About Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine is defined by seven principles designed to promote wellness

The Healing Power of Nature: Vis Medicatrix Naturae
Natururopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing process in the body that is ordered and intelligent.

Identify and Treat the Causes: Tolle causam
Naturopathic doctors work to find and remove the underlying cause of a disease instead of simply suppressing the symptoms.

First Do No Harm: Primuim Non Nocere
Naturopathic doctors favor non-invasive treatments that minimize the risk of harmful side effects. When necessary, they may work with other healthcare practitioners to offer various treatment options.

Doctor As Teacher: Docere
The principal objective of Naturopathic Medicine is to educate patients about the importance of personal responsibility for their own health. Doctors who specialize in naturopathy recognize the importance and therapeutic value that doctor-patient relationships have at better understanding and maintaining health.

Treat the Whole Person
Each person’s health is based upon a complex interaction of physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, dietary, genetic, environmental, and lifestyle values. Naturopathic doctors are holistic and work to understand and treat the causes that affect the entire body.

Prevention
Naturopathic doctors emphasize the prevention of diseases by educating patients on principles that lead to healthier lives. Naturopathic medicine also works at preventing minor illnesses from developing into more serious or chronic degenerative diseases.

Wellness
Wellness follows the establishment and maintenance of balanced, optimal health. Wellness is a state of being healthy and is characterized by positive emotion, thought, and action. Wellness is inherent in everyone, no matter the disease being experienced. If wellness is recognized and experienced by an individual, it will act as preventative medicine to heal disease more quickly than direct treatment alone.

This principle was adopted by Bastyr University and added to the above six principles.