Naturopathy Overview

Naturopathy is a blend of different therapies, all attempting to restore the body to health in the most natural way possible. Based on the idea that the body has the innate ability to fight disease, its techniques are noninvasive and designed to stimulate the body's natural healing powers.

Naturopaths believe disease is not just a physical symptom, but rather a product of the mind, spirit and body. A consultation may include analysis of your medical history, lifestyle, diet, exercise habits, stress, relationships, sleep patterns, bowel habits and mental and spiritual health. The goal is to find the underlying cause of illness. They also assess a patient's unique situation, paving the way to create optimal health, not to just treat disease.

Since naturopathic physicians are often trained in many disciplines, their treatments, including homeopathy and acupuncture, can be varied and diverse. Naturopathy can be good for symptoms that are incurable through conventional medicine. Without the use of drugs or surgery, naturopathy aims to treat conditions such as recurrent infections, arthritis, asthma, skin problems, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.

Naturopathic practitioners uphold six basic principles: nature has the power to heal; treat the cause, not the effect; treat the whole person; do no harm; encourage prevention; and act as a teacher.