What is Naturopathy?:

 

Naturopathy is a multi-disciplinary ‘Natural’ approach to healthcare. A fully qualified Naturopath may be considered a ‘GP of Complementary Medicine’. Naturopathic treatment is based around the concept of using what nature provides to help the body heal itself. Instead of simply suppressing symptoms, the root cause of the problem is addressed and the individual treated as a whole with consideration being given to physical, emotional and mental symptoms, achieving safe lasting results.

Nutritional advice, herbal medicine, homeopathy and supplements may be used by a naturopath to help individuals achieve health and wellbeing.

The Origins and principles of Naturopathy:

The principles of Naturopathy were first used by the Hippocratic School of Medicine in about 400B.C. The Greek philosopher Hippocrates believed in viewing the whole person in regards to finding a cause of disease, and using the laws of nature to induce cure. It was from this original school of thought that Naturopathy takes its principles.

  • The healing power of nature – nature has the innate ability to heal
  • Identify and treat the cause - there is always an underlying cause, be it physical or emotional
  • Do no harm- a Naturopath will never use treatments that may create other conditions
  • Treat the whole person – when preparing a treatment plan, all aspects of a person’s being are taken into consideration
  • The physician as teacher- a Naturopath empowers the patient to take responsibility for his/her own health by teaching self-care
  • Prevention is better than cure - a Naturopath may remove toxic substances and situations from a patient’s lifestyle to prevent the onset disease in later life.

 

Naturopathy according to renowned Naturopath Steven Langley:

Naturopathy, or Nature Cure, is underpinned by a fundamental principle – vis medicatrix naturae – the healing power of nature. This was made clear 25 centuries ago when Hippocrates said Health is the expression of a harmonious balance between various components of man’s nature, the environment and ways of life – nature is the physician of disease.

The body has this capacity to heal itself if given the right conditions and naturopathy, along with acupuncture, homoeopathy, herbal medicine, and most other holistic modalities subscribes to this basic understanding of the body’s own innate intelligence.

Modern orthodox medicine, apart from all its positive and beneficial attributes, does not subscribe to this idea of wholism or to the importance of prevention. As long ago as the second century BC, the Yellow Emperor, in the Classic of Internal Medicine, said A doctor who treats a disease after it has happened is a mediocre doctor..a doctor who treats a disease before it happens is a superior doctor. Indeed Chinese physicians were paid to keep their patients healthy and were either dismissed or not paid if the patient became ill. This ensured a health system, not an ill health system, as we know it. Unfortunately this understanding has changed to a new paradigm-wait until it is broken and then fix it.