Naturopathic Medicine Provides a Holistic Approach to Health

Naturopathic medicine provides a holistic approach to health that complements conventional care. By treating the whole person instead of the symptoms alone, naturopathic medicine promotes sustainable wellness. Naturopathic doctors respect the ability of the body to heal when obstacles to health are removed. This is called stimulating the vis, vital force, or healing power of nature.

Your health is a dynamic state centered around the support of your health determinants. Health determinants include things like hydration, nutrition, sleep and social factors. Diseases and symptoms of disease generally occur when people have disruptions in health determinants like these. For example, our bodies did not evolve to eat a diet filled with added sugars, processed oils, pesticides, preservatives, and other food additives. We evolved to eat whole, nutrient-rich foods.

The body sends us signals, or symptoms, when our health determinants are not satisfied. Heartburn is one such signal that tells our body something is wrong. Acid-blockers may help with the symptom, but they are not addressing the underlying cause. Medications often suppress the signal from your body instead of addressing the cause of the symptom. The underlying cause in this example could be cigarettes or a diet with excess carbohydrates, sugar, coffee, or alcohol. If a person continues to suppress their stomach acid with medications, they may develop indigestion and constipation, which then requires other drugs to alleviate those symptoms.

Do you see the vicious cycle of over-medication that begins? Health is not established with the suppression of symptoms. When you suppress symptoms and fail to treat the cause, chronic diseases can develop because we are not getting the message that something is wrong! Health is established by realigning your body with the healing powers of nature. Naturopathic doctors are experts in identifying health determinants that most need support. This approach encourages a natural healing response from your body, this response is the vis.