Naturopathic medicine is a system and philosophy of medicine thathas been around for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Before theadvent of ‘conventional’ medicine, which uses a wide variety of drugsand surgical procedures, almost every doctor learned how to use herbs,minerals, homeopathy, and other natural methods to treat disease. Sincethe early 1900’s and with the discovery of antibiotics, usage andpublic knowledge of naturopathic medicine has declined. This was mostlikely due to the ‘quick fix’ nature of many of the new drugs developedand increased safety of surgical procedures. Diseases such as influenzaand measles, which today are generally nuisances and easily treated inmost people, were very scary and sometimes life threatening in theseearlier times. The plague literally plagued people. Today we areblessed with better opportunities for proper nutrition, hygiene, andinformation about these diseases, all of which lessen the threat ofmany of the more common diseases becoming life threatening. Theattraction that people had towards conventional medicine was and isunderstandable. Treatments that decrease symptoms of a disease areoften well received by patients who are dealing with a troublesomecondition. Most advances in technology are viewed as progress andpeople want the best, especially where their health or that of theirloved ones is concerned. The problem that came with this flux towardsconventional medicine was that it was new and no one knew what the sideeffects or long-term effects of using synthetic drugs would be. Also,most people abandoned the more natural methods of health care andstopped caring for themselves in a way that would keep them strong andvital. Instead they began using pills and surgery as ‘fixes’ whenthings went wrong. They began to eat more processed foods that havefewer vitamins and minerals. Our environment became more polluted. Mostdoctors know little about nutrition, how or what to eat, or what to dowith people affected by the environment. As well, the more scientificmedicine gets, the less people understand it. This leads to peoplefeeling ignorant about health matters and leaving all the power intheir doctor’s hands.

So, here we are today. When people feel sick or know somethingis wrong, they make an appointment and usually get a prescription. Ifthat doesn’t work, another prescription is tried. If a person is lucky,they get sick very infrequently and live healthy lives. Complicationsarise when the treatments given don’t work or cause side effects thatneed another treatment to lessen them. What happens if you haveallergies, asthma, and diabetes? How many prescriptions do you take?What if the drugs given interact with each other or cause a nutritionaldeficiency? What about the people who are on a drug for the rest oftheir lives? What about people with chronic diseases that have beentold they have no cure but the symptoms can be ‘managed’?

What causes many of the above problems is the philosophy ofthe medicine used. The focus should not be (however contrary it maysound) how to get rid of whatever ails you, but why it began. If youcan find out what causes your disease and why it began for you, it isentirely possible to foster your health in such a way that your bodyheals itself. It does little good to get rid of an ear infection inyour child if it returns again. Why take an antiviral daily to suppressherpes outbreaks when this can be done with lifestyle and naturalmethods that do the same thing while enhancing your immunity? If youhave advanced heart disease, diabetes, or cancer, what feelings of hopedo you have that your life can be enhanced? If you take medicationsdaily, perhaps in increasing doses, for the rest of your life with youronly hope to have better or stable lab test results, that doesn’t soundlike the quality life you could be having. Did you know that withchanges to your lifestyle and natural therapies you could increase theenergy you feel as well as possibly reverse many of the damagingchanges you now live with?

There are natural treatments for every complaint. I once heardfrom a wise doctor, “There are no incurable diseases, only incurablepeople”. What he meant was that every case of cancer may not becurable, but it is possible to cure cancer. No condition is incurable.What happens in treatment is more a factor of the person, the nature ofthe disease, and other variables, and not so much which disease isbeing treated. It is more difficult, of course, to treat diseases thatare long-standing, severe, or in other ways complicated. But that doesnot mean it can never been done. If a person does not want treatmentand they get something from being in the place they are at, that makesrecovery all the more difficult. It is much easier to treat conditionswhen they first start and when the person wishes to be well. But stillthere are no guarantees.

What tends to work best for most people is a multifacetedapproach to treating their condition. First, treat the whole person.Find out what their needs are and treat them physically, mentally,emotionally, and spiritually, as they need it. Treat their whole body.Migraines, arthritis, and urinary infections can be related and notseparate diseases. A person may not need antibiotics or removal of anorgan, they may need something that seems entirely unrelated. Thetoddler with constant stomach pains may not need medication; he mayneed to change day cares. Try to understand what is going on for theperson.

Second, treat them in such a way as to increase theirvitality. The goal is to increase the healing response within so thatthe body becomes healthier and reverses the disease process naturallyand in its time (if this is possible). It may be necessary to providesome symptomatic relief, but the goal of a treatment should not be tosimply suppress the symptoms. Just because symptoms are gone does notmean that the disease is not there. The goal is a complete cure and noreturn of the condition (sometimes this is possible, at other times itis not). Your body holds an incredible healing force that wants to keepyou in harmonious balance at all times. Think of the miracle of healinga broken bone. Think of how microorganisms cause your lungs muchdistress in bronchitis, yet how well you breathe and how complete thecure when the body is done healing that condition. Think of the miracleof life itself. If disease arises when we hinder the body inmaintaining its perfect balance, then restoring conditions of balancewill help our bodies to heal themselves. After all, it is not theantibiotic that heals you. The antibiotic simply kills off enoughbacteria to allow your body the upper hand. Ask yourself if the bodyshouldn’t have the upper hand to begin with. If you really do needantibiotics, what is causing the bacteria to gain the upper hand?

Naturopathic medicine strives to restore balance by removingany obstacles keeping your body from healing itself. Physicians usingthis medicine understand the importance of treating each personindividually and in a way that helps restore their natural vitality.They also try to use the most gentle yet effective treatment possibleto avoid causing side effects or interactions between treatments.Naturopathic physicians also recognize the importance of usingconventional medicine when it is necessary. They will also useappropriate lab work, x-rays, and other tools for diagnosis andtracking when necessary. As all physicians, they frequently will refera complicated condition to providers who can give the patient the bestcare along with the natural treatments. Naturopaths regard the wantsand needs of their patients highly. A patient is encouraged to sharetheir goals and take and active part in their healthcare. Consultationsand treatments are generally longer than those with a conventionalpractitioner so questions can be addressed and a healing relationshipestablished.

For more information or questions on related topics, please visit www.MyWebND.com.Get all your health questions answered from a licensed Naturopathicphysician without the wait for an office visit. Well-researched,reliable information is now available and easy to find.