What is a naturopath?

Ever wondered what Naturopathic medicine is all about? 

Naturopathy is the art of blending both traditional knowledge and scientific evidence to treat the whole person and not just the disease. We use lifestyle practices, food as medicine, nutritional and herbal medicine to treat each individual, with a focus on prevention. When treating, we look at your body as a whole, searching for the underlying root cause of imbalances within the body, and encourage the journey back to vitality and a state of optimal health. 

In modern society, the concept of ‘healing through nature’ is so foreign, as most of us live in the built environment. With this comes environmental factors such as stress, pollution, suboptimal nutrition which all play a role in the decline of health and quality of life.

“There is no medicine you can take that will replace what you can do for your own health.” ― Aarti Patel

In 400BC, the philosopher Hippocrates, the ‘father of medicine’ came up with the following foundational principles of Naturopathic medicine:

1. First, do no harm 

We used the least intervention possible to achieve the desired results.

2. The healing power of nature

This recognizes that the body can heal itself when under the right conditions.

3. Identify and treat the cause 

There is always a reason for your dis-ease, whether it be an imbalance in your physical, emotional, social or spiritual health. 

4. Treat the whole person

As naturopaths, we look at your whole body, recognizing that all systems are connected. 

5. Naturopath as teacher 

When giving clients the right information, it empowers them to take charge of their health and to make sustainable change.

6. Prevention is better than cure 

Promoting optimal health for all, focusing on supporting their overall wellbeing. 

With these principles in mind, naturopaths treat both acute and chronic conditions. Naturopaths often work in conjunction with medical and allied health practitioners offering complementary medicine to clients with a range of health concerns.

Book in for an appointment with Lucy, our in-house Naturopath.