Naturopathy is a system of primary health care that is based
on a philosophy that distinguishes it from current
"mainstream" or "orthodox" medical practice. In Australia
there does not appear to be a singular definition of the
philosophies that underlie naturopathic practice, but
essential to most is the belief in the
Healing Power of Nature
That is, living systems have an inherent ability to
establish, maintain, and restore health. The role of the
Naturopath is thus to recognise and remove barriers to the
healing process. In order to do this a Naturopath will:
- Treat the underlying
cause of illness (treat the cause);
- Treat the whole
patient (holism);
- Educate the patient
about their illness and how to care for themselves (teacher)
- Develop strategies
so that future illness can be prevented or likelihood of occurrence
reduced (prevention).
Throughout this process a
Naturopath adheres to the premise that they should
do no harm. This extends to: not
giving the patient false hopes; using substances that minimize the risk of
harmful effects; generally avoiding the suppression of symptoms (except
where they are an overreaction to disease or illness); and recognising the
limitations of natural medicine and referring for orthodox treatment when it
is called for.
The
Canadian Association
of Naturopathic Physicians provides a definitive basis for these
tenets.
Here are some very useful
philosophical definitions from the UK.
You can read about the
history of naturopathy in America here - another version is
available
here. Note that their is a huge difference in beliefs in the USA that
essentially fall along two distinct lines - I will not go into the detail
here - both views are presented for the sake of completeness. If you are
wondering about the history of naturopathy in Australia - so am I.
Read more about naturopathy
in our Naturopathy
FAQ.
If you would like additional information, please
contact
us.
