What is Naturopathic Medicine?

By Doctor Wendy Wells, ND

Naturopathic medicine combines traditional therapies with modern medicine. It is appropriate for all physical health conditions, preventative health care, mental and emotional well being.

How is a Naturopathic Doctor similar to a Medical Doctor?

Naturopathic Doctors are...

Licensed physicians
Regulated by Board of Examiners
Required to continously update their education

Naturopathic Doctors can...

Diagnose
Treat
Write prescriptions for pharmaceuticals
Draw blood, request labs, imaging
Give IV’s, vaccinations
Perform physical exams, pap, prostate, lung, heart, etc.

How are Naturopathic Dotors different?

In our...Philosophy and Principles
How we practice medicine
Order of therapy applied
Types of Therapies used
Don’t perform major surgery
Don’t prescribe Class 1 and 2 medications

What is Naturopathic Philosophy?

1. First of all, do no harm (Primum Non Nocere)

Naturopathic physicians use effective and safe medicine

2. Address the cause (Tolle Causum)

Naturopathic physicians will address the patient in a holistic way, looking at all aspects including physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual

3. To act in cooperation with the healing power of nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

Our bodies have innate wisdom and strength
The healing process is ordered and intelligent
The goal of Naturopathic physicians is to...
Identify and remove obstacles to health
Establish a healthy internal environment
Establish a healthy external environment

4. To heal the whole person through individualized treatment (Tolle Totum)

No two patients with the same "disease" have the same presentation of symptoms

5. Doctor as educator (Docere)

Naturopathic physicians will teach...

Principles of healthy living
Explanation of the biochemistry of the body
How to understand the connection between
our thoughts, emotions and our health
And much more..

6. Prevention (Prevenio)

Prevention is the best medicine

Reduce your risk of disease by changing your lifestyle now. Enhance your bodies internal environment to prevent heart attack, stroke, cancer, arthritis, changing our environment can help us overcome genetic predispositions to certain health conditions.

Page Updated: January 2013

"Each person carries their own doctor inside. Patients come to us not knowing that truth... We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides within each patient a chance to go to work." -

Albert Schweitzer Nobel Peace Prize Winner 1952