Naturopathy

WHAT IS NATUROPATHY?

Naturopathy or naturopathic medicine is a method of healing that employs various natural means such as herbal and nutritional remedies, to empower an individual to achieve the highest level of health. Even though the term naturopathic medicine was first used in the late 19th century, its philosophical roots go back thousands of years from many countries including India, China and Greece. There are seven philosophical principles on which naturopathic medicine is based:

• Do no harm; we use safe and effective natural therapies that have no side effects if prescribed properly by a naturopath.
• We believe that nature has healing powers and that the body has a considerable power to heal itself and it is our role to facilitate and enhance this process.
• We don’t just treat the symptoms but also the underlying cause, which might originate from the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels.
• We treat the person as a whole, because we are composed of a complex set of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels.
• We teach, educate, empower and motivate the patients to assume more personal responsibility for their health.
• We believe that prevention is the best cure and,
• We aim to establish health and wellness.

The role of the Naturopath is to educate and to empower individuals to reclaim their true state of health especially now at a time when modern technology, environmental pollution, poor diet, and stress play a significant role in the degradation of health.

Treatment Path

Consultations begin with a detailed case history and discussion of presenting complaints and then progress to assess a person’s history, family history and then a systematic review of the body systems. A patient may present with numerous complaints, however, the role of the Naturopath is to put all pieces together. Assessment also considers a person’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. The first consultation might take from an hour to an hour and a half depending on the case. We take the time to listen to the client so that we can understand the journey that has helped him or her to reach their current state of health. Follow up consultations take around half an hour after 2 or 3 weeks and we assess the progress of the patient and modify the herbal, nutritional and dietary treatment as necessary.

There are three stages of treatment. In the 1st stage we aim to reduce the symptoms and to stabilize the condition of the patient. The 2nd stage is where we focus on treating the underlying cause of the condition, and the 3rd is where we have successfully eliminated the complaint and are able to offer improved levels of health and wellbeing. What should you expect? Treatment results vary depending on the individual and their presenting complaint. Some individuals obtain quick results whilst others take several months or longer. As a general rule, the longer you have been experiencing your complaint, the longer you will require treatment. It is important to remember that the healing process takes time. We are not trying to simply alleviate your symptoms but our aim is to bring you to a greater level of health. You may consider a naturopath if you like to have a general health assessment and advice or interested in the following:

• Autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Grave’s disease and other.
• Children’s health, autism spectrum disorder, AD(H)D, dyslexia
• Pre-conception, pregnancy and post-partum wellness
• Low immunity such as recurrent flu and respiratory infections
• Digestive problems such as constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), bloating, heartburn, indigestion
• Emotional and mental disturbances like depression, anxiety, stress and panic attacks
• Skin problems like acne, psoriasis, eczema and dermatitis
• Fatigue and exhaustion, adrenal fatigue syndrome
• Insomnia and other sleep disorders
• Cardiovascular problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure
• Hormonal imbalance, premenstrual syndrome, menopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Allergies, food intolerances
• Headaches, migraines, sinusitis
• Musculoskeletal conditions such as pain, fibromyalgia, polyarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis