The 6 Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
An invitation: Take a deep, luxurious breath as you read each word below. Close your eyes as you say them and observe how they change your body, mind and energy. Write the ones that speak to you on a sticky note and use them as resilience cues.
Ease.
Pleasure.
Vitality.
Delight.
Wonder.
Welcome.
Inspiration.
Joy.
Expansion.
Curiosity.
As a doctor, what makes working with humans so interesting (and sometimes frustrating), is that no two people or bodies are alike. We are snowflakes. This awareness sets naturopathic medicine apart from mainstream medicine. We strive to meet each person with a curiosity, an open mind and heart to discover what is most supportive and important for this particular body. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to medicine (or the navigation of life and life choices).
During this pandemic and evolution of this virus, as always, we navigate with the Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine as our compass. I like to return to these principles after viewing media or a conversation that has touched a nerve of fear. I remember that my body is wise and it knows how to heal. Also, we are fortunate to have so many tools (herbs, homeopathy, well-researched nutraceuticals, acupuncture, IV therapies, oxygen therapies, energy medicine, etc., etc.) to help our bodies out when stress has made them less resilient.
The Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine are:
1. First, Do No Harm (Primum non nocere)
Naturopathic physicians choose the most non-invasive and least toxic treatments necessary for each patient.
2. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis medicatrix naturae)
Naturopathic doctors recognize the body’s inherent ability to heal itself.
3. Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle causam)
Naturopathic doctors identify, address and remove the underlying causes of disease.
4. Doctor as Teacher (Docere)
Educating and supporting patients on personal health management is an important role for naturopathic doctors. They empower patients to take responsibility for their own health. They also acknowledge the therapeutic value inherent in the doctor-patient relationship.
5. Treat the Whole Person (Tolle totum)
This is a holistic concept that recognizes the body as an integrated whole. Naturopathic doctors treat the patient, not the disease. A naturopathic assessment addresses the nutritional status, lifestyle, family history, physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental and social factors in a person’s life.
6. Prevention (Praevenic)
Naturopathic doctors promote a focus on overall health, wellness and disease prevention.
The root causes of illness are the same now as they were two years ago. What can we do to be healthy, strong and resilient?
We say this all of the time but also need to be reminded, so at the risk of being repetitive:
Get plenty of rest
Eat several servings a day a variety of brightly-colored, organic vegetables and fruits
Eat small amounts of organic pasture-raised meat and clean fish if your body requests it.
Drink lots of clean water
Smile, laugh, play, cuddle
Get into nature; earth, water, trees!
Do things that you enjoy often
Move your body; dance, sing, sweat
In closing, what I find most concerning, is not the fact that we have a nasty virus circling the planet but that we are not being exquisitely, gently, graciously, compassionately kind with one another. This seems like a wonderful opportunity to remember that we are all in this together. What would it look like if we saw each other through the eyes of the heart?
I love you all!
Dr Ajana Miki