Hawthorn Clinic Natural Health Care and Music Therapy
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Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Medicine represents the "vitalistic" tradition of medicine in our Western world. That is, it treats disease through the stimulation, increase, and support of the person's inherent healing capacity. These treatments are chosen to work with the patient's vital force, respecting the natural healing processes of nature – or scientifically speaking respecting natural physiology and homeostasis. Naturopathic medicine is a non-toxic, non-invasive approach that covers all aspects of family health, acute and chronic disease and prevention. It is distinctively different from conventional medicine in the philosophy which it is based.
What is a naturopathic Doctor?
A Naturopathic Doctor (ND) is a primary care general practitioner trained as an expert in natural medicine. Naturopathic medicine concentrates on whole-patient wellness. The medicine is tailored to you as an individual and emphasizes prevention and health education. Naturopathic medicine strives to address the underlying causes of your condition rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatment. Naturopathic Doctors cooperate with all other branches of medical science, referring patients to other practitioners for complete care.
Naturopathic doctors ensure that their patients are safe and comfortable on their journey to greater health. Some of the modalities used by naturopathic doctors to treat any number of health complaints are: clinical nutrition, western botanicals, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, body work, physiotherapy, and lifestyle counseling. Certain states authorize Naturopathic doctors to utilize minor surgery, naturopathic obstetrics and limited pharmaceutical prescribing.
Naturopathic medicine looks at the body’s symptoms as a cry for help and as a physical description of an underlying mechanism that isn’t functioning at the level of optimum. When symptoms are continuously covered up this will cause other symptoms in other areas of the body to develop.
It is the purpose of Naturopathic Medicine to take your health further than symptom management. Palliation by removing symptoms and patient comfort is a part of naturopathic medicine, but as time develops the goal is to address the cause and reach a truer state of health. “Heath: a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”- World health Organization.
Naturopathic philosophy serves as the basis for all naturopathic practice:
1. Docere: Physician as teacher
The physician's major role is to educate and encourage the patient to take responsibility for their own health. A cooperative doctor-patient relationship is formed where the physician is a catalyst for healthful change, empowering and motivating the patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient, not the doctor, who ultimately creates/accomplishes healing. By teaching with hope, knowledge, and understanding, the physician acts to enable patients to heal.
2. Vis Mediatrix Naturae: The healing power of nature
The body has an inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. This is the basis physiology in the body. The healing process is ordered and intelligent. The physician's role is to facilitate this process, to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery, and to establish or restore a healthy internal and external environment.
3. Primum No Nocere: First do no harm
Illness has a purpose in the organism. The process of healing generates symptoms, which are an expression of the life force or vix mediatrix, attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should complement this process versus suppress symptoms without removing the underlying cause which would be considered harmful.
4. Tolle Causam: Identify and treat the cause
Illness occurs with a cause. Underlying causes of disease must be discovered and removed or treated before a person can completely recover from illness. Symptoms express the body’s attempt to heal, but are not the cause of disease. Causes may occur on the physical, mental, and emotional. Treatment should be directed at root causes rather than at symptomatic expression.
5. Tolle totum: Heal the whole person
Health and disease are conditions of the whole organism. The ND must treat the whole person by taking these factors into account. Harmonious functioning of physical, mental, and emotional aspects are essential to recovery from and prevention of disease. This involves a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment.
6. Prevention:
The ultimate goal of any health care system should be prevention of disease. This is accomplished through education and promotion of life-habits that create good health. Building health and wellness works better and more surely than fighting disease.
To learn more about Naturopathic Medicine:
www.ncnm.edu
www.natuopathic.org
http://www.wisconsin-nd.org/
www.natuopathic.org
http://www.wisconsin-nd.org/
