What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a primary health care profession that focuses on prevention and uses natural methods to promote healing. By combining old philosophies of medicine with new diagnostic tools, naturopathic medicine offers additional options to the modern health care system.
Naturopathic Doctors (NDs) are general practitioners of natural health care who embrace a wide array of non-invasive techniques and therapies to create a preventive, restorative and individualized approach to health care. Some of these approaches are as basic as nutritional counseling or stress reduction, while others are more firmly planted in alternative medicine, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Botanical Medicine, and Homeopathy.
Naturopathic medicine is founded on 5 principles:
•First, do no harm.
•Act in co-operation with the healing powers of nature.
•Identify and address the root causes of disease.
•Heal the whole person through individualized treatment.
•Teach the principles of healthy living and preventive medicine.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world. The term acupuncture refers to a group of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. The strategic insertion of needles under the skin is a method of balancing the body's energy to prevent or cure diseases or disorders. For instance, acupuncture can be used to treat pain, fatigue, digestive disturbances, anxiety, as well as to stimulate overall health.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
(TCM) is a complete system of healing that developed in China more than 3,000 years ago. It's based on the idea that your health, like the universe at large, is subject to constant battling between opposing forces which manifest themselves in your body as too much or too little activity in particular organs. Any imbalance can cause a blockage in the flow of your qi (chee) or vital energy traveling through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. TCM practitioners typically use treatments such as acupuncture meditation, herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, deep tissue massage and herbs to help unblock your qi and bring your body back into harmony and wellness.
