| Basic Principles of Complementary/ Alternative | | | | minimized. Therapeutic actions are applied in an |
| Therapies | | | | ordered fashion congruent with the internal order of |
| JUST AS MAINSTREAM MEDICINE has a fairly | | | | the organism. |
| consistent approach to illness, so does al-ternative | | | | 4. Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle causam) |
| medicine. Most prevalent in alternative medicine are | | | | Illness does not occur without cause. Underlying |
| the six naturopathic principles. In one form or | | | | causes of disease must be discovered and removed |
| another, these principles are revisited again and again | | | | or treated before a person can recover completely |
| throughout Section Two of this text. The following | | | | from illness. Symptoms are expressions of the body's |
| principles are described by Dr. Catherine Downey and | | | | attempt to heal, but they are not the cause of |
| excerpted from her chapter on naturopathic medicine. | | | | disease; therefore naturopathic medicine addresses |
| 1. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis medicatix | | | | itself promptly to the underlying causes of disease, |
| naturae) | | | | rather than symptoms. Causes may occur on many |
| The body has the inherent ability to establish, | | | | levels, including physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual. |
| maintain and restore health. The healing process is | | | | The physician must evaluate fundamental underlying |
| ordered and intelligent: nature heals through the | | | | causes on all levels, directing treatment at root cause |
| response of the life force. The physician's role is to | | | | rather than at symptomatic expression. |
| facilitate and augment this process, to act to identify | | | | 5. Prevention (Prevention is the best "cure") |
| and remove obstacles to health and recovery, and to | | | | The ultimate goal of naturopathic medicine is |
| support the creation of a healthy internal and | | | | prevention. This is accomplished through education |
| external environment. In short, give the body the | | | | and promotion of lifestyle habits that create good |
| appropriate tools and it will heal itself. | | | | health. The physician assesses risk factors and |
| 2. Treat the Whole Person (The multifactorial nature | | | | hereditary susceptibility to disease and makes |
| of health and disease) | | | | appropriate interventions to avoid further harm and |
| Health and disease are conditions of the whole | | | | risk to the patient. The emphasis is on building health |
| organism, involving a complex interaction of physical, | | | | rather than on fighting disease. Because it is difficult |
| spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, | | | | to be healthy in an unhealthy world, it is the |
| and social factors. The physician must treat the | | | | responsibility of both the physician and patient to |
| whole person by taking all of these factors into | | | | create a healthier environment in which to live. |
| account. The harmonious functioning of all aspects of | | | | 6. The Physician as Teacher (Docere) |
| the individual is essential to recovery from and | | | | Beyond an accurate diagnosis and appropriate |
| prevention of disease and requires a personalized and | | | | prescription, the physician must work to create a |
| comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment. | | | | health-sensitive, interpersonal relationship with the |
| 3. First Do No Harm (Primum no nocere) | | | | patient. A cooperative doctor-patient relationship has |
| Illness is a purposeful process of the organism. The | | | | inherent therapeutic value. The physician's major role |
| process of healing includes the generation of | | | | is to educate and encourage the patient to take |
| symptoms, which are, in fact, an expression of the | | | | responsibility for health. The physician is a catalyst for |
| life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic | | | | healthful change, empowering and motivating the |
| actions should be complementary to and synergistic | | | | patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient, not |
| with this healing process. The physician's actions can | | | | the doctor, who ultimately creates or accomplishes |
| support or antagonize the actions of the vis | | | | healing. The physician must strive to inspire hope as |
| mediatrix naturae; therefore methods designed to | | | | well as understanding. Physicans must also make a |
| suppress symptoms without removing underlying | | | | commitment to their personal and spiritual |
| causes are considered harmful and are avoided or | | | | development in order to be good teachers. |