“The natural healing force within each one of us is the greatest force in getting well. Our food should be our medicine. Our medicine should be our food.”

Hippocrates

Naturopathic Treatments follow the Therapeutic Order:

 

  1. Remove Obstacles to Health

    • Obstacles that can prevent the body from returning to its natural state of health include poor diet, digestive dysfunction, chronic or inappropriate stress, and dissonance within the individual.

  2. Stimulate the Self-Healing Mechanisms

    • To encourage self-healing in the system, Naturopaths employ therapies such as homeopathy, herbal medicine, constitutional hydrotherapy, and clinical nutrition.

  3. Strengthen Weakened Systems

    • Often times specific tissues or organ systems in an individual need strengthening. Targeted therapies to address these systems may include: dietary changes, lifestyle interventions, herbal therapies, specific minerals/vitamins/amino acids, and homeopathy.

  4. Correct Structural Integrity

    • Skeletal and muscular integrity is important for overall health. Naturopaths utilize Craniosacral, massage, spinal manipulation, and other Physical Medicine techniques to correct and maintain proper structural integrity.

  5. Use Natural Substances to Restore and Regenerate

    • The primary goal of Naturopathic Medicine is not to treat a pathology but to restore health to the whole system. When Naturopaths choose to add natural substances to the system for restoration, they work to ensure it is not making the system more toxic.

  6. Use Pharmacologic Substances to Halt Progressive Pathology

    • In some states Naturopaths can prescribe pharmaceutical medication if necessary. In the state of Connecticut, Naturopaths are NOT licensed to prescribe or manage pharmaceuticals. For this, you will be recommended to your Primary Care doctor or an appropriate Specialist.

  7. Use High Force Intervention: Surgery, Radiation, Chemotherapy

    • When life, limb, or function must be preserved, Naturopaths refer patients to Medical Doctors or Osteopathic Doctors who are expertly trained in these areas. Naturopaths use complementary or supportive therapies to decrease side effects and increase the effectiveness of these types of procedures.

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Naturopathic Doctors are guided by these 6 principles:

  1. Do no harm.

    • When choosing modalities for diagnosis and treatment, Naturopaths make choices that will minimize the risk of harmful side effects.

    • By working with the body’s innate ability to heal, Naturopaths avoid the suppression of symptoms when possible, and work with nature to bring about healing.

  2. The healing power of nature.

    • The Vis Medicatrix Naturae is recognized by Naturopaths as the body’s innate ability to heal itself. It is the job of the Naturopath to support this innate healing by identifying and removing “obstacles to cure,” and supplement with Naturopathic treatments when necessary.

  3. Identify and treat the cause.

    • Naturopaths work to treat the root cause of an illness rather than suppress symptoms.

  4. Physician as teacher.

    • Part of the responsibility of a Naturopath is to educate their patients. When a patient is educated about their body, they are empowered to take responsibility for their health and healing.

  5. Treat the whole person.

    • People are more than the physical manifestation of their illness. Naturopaths seek to understand the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual planes that contribute to a person’s health. They also take into account environments and relationships that contribute to an individual’s health.

  6. Prevention.

    • Exposure to risk factors impact the chance of future illness. Naturopaths assess genetic, environmental, and social risk factors that may impact an individual’s health.

  • Connecticut Naturopathic Physicians Association

  • The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

  • The Naturopathic Medicine Institutue

  • Massachusetts Society of Naturopathic Doctors