“The philosophy behind naturopathy lies in the 6 principles of naturopathic medicine and 7 tenants of the therapeutic order. This guides the practitioner in developing treatment plans that support the entire person.”
6 Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
Adapted from the CAND Naturopathic Principles
First, Do No Harm
The Healing Power of Nature
Identify and Treat the Cause
Treat the Whole Person
Doctor as Teacher
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
do no harm
Choose remedies and therapies that are safe and effective to increase your health and decrease harmful side effects
the healing power of nature
Work to restore and support the powerful and inherent healing abilities of your body, mind and spirit to prevent further disease form occuring
identify and treat the cause
Look for the root cause of dis-ease and treat the underlying cause
treat the whole person
This encompasses physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social,spiritual and other factors contributing to health
doctor as teacher
Act as Both a doctor and teacher to assist you in understanding health and illness and teach you to become more capable of maintaining your own health
disease prevention and health promotion
The above principles are applied proactively to promote health and prevent dis-ease
7 Tenants of the Therapeutic Order
The therapeutic order is a set of guidelines in which naturopathic physicians use when assessing every patient's healthcare needs. This order was first identified by Dr. Jared Zeff, ND and Dr. Pamela Snider, ND, as seen in the text: "A Hierarchy of Healing: The Therapeutic Order". Although every individual has unique needs, the order serves as a guideline to provide the most effective care while doing the least harm.