Naturopathy

What is Naturopathy?  

“Naturopathy is the mother, all-inclusive, of natural therapy. It is the basic platform for all methods of healing: without it any healing art will be a failure.”  

– Benedict Lust (1875-1945), The German physician who coined the term “Naturopathy".  

Unlike orthodox medicine, naturopathy looks not at the disease but at the whole individual. It is a holistic practice where the individual’s body, mind, emotion and spirit are taken into consideration.

A Brief History  

Prior to Dr. Lust, as far back as Hippocrates, the belief that “Nature is the healer of all diseases” has always existed. For centuries these practitioners were known as “Nature Cure Doctors” or Drugless Doctors”.  

Throughout history, as medicine and science became more and more popular and accepted, many Nature Cure Doctors separated from the current medical community. They realized that standard orthodox medicine had limitations and could not effectively cure the same illnesses they were seeing.  

Naturopathy – How it works and what to expect  

Naturopathic doctors tailor the various healing modalities to the needs of the individuals, using methods that are effective, natural and, when properly administered, safe for both chronic and acute conditions.  

Naturopathic doctors are trained in various modalities including nutrition, herbology, homeopathy, iridology and hydrotherapy in addition to many others. They are not Medical Doctors (M.D.) are not involved in the practice of medicine and do not use or prescribe drugs or pharmaceuticals, nor do they perform surgery. They promote health through education and non-invasive natural means.  

Their focus is on the prevention of illness with the ultimate goal of achieving wellness. An initial consultation with a naturopath usually lasts 60-90 minutes and in addition to standard medical history other information such as diet, life style and stress level will be gathered. This will then be used to determine a course of action for the client to follow consistent with traditional naturopathic philosophy.  

Naturopathic doctors focus on the whole person. They are aware that a person can suffer from a physical, emotional or spiritual condition. The naturopathic doctor will choose the appropriate therapy to address whatever type of problem the client is experiencing.