms are just signs of something that has been going on for a while inside your body. Preventing disease before it happens is the easiest way to keep patients healthy!
Functional Medicine
The Functional Medicine Model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness.
Functional Medicine
...relies on a detailed understanding of each patient’s genetic, biochemical, and lifestyle factors and leverages that data to direct personalized treatment plans that lead to improved patient outcomes.
By addressing root cause, rather than symptoms, practitioners become oriented to identifying the complexity of disease. They may find one condition has many different causes and, likewise, one cause may result in many different conditions. As a result, Functional Medicine treatment targets the specific manifestations of disease in each individual.
- Institute for Functional Medicine
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