Naturopathic medicine as a term was first used in the late 1800's, but its roots stretch deep and wide into the past. It takes traditional healing methods of many different cultures as well as conventional health care and modern research into account. Below are the six foundational principles of Naturopathic Medicine which guide the philosophy of Naturopathic Doctors (NDs).

1. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix Naturae): NDs believe the body has an innate intelligence which gives it the ability to heal itself given the right environment. Your doctor will work to encourage healing by finding obstacles to cure and helping clients get rid of them.

2. Identify and Treat the Causes (Tolle Causam): NDs are taught to find the root cause of dis-ease/illness rather than just suppressing symptoms. Symptoms are the body's way of telling you something isn't right, giving your doctor clues as to what is pushing your body out of balance.

3. First Do No Harm (Primum Non Nocere): NDs are trained to use least force methods to diagnose and treat clients. They also avoid suppressing symptoms whenever possible and respect where clients are in their healing process. Your doctor is trained to "not force the river" as it were.

4. Doctor as Teacher (Docere): NDs encourage their clients to get involved in their own health, thus realizing they are directly in charge of the health they wish to see. In addition, your doctor will always try their best to explain all recommendations and work to answer your health questions as completely as they can.

5. Treat the Whole Person: NDs get to know their clients on many levels, keeping in mind their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health as well as genetics, and other factors. Your doctor knows there are many unique aspects to clients, and each one is important to the overall picture of health.

6. Prevention: The goal of any ND is to strengthen client's bodies to be less vulnerable to disease. Thus, they can also resist future illness more easily.

To learn more, please visit American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

Naturopathic medical school is comparable to traditional medical school in many ways. Both require basic science classes as well as more advanced curriculum. Basic sciences include topics like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, embryology, pathology, immunology, and physical exams. NDs graduate from 4 year post-graduate medical programs which are accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). They must also pass a 2-step national licensing board exam (NPLEX). Additionally, NDs also have at least 1200 hours of clinical training at graduation, working with clients in a variety of clinical settings. For more information about Naturopathic Doctorate Programs and the extensive course load completed by NDs, please visit the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges.