NATUROPATHY: HEALING WITH NATURE

“You cannot cure a disease, unless you find the cause” – Dr. Samual Hahnemann-1790

What is Naturopathy? Naturopathy is an approach to treatment that uses natural resources to aid the body in healing itself. A naturopathic doctor helps to bring the body back into balance or what is called homeostasis. The human body is quite capable of reversing the disease process and returning to its natural state of health when given the proper tools. A naturopaths primary goal in helping to restore ones health is to delve into finding the root cause of disease and by utilizing proper corrective measures such as nutrition, pure water, exercise, proper elimination, clean air, relaxation, elimination of suppressive drugs, maintaining healthy cell function, and by creating a healthy environment and lifestyle mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually in order to move one in the direction towards optimal health.
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Naturopathy does not support the concept of suppressing symptoms with prescription drugs but rather allow our symptoms to be our guide and in turn find the root cause of the illness. By permitting the symptoms to manifest we can get a clearer picture of what needs to be done to bring about wellness. First and foremost we need to ensure that the diet is one that will strengthen the immune system so that when one does succomb to illness they can be nursed through it with natural therapies. This procedure will safeguard against complications and will insure a greater likelihood of maintaining a strong immune system in which to overcome the illness with. Meanwhile, when allowing the symptoms to manifest we are also permitting the body to rid itself of unwanted toxins through modalities such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea and mucus drainage.

Treatment is always holistic and natural. The goal is to activate and strengthen the bodies own inherent ability to heal itself. In naturopathy the practitioner is not interested in naming or labeling diseases but rather in understanding that the body functions as a whole and thus requires holistic health care.

Naturopaths use a wide range of techniques and therapies, some of them will include Acupressure, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Ayruvedic Medicine, Bach Flower Remedies, Chakra Healing, Chiropractic Care, Colon Therapy, Color Therapy, Cranial Oseopathy, Crystal and Gemstone Therapy, Emotional Healing, Fasting, Hair Analysis, Herbalism, Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, Hypnotherapy, Iridology, Kinesiology, Lifestyle Modification, Live Blood Analysis, Massage, Music Therapy, Nutritional Counseling, Osteopathy, Polarity Healing, Reflexology, Relaxation, Urine Analysis, Visualization, and Vibrational Healing. You may find that not all naturopathic practitioners will offer the same services in their practices.

A typical initial consultation with a naturopathic doctor will take at least one hour and up to two hours. The time most likely will be devoted to discussing your past health history and an in-depth interview process designed to view all aspects of your lifestyle. If needed the doctor will perform a standard physical examination and possible blood, live blood, hair or urine analysis. Once establishing what your health issues are, you and your doctor will work together to construct a health promoting program to get you on your path to wellness.

To locate a naturopath in or nearest your city you can contact the American Naturopathic Medical Association (ANMA) in Washington D.C. or the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) in Seattle Washington.
‘To the uninformed, naturopathic medicine, as well as the entire concept of natural medicine, appears to be a fad that will soon pass away”, Says Dr. Michael Murry, N.D. of Seattle Washington, author of Encyclopedia Of
Natural Medicine. “To the informed, however, it is quite clear that naturopathic medicine is at the forefront of the future”.
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It is time my friends to take back responsibility for your own health and healing. There is no need to be on prescription medications for the duration of you life. We, in this country, need to stop the suppression of symptoms and acknowledge that we are in a state of disease and unbalance and inturn, know that we have the ability to heal from all aspects of this disharmony we feel, whether it is physical, mental, emotional or spiritual . We have become a nation dependent on drugs. Drugs are drugs whether legal or illegal, they still cause harmful effects to the human body. We are a nation on the run, with a propensity of popping whatever pill will offer us a quick fix. Not knowing the true repercussions of our actions. It is time to feel good again, to be whole, to be healthy. Love yourself enough to give yourself the gift of life. It is time to travel the path to wellness in the new millennium. Through this column and my private practice my objective is to teach prevention of illness, find the underlying cause of disease, heal without harm, teach and partnership with my patients and my readers so they may take responsibility for their own health and healing, and also, to rely solely on the healing power of nature for maintaining and restoring ones health. I offer my support to those of you that wish to take the steps needed towards your personal journey to a healthier year 2000 and beyond.