Naturopathic Medical Concepts

Naturopathic Medical Concept Number One: Prima Non Nocere

Prima Non Nocere means, first do no harm.

Standard western hospital based medicine is rooted in the use of drugs and surgery to treat symptoms. This practice is best suited to treating medical emergencies and severe trauma, in a hospital setting. However, the use of drugs and surgery always involves a comparison of risking harm against saving a life.

In general medical care the considerations of emergency medicine are less important. Using treatments with inherently high risks are less appropriate.

This is Where Naturopathic Medicine Really Shines

Most of mainstream hospital based medicine is a process of finding the drug or surgical procedure with the lowest number of harmful side effects to “force” the patient to heal. This process assumes that people can be forced to heal, and that the risk of harmful side effects with using high profit synthetic drugs and surgical procedures are inevitable and acceptable.In contrast, Naturopathic Medicine, both with medical tests and treatments, focuses is on stimulating the body to heal naturally. Natural Medicine emphasises the use of less risky procedures to avoid harmful side effects and to promote the natural processes of healing. 

Naturopathic Medical Concept Number Two: Vis Medicatrix Naturae

Vis Medicatrix Naturae means to act in cooperation with the Healing Power of Nature, which is our innate ability to heal. True healing will only occur when we support our true nature.

Naturopathic Medical Concept Number Three: Tolle Causam

Tolle Causam means to address the fundamental causes of disease. This also means that to be healing you need to treat the cause and not just the symptoms of disease.

Naturopathic Medical Concept Number Four: Tolle Totum

Tolle Totum means to treat the whole person through individualized treatment.

While there are general health patterns in society and in families, every person is an individual. Every person is an individual in their personal histories, lifestyle choices, and in their healing patterns.

One size does not fit all in healthcare. The individualized health treatments used in Naturopathic Medicine are essential to support a person’s true healing.

Naturopathic Medical Concept Number Five: Docere

Docere means doctor as a teacher.

Few people are able to commit to anything they do not understand; this includes their own health care. Knowledge is power.

When you work with a Naturopathic Doctor to discover your patterns of disease and healing you will go beyond just being involved, you will become committed to your own healing.

Docere also means that Naturopathic Doctors teach the principles of disease prevention and healthy living.

Medical Conditions Treated with Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine is able to contribute to the care of virtually all medical conditions. Of course acute and emergency medical conditions are best treated by hospital based medical care, once the acute phase has passed then Naturopathic Medical treatments will add to a persons care.

Medical Conditions we Commonly Treat at My Office

  • Acne
  • Angina
  • Ankle Pain and Weakness
  • Asthma
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Atopic Dermatitis
  • Attention Deficit Disorder
  • Back Ache
  • Bacterial Sinusitis
  • Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Celiac Disease
  • Chronic Candidiasis
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Congestive Heart Failure
  • Cystitis
  • Diabetes
  • Elbow Pain
  • Fibrocystic Breast Disease
  • Food Allergies
  • Gallstones
  • Glaucoma
  • Gout
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Herpes Simplex
  • Hip Pain
  • Hypertension
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Insomnia
  • Intestinal Dysbiosis
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Kidney Stones
  • Knee Pain
  • Macular Degeneratioin
  • Menopause
  • Migraine Headaches
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy
  • Neck Pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Otitis Media
  • Peptic Ulcers
  • Periodontal Disease
  • Pneumonia
  • Premenstrual Syndrome
  • Psoriasis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Rosacea
  • Sacroilliac (SI) Pain
  • Shoulder Pain
  • Urticaria
  • Varicose Veins
  • Viral Pharyngitis
  • Wrist Pain and Weakness

Naturopathic Treatment Modalities

In my practice of Naturopathic Medicine, to optimize health, I follow three guiding process goals. I want to Feed the Body, Clean the Body, and Regulate the Body.

These three treatment goals work because they affect the expression of our genes.

Our good health starts with our genetic potential. That potential is contained in the 25,500 genes that make up the Human Genome. Our genes are the blue prints for the roughly 150,000 proteins that make up all parts of our bodies.

Epi genetics is the expression of our genes. The lifestyle choices we make affect proteins that are made from the blue print of each gene. For example, one particular gene will act as the blue print for up to 200 different proteins; which protein gets made depends on your lifestyle choices.

Those lifestyle choices are how you eat, how clear toxins from your body, and how you regulate your body.

Nutrition is a Key to Naturopathic Medicine

In addition to good nutrition I offer my patients the treatment modalities of:

Clinical Nutrition, which is focused nutrition by way of nutritional supplements; Herbal Medicines, since plant based extracts and preparations feed and modulate our bodily functions; Physical Medicine, which are direct treatments of the physical body to stimulate healing; and Counseling, which is a part of every patient interaction.

Naturopathic Medicine in British Columbia

In the Province of British Columbia Naturopathic Medicine is delivered by Naturopathic Physicians, who are licensed as Primary Care Doctors. Naturopathic Physicians are trained to diagnose and to treat disease.Naturopathic Physicians and the practice of Naturopathic Medicine in British Columbia are regulated by the College of Naturopathic Physicians of British Columbia, which is over seen by the British Columbia Ministry of Health. Naturopathic Physicians are trained to a similar professional level as Medical Doctors in the depth of their medical training, but they differ in how they apply that medical knowledge. Naturopathic Doctors are guided by the following five principles of Naturopathic Medicine.

Naturopathic Medical Education

The training to become a Naturopathic Doctor starts with a standard university education in the sciences, and is followed by four years of medical training at an approved naturopathic medical school. Then Licensing Board Examinations must be passed for licensure.

Naturopathic medical training starts with the basic medical sciences. This includes the functioning of the healthy body, and how diseases develop. Advanced medical training for Naturopathic Doctors includes the treatment modalities of: Nutrition; Herbal Medicine; Homeopathic Medicine; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Physical Medicine; and Counseling.

Naturopathic medical education is similar yet different from the education of medical doctors. For example, for patient assessment medical doctors rely upon structural laboratory tests, such as standard blood tests, ultrasound imaging, X-rays, and MRIs. While Naturopathic Doctors will often consult these same structural tests, they may also use functional laboratory tests to evaluate the underlying causes of disease. Functional tests may include: functional nutrition testing; toxic metal testing; heart disease blood tests and CardioVision blood vessel elasticity testing, as well as bone resorption testing to indicate the functional level of bone building.

Naturopathic Continuing Medical Education is an ongoing process that every licensed Naturopathic Doctor must be involved in. Medical Conventions, Training Seminars and Courses are all effective methods to learn old and new medical information in the evolving world of Naturopathic Medicine.

Who Should Consider Naturopathic Medicine

You should consider Naturopathic Medicine if:

  • You are able to take responsibility for your part in being healthy.
  • You are realistic about what it takes to be healthy.
  • And, you are ready to take charge of your life.

Who Should Not Consider Naturopathic Medicine

You should not consider Naturopathic Medicine if:

  • You need to blame others for your health challenges.
  • You are only willing to work with doctors who use drugs and surgery.
  • You cannot make it to your appointments on time.
  • And, you want to keep making the same old lifestyle choices, but you say you want to be healthier.

Easy Pay Options for Naturopathic Medicine

Our office has an Easy Pay Option for people with Extended Medical Insurance benefits. We are able to directly bill the top medical insurance carriers.

 This means that many people will not be forced to pay us up front for their care and wait for their reimbursement checks to come in the mail.