Naturopathic doctors have a lot in common with conventional medical doctors when it comes to our training. So what makes me, a Naturopathic doctor, different? You may think I am different because I use natural substances like vitamins & herbs rather than pharmaceutical drugs, but anyone can use these substances. MDs are now prescribing fish oil & probiotics. You can now go to the drug store & purchase over-the-counter medications that once were only available with a prescription.
It’s not about the tools. It’s about how they are applied. It is the philosophy that guides the treatment and it is the Naturopathic philosophy that makes Naturopathic doctors unique.
The practice of Naturopathic medicine is guided by 6 principles:
- 1.
DO NO HARM
- . This principle reminds me to use protocols that minimize the risk of harmful side effects.
- 2.
THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE
- . This principle reminds me that we all possess the unique ability to heal ourselves & my role as the doctor is to simply assist in the healing process.
- 3.
IDENTIFY & TREAT THE CAUSE
- . This principle reminds me to ask “why?” Why are you suffering with these symptoms? Signs and symptoms are how the body communicates with us that something is wrong or out of balance. If we simply manage the symptoms by suppressing them with medication then we are driving the problem elsewhere and sooner or later there will be consequences.
- 4.
TREAT THE WHOLE PERSON
- . You are not just a gall bladder or a kidney stone or an arthritic hip. You are not just a diabetic. You have a unique physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, sexual, & spiritual makeup. All of these factors contribute to your health and therefore must be considered when creating a wellness plan for you. So, this principle reminds me that the goal is individualized care rather than one-size-fits-all medicine.
- 5.
PREVENT DISEASE
- . This principle reminds me that my focus is on maintaining health. I believe health is a state of balance. It is a basic and dynamic force in our daily lives influenced by our nutrition, hormones, genetics, environment, our beliefs and our experiences.
- 6.
DOCTOR AS TEACHER
- . I think Kofi Annan phrased it so well when he said, “knowledge is power, information is liberating, and education is the premise of progress in every society, in every family and in every individual. I educate my patients on how to eat, how to relax, & how to nurture themselves physically and emotionally. I find that this approach is very empowering and encouraging to those who have been suffering.
At Solutions for Life Naturally, I utilize the following clinical tools:
- Nutritional evaluation and dietary revision
- counseling for lifestyle modification
- botanical medicine
- mind/body medicine
- hydrotherapy
- biotherapeutic drainage and detoxification
- biofeedback
- homeopathy
Solutions for Life Naturally puts these tools and principles into practice by offering a . . .
Plan
I believe that health care solutions should be individualized. I also believe that when time is taken to listen, solutions to any health challenge can be found. So, your goals are important to me. When we work together we will develop a strategy to achieve your goals. By having a plan in place you can hold yourself accountable and also evaluate your progress.
Partnership
I believe that when “I” is replaced by “we” even “illness” becomes “wellness.” So our partnership is critical to your accomplishments. By working together we can help make this transition extremely easy for you. Let me use my experience to remove any obstacles you may encounter.
Promise
I believe that there is hope, there are options and health can be restored. I am committed to natural medicine and lifestyle transformation. I believe that solutions exist and everyone has the right to age well, live well and be well, naturally. I want you to be healthy for the rest of your life. I promise to help you find a “strategic balance” with respect to lifestyle.
If you would like to learn more about naturopathic medicine, please visit the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at www.naturopathic.org/medicine.
