The Naturopathic Philosophy
of Medicine & Healing
Here you will find all the reasons for why I ask so many questions, why my patient forms are so long and why you might get a list of diet, lifestyle and nutrient prescriptions where your last doctor was content to send you on your way with cortisone or an antibiotic. As Naturopathic Doctors, we care, we listen, and we aren't content with symptom management. So for those of you who really want to know our driving philosophy, here it is.
The main tenets of Naturopathic medicine are explained within these six facets of our philosophy.
1. Primum No Nocere- First Do No Harm. In all therapies, we must consider the least toxic and most nurturing form of healing to be in the patient's best interest.
2. Vis Medicatrix Naturae- Healing Power of Nature. In humans, animals and all nature, there is a stimulating force for healing intrinsic to us all. The capacity for healing oneself is not learned nor foisted upon us, but is central and vital to our being and as such one's healing and recovery should be based upon its encouragement.
3. Tolle Totum- Treat the Whole Person. The spiritual, emotional and physical status of a patient must always be considered when looking at the illness or dysfunction at hand. The body does not exist in a vacuum, but is interwoven into our more intangible aspects of being.
4. Tolle Causem- Treat from the Root Cause. Making a patient feel better is what may get them through the day, but our focus must always be on those deeper layers, those convoluted and indirect paths disease takes in our body, so that we may follow them to release the grasp of disease.
5. Docere- Doctor as Teacher. Patients who are informed, aware, and active participants in their health are in the best position to reach their goals (including a nice long life with maximal quality and enjoyment). We as Naturopathic Physicians must instruct, guide and encourage our patients to facilitate their own healing.
6. Preventare- Prevention. Does "a stitch in time saves nine" sound familiar? The best "cure" for any of our now-epidemic chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc.) is prevention before the crises stage emerges and takes root. This concept alone, if used as the foundation for public health, could be the most instrumental and effective health policy of them all. This idea works extremely well for each and every one of my patients. Heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia are disease processes best treated with preventive measures begun from young adult age on.
The following is the driving philosophy behind my choice of treatment options. As a Naturopathic Doctor, my "tool box" is quite large, encompassing nutrition, nutrients, botanical medicine, homeopathy, prescription medication and more. I use the therapeutic order in every treatment plan for every patient.
The main tenets of Naturopathic medicine are explained within these six facets of our philosophy.
1. Primum No Nocere- First Do No Harm. In all therapies, we must consider the least toxic and most nurturing form of healing to be in the patient's best interest.
2. Vis Medicatrix Naturae- Healing Power of Nature. In humans, animals and all nature, there is a stimulating force for healing intrinsic to us all. The capacity for healing oneself is not learned nor foisted upon us, but is central and vital to our being and as such one's healing and recovery should be based upon its encouragement.
3. Tolle Totum- Treat the Whole Person. The spiritual, emotional and physical status of a patient must always be considered when looking at the illness or dysfunction at hand. The body does not exist in a vacuum, but is interwoven into our more intangible aspects of being.
4. Tolle Causem- Treat from the Root Cause. Making a patient feel better is what may get them through the day, but our focus must always be on those deeper layers, those convoluted and indirect paths disease takes in our body, so that we may follow them to release the grasp of disease.
5. Docere- Doctor as Teacher. Patients who are informed, aware, and active participants in their health are in the best position to reach their goals (including a nice long life with maximal quality and enjoyment). We as Naturopathic Physicians must instruct, guide and encourage our patients to facilitate their own healing.
6. Preventare- Prevention. Does "a stitch in time saves nine" sound familiar? The best "cure" for any of our now-epidemic chronic diseases (diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc.) is prevention before the crises stage emerges and takes root. This concept alone, if used as the foundation for public health, could be the most instrumental and effective health policy of them all. This idea works extremely well for each and every one of my patients. Heart disease, osteoporosis and dementia are disease processes best treated with preventive measures begun from young adult age on.
The following is the driving philosophy behind my choice of treatment options. As a Naturopathic Doctor, my "tool box" is quite large, encompassing nutrition, nutrients, botanical medicine, homeopathy, prescription medication and more. I use the therapeutic order in every treatment plan for every patient.
The Therapeutic Order
The idea behind the Therapeutic Order is that it makes the most sense to build up a patient's health "from the ground up" by first supporting and nourishing the body and mind instead of approaching one's concerns "from the top down" by using pharmaceuticals and surgery before addressing basic nutritional deficiencies and organ dysfunction, for example.
First Level: This is the very base of it all. Re-establishing the foundation of health. What are the primary imbalances of a patient's life which are contributing to ill health? Often lumped into "lifestyle factors," these are basic aspects of a person's existence, and are the foundation upon which one can improve or undermine one's health. Some examples of these are chronic lack of sleep, skipping meals, types of food/drink consumed (including unique allergies and sensitivities), job stress, family stress, level of physical activity. My belief is that there is no pill, no herb, no supplement that can effectively and wholly counteract an unhealthy lifestyle.
Second Level: Stimulate the vital force (or vis seen above). This is where many of the Naturopathic therapies (herbs, hydrotherapy, medical or functional nutrition) may be placed, with the goal being to provide strong support to the person as a whole. At this level we are providing the building blocks for the person to create wellness for him or herself.
Third Level: Organ system-targeted therapies. At this level, treatments are focused on supporting and correcting pathology of weak or damaged systems or organs in the body. A few examples may be therapy addressing improving immune function, liver health/detoxification, addressing infertility, etc.
Fourth Level: Aligning Structure. Therapies at this level seek to correct physical imbalances through such therapies as manipulation (such as spinal adjustments), massage, neuromuscular retraining and other physical therapies.
Fifth Level: Natural Medicine Countering Pathology. At this level, the disease or pathology is such that a "lower level" therapy may not suffice, and so natural therapies are used in a more concentrated, targeted manner. These include strong or higher doses of specific natural supplements or botanicals to overcome a pathological or disturbed process. An example of this is anti-microbial herbal medicine.
Sixth Level: Pharmaceutical Medicine. When pharmaceuticals are needed, it is my goal to make sure that all the previous levels' therapies are solidly grounded. Due to the known undesirable effects of many pharmaceuticals, patients often work with their Naturopathic Physician to decrease and/or taper off many of their drugs once their foundation of health is solid (at which point some pharmaceuticals may become unnecessary). I love doing this! Of course, there are situations where it is not safe or desirable to do so, and every patient is a unique case which receives my full attention. I am grateful to have an extensive medication prescribing authority in the state of Oregon (meaning a long list of drugs we can prescribe), so that I can prescribe and manage medications for most patients (like any Primary Care or Family Medicine Physician would).
Seventh Level: The very top of the pyramid- "highest order" interventions which include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. There exist today an ever-growing number of diseases that have so profoundly disrupted a person from his or her state of health, and often have developed over such a long length of time (decades in many cases) that we must strongly consider those treatment options usually only offered at hospitals. For the most part, our work as Naturopathic Doctors is best done in the more foundational levels realm and in this regard we refer and work with MD specialists (cardiologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, etc.). This is where the importance of Prevention fully comes to light.
First Level: This is the very base of it all. Re-establishing the foundation of health. What are the primary imbalances of a patient's life which are contributing to ill health? Often lumped into "lifestyle factors," these are basic aspects of a person's existence, and are the foundation upon which one can improve or undermine one's health. Some examples of these are chronic lack of sleep, skipping meals, types of food/drink consumed (including unique allergies and sensitivities), job stress, family stress, level of physical activity. My belief is that there is no pill, no herb, no supplement that can effectively and wholly counteract an unhealthy lifestyle.
Second Level: Stimulate the vital force (or vis seen above). This is where many of the Naturopathic therapies (herbs, hydrotherapy, medical or functional nutrition) may be placed, with the goal being to provide strong support to the person as a whole. At this level we are providing the building blocks for the person to create wellness for him or herself.
Third Level: Organ system-targeted therapies. At this level, treatments are focused on supporting and correcting pathology of weak or damaged systems or organs in the body. A few examples may be therapy addressing improving immune function, liver health/detoxification, addressing infertility, etc.
Fourth Level: Aligning Structure. Therapies at this level seek to correct physical imbalances through such therapies as manipulation (such as spinal adjustments), massage, neuromuscular retraining and other physical therapies.
Fifth Level: Natural Medicine Countering Pathology. At this level, the disease or pathology is such that a "lower level" therapy may not suffice, and so natural therapies are used in a more concentrated, targeted manner. These include strong or higher doses of specific natural supplements or botanicals to overcome a pathological or disturbed process. An example of this is anti-microbial herbal medicine.
Sixth Level: Pharmaceutical Medicine. When pharmaceuticals are needed, it is my goal to make sure that all the previous levels' therapies are solidly grounded. Due to the known undesirable effects of many pharmaceuticals, patients often work with their Naturopathic Physician to decrease and/or taper off many of their drugs once their foundation of health is solid (at which point some pharmaceuticals may become unnecessary). I love doing this! Of course, there are situations where it is not safe or desirable to do so, and every patient is a unique case which receives my full attention. I am grateful to have an extensive medication prescribing authority in the state of Oregon (meaning a long list of drugs we can prescribe), so that I can prescribe and manage medications for most patients (like any Primary Care or Family Medicine Physician would).
Seventh Level: The very top of the pyramid- "highest order" interventions which include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. There exist today an ever-growing number of diseases that have so profoundly disrupted a person from his or her state of health, and often have developed over such a long length of time (decades in many cases) that we must strongly consider those treatment options usually only offered at hospitals. For the most part, our work as Naturopathic Doctors is best done in the more foundational levels realm and in this regard we refer and work with MD specialists (cardiologists, gastroenterologists, neurologists, etc.). This is where the importance of Prevention fully comes to light.