What is Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a system of alternative medicine based on the principle that the body has the inherent ability to heal itself.

It is a holistic, patient centred approach to healing and wellbeing with a focus on optimising health.

Naturopathic principles are based on treating each person as an individual and treating the whole person, not just the symptoms or affected area.

Naturopathy encompasses a variety of treatment methods including:

• Herbal medicine – to help prevent and treat various illnesses
• Nutritional and dietary therapy – to address mineral or vitamin deficiencies, enhance detoxification and to prevent disease
• Functional Testing – going beyond regular blood tests, functional testing encompasses a range of different tests giving in-depth information about hormones, gut function and imbalances, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, etc
• Lifestyle advice – to promote well-being and to reduce stress
• Flower essences – to enhance the emotional aspect of healing
• The use of compresses and packs – to stimulate organ function and to reduce pain

Naturopathy can alleviate a wide range of conditions and is suitable for all ages.  Some of the more common conditions treated include fatigue, stress related ailments, digestive problems, PMT and anxiety/depression.  However, you do not need to be unwell to benefit from naturopathy.

Naturopathic treatments boost the body’s natural healing potential, restoring harmony and preventing disease.

Naturopathy is a distinct and complete system of health care. Six foundational principles underpin the practice of naturopathy and help guide practitioners in the care of their patients:

• The healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae)
• Identify and treat the cause (tolle causum)
• First do no harm (primum non nocere)
• Doctor as teacher (docere)
• Treat the whole person (tolle totum)
• Prevention (preventare)

Vis medicatrix naturae sees the role of the practitioner as finding the cause (tolle causum) of the disturbance of vital force. The practitioner must then do no harm (primum non nocere) by using gentle, safe and non-invasive treatments from nature to restore the vital force, and use preventative medicine (preventare) by teaching (docere – doctor as teacher) the principles of good health, to treat the whole person (tolle totum) in body, mind and spirit.