Naturopathic Medicine

The 6 naturopathic medicine principles:

First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere)

Naturopathic physicians follow three guidelines to avoid harming the patient:

• Utilize methods and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects, using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat;

• Avoid when possible the harmful suppression of symptoms; and

• Acknowledge, respect, and work with individuals’ self-healing process.

The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing process in people that is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and to facilitate and augment this inherent self-healing process.

Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam).

The naturopathic physician seeks to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.

Treat the Whole Person

Naturopathic physicians treat each patient by taking into account individual physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors. Since total health also includes spiritual health, naturopathic physicians encourage individuals to pursue their personal spiritual development.

Doctor as Teacher (Docere)

Naturopathic physicians educate their patients and encourage self-responsibility for health. They also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the doctor-patient relationship.

Prevention

Naturopathic physicians emphasize the prevention of disease by assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease, and by making appropriate interventions in partnership with their patients to prevent illness.

Naturopathic physicians use the therapeutic order to help guide them in their therapeutic decisions and recommendations. The goal is to use the lowest force intervention available to allow for healing.

Naturopathic Education and Regulation:

“A licensed naturopathic physician (ND) attends a four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as an MD, but also studies holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician also studies clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling. A naturopathic physician takes rigorous professional licensure exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician”

-American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

In order to become a licensed ND, a person must attend 1 of 7 schools with accredited naturopathic medical programs in the US or in Canada. A list of these schools can be found here.

When an ND graduates from an accredited naturopathic medical program, they must pass a set of rigorous licensure exams (NPLEX). Once successfully completed, the ND can become licensed to practice medicine if their state licenses NDs. Currently, 22 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands have licensing or registration laws for naturopathic doctors. In states where natuturopathic medicine is yet to be licensed, naturopathic physicians function as health consultants

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