Also indexed as: Naturopathy
Naturopathic medicine is an array of healing practices drawing from many cultures. The role
of the naturopathic physician is to facilitate the body’s natural healing processes
through natural, nontoxic therapies. As such, the cause of the disease is sought rather than
simply suppressing the symptoms, which are viewed as the body’s natural attempt to heal.
In addition, naturopathic physicians are committed to the principle of causing no harm to the
patient and to treating the person as a whole.
Naturopathic physicians view themselves as teachers who educate, empower, and motivate the
patient to lead a healthier life, emphasizing prevention as the best cure. By focusing on the
underlying causes rather than the disease symptoms, a variety of treatments are needed to
address the numerous ways that illness can manifest itself. Therefore, naturopathic physicians
are often trained in clinical nutrition, herbal
medicine, hydrotherapy, acupuncture,
homeopathy, physical medicine, counseling, and minor surgery to achieve holistic
healing.
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not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with
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before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires March 2005.
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