Naturopathy is a holistic and natural system of healthcare that aims to improve health, prevent disease and treat illness by drawing on a range of treatment methods from various traditional systems of healthcare. These treatments may include Ayurveda, homeopathy, acupuncture, and herbal remedies.
Naturopaths aim to support and enhance the body’s inherent natural healing ability to cure itself. The practice therefore seeks to treat the cause of the disease, rather than the symptoms themselves.
The practice of naturopathy and its treatments are based on six foundational principles:
- First, do no harm (primum non nocere).
- Support and utilise the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae).
- Identify and treat the cause whenever possible (tolle causam).
- Treat the whole person.
- Aim for optimal wellness and disease prevention.
- Doctor as educator (docere).
The approach used in naturopathy stresses that:
- Life is more than the sum of its parts (spiritual, psychological, functional, and structural aspects are one and the same).
- To treat an individual, you must treat all aspects, including a person’s environment and external factors.
- All living systems have an innate intelligence that constantly strives for health.
