What is Naturopathy?

Naturopathy is a therapeutic-diet and lifestyle based medicine at it fundamental roots. The word naturopathy comes to mean nature cure - a vital aspect for naturopaths everywhere, as naturopaths use the body’s innate ability to heal itself, supported by nature. The body is ordered and intelligent and uses nature to aid the healing process, all while removing obstacles to health.

Naturopathy understands that each person is an individual with individual needs and takes a holistic view of a person. This means that all aspects of life are looked at, regardless of ailment or health concern. Health is defined according to the World Health Organisation as a state of complete physical, mental and social/emotional well-being and not just the absence of disease or illness, which a core belief in naturopathy.

Each body holds the key to its own healing, so naturopathic treatments will help guide each patient along this journey to optimal health and well-being. This is done through personalised treatments, tailored to suit each individual.

Naturopathy stands on 7 principles:

1. First do no harm - Primum non nocere

Naturopathic treatments support the body, and gently nudge it into the direction of optimal health, all while using the least force necessary, thereby doing no harm

2. The healing power of nature - Vix medicatrix naturae

Nature heals through the response of the life force (or vitality), this is how health is maintained and restored.

3. Identify and treat the cause - Tolle causam

Symptoms are the body’s way of expressing an attempt to heal, but they are not the cause of dis-ease.

4. Treat the whole person - Tolle totum

There is an interaction between physical, mental, social, spiritual and emotional factors in the body and it is important to look at these aspects, regardless of what the presenting problem is.

5. Physician/doctor as teacher - Docere

The practitioner is a teacher, not an authoritative figure, whose job is to educate about what they are doing and what is going on in the patients body.

6. Prevention is the best cure - Preoccupo est optimus remedium

Although this is sometimes hard in todays modern world where patients seek treatment when things are bad, striving to prevent further illness is very important for optimal health.

7. Wellness - establish a state of optimum health and balance

The concepts of wellness and well-being lead us toward establishing and maintaining health and balance.