So what even is naturopathy?
It’s not surprising that when we think about healthcare, we usually go straight to managing symptoms, think: popping a pill to ease the pain, downing an antacid to alleviate the burning, or keeping laxatives in the medicine cabinet just incase. While such approaches can work wonders for quick relief and have their place in the overall landscape of healthcare, how often do we actually stop to consider why there is constant pain, heartburn, constipation and so on to begin with?
Naturopathy is an evidence-based, holistic, individualised system of health care that takes a 'root-cause' approach. It focuses on not only alleviating symptoms but importantly, identifying, addressing, and preventing causes of ill-health.
Naturopathy is guided by six principles:
Vis Medicatrix Naturae - The Healing Power of Nature
Tolle Causum - Treat the Causes
Primum Non Nocere - First Do No Harm
Docere - Doctor as Teacher
Tolle Totum - Treat the Whole Person
Preventare - Prevention
These principles place emphasis on the ways in which naturopathic practitioners approach each case. Naturopathy recognises the body's innate capacity to heal, and focuses on you as an individual and the factors contributing to your case, rather than taking a 'one size fits all' approach. Here, we address not only the physical, but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects that brought you here, acknowledging that these components are all interconnected. Through the use of science-informed nutrition and herbal medicine in tandem with both traditional wisdom and modern medicine, naturopathy aims to optimise well-being in the most non-invasive ways possible.
This approach not only aims to prevent disease and co-morbidities, but also the on-going burden to the patient. Patient education and empowerment is at the forefront of naturopathic care, allowing patients to make informed choices, and feel confident in maintaining their short and long-term health.
As a naturopath, there are various tools I utilise in my clinical practice which allow me to understand each individual patient. These include comprehensive questioning, physical examinations such a blood pressure and tongue and nail analysis, and laboratory/pathology testing and interpretation. These tools allow me to assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances, environmental factors, and personal influences that may be contributing to your concerns. From here, I may employ dietary support, lifestyle interventions, or herbal and nutritional supplementation to address and optimise your health and wellbeing.
