| When you get sick you most likely will go to the | | | | is attempting to rid itself of poisons. If you suppress |
| doctor. The doctor usually an MD will examine you | | | | the cough with cough medicine the poison stays in |
| ask about the symptoms then give you at least one | | | | the body and you go from a cold to pneumonia |
| and sometimes several prescriptions to relieve the | | | | much quicker. A well known physician was on TV not |
| symptoms and supposedly cure the disease that the | | | | long ago and had put a question to the audience |
| doctor has diagnosed you as having. | | | | about the benefits of cough medicine in regards to |
| The drugs may have bad side effects; many drugs | | | | healing a cold. His conclusion was that there was no |
| thought to be safe by the allopathic community have | | | | benefit. |
| been known to be fatal even when used as | | | | Second the ND will do his/her best to treat the |
| described and as prescribed by a physician. You only | | | | whole person. I have put together a presentation |
| have to turn on the TV to see the number of class | | | | that I give sometimes which I entitled the six |
| action suits against the pharmaceutical companies and | | | | elements of wellness. Health is not just about not |
| the drugs that have been removed from the market | | | | being ill; wellness is not just about being disease free. |
| after many years. Think Phen Phen and Mitral Valve | | | | Mental, physical, genetic, spiritual, environmental, and |
| relapse or Vioxx (the SAFE Pain reliever for athletes | | | | social factors all come together to determine |
| is what my doctor called it). Lipitor the cholesterol | | | | "wellness" or health. |
| lowering drug has come under attack for false | | | | Third the ND will use the healing power of nature. |
| advertising because the claims being made have not | | | | The body was designed to be able to heal itself and |
| been substantiated. | | | | even prevent future disease when treated properly |
| One other choice might be to call an ND or Doctor of | | | | with healthy food, clean water, proper and sufficient |
| Naturopathy. The ND will also examine you but will | | | | exercise. |
| likely ask a lot more questions and spend possibly | | | | Fourth the ND will attempt to isolate the cause of |
| over an hour with you. The allopathic physician will | | | | the symptom. If you go to an ND with High Blood |
| likely see you for short period, maybe only a couple | | | | Pressure the ND would search for various possible |
| minutes, then send the nurse in to give you a shot or | | | | causes such as stress, weight, or genetic weakness |
| hand you some prescriptions for pharmaceuticals. | | | | and recommend and course of therapy that would |
| Naturopathic medicine is a system of healing that | | | | eliminate or reduce the cause of the high blood |
| includes healing methods from numerous cultures | | | | pressure. The same would be true for many of the |
| such as Homeopathy, Natural Hygiene, Chinese | | | | symptoms that the allopathic medical community |
| medicine, Native American medicine as well as | | | | refers to as diseases. |
| Western European. The principle belief is that given | | | | Fifth the ND believes that as my dad was so fond of |
| the proper care and treatment the body will heal | | | | saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of |
| itself. ND's will use techniques and remedies that are | | | | cure". By assessing risk factors the ND will help you |
| natural and non toxic. | | | | with lifestyle changes that will build up your immune |
| The ND will use any and all healing methods that | | | | system and help you keep from getting ill in the first |
| support the philosophy. The ND may recommend | | | | place. |
| nutritional support, whole food diets, herbal medicine, | | | | 6th and last but far from least the ND will act as a |
| and detoxification. The ND may also recommend | | | | teacher. ND's do not believe in magic bullets and do |
| homeopathic treatments, hydrotherapy, therapeutic | | | | not supply these to their clients. The doctor's role is |
| exercise, and lifestyle counseling. Basically as long as | | | | to educate the person and then the person would |
| the method supports the body's healing processes | | | | take responsibility for their own health. |
| then the method can be used by the ND. | | | | The first visit to a ND will likely take much longer |
| Naturopathic medicine can encompass a very broad | | | | than the first visit to the allopathic physician. This is |
| range of healing modalities but all of these modalities | | | | because the ND will ask numerous questions about |
| will meet the 6 criteria that are the basis for | | | | your past and present health. In some states ND can |
| Naturopathy. | | | | order blood tests, X-Rays and do certain procedures. |
| First and foremost- the prime directive you might call | | | | Naturopaths are trained as primary care providers, |
| it is Primum Non Nocere which is Latin for "First Do | | | | which allow them to help clients with a considerable |
| No Harm" The ND will always choose the therapies | | | | variety of conditions. If you have a condition needing |
| that limit the possibility of harmful side effects. Any | | | | immediate attention you should go to a hospital. |
| treatment that suppresses the symptoms is avoided | | | | After the emergency has passed a naturopath can |
| as this can interfere with the healing process. | | | | recommend certain treatments to help with recovery. |
| Example if you have a cough it is because your body | | | | |