Naturopathic Medicine | Patient Centered Medicine

Naturopathic medicine, also known as naturopathy, is a medical specialty that emphasizes the inherent self-healing capacity of each person. It is a distinct branch of medicine that encompasses modern, traditional, scientific, and empirical methods of assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. The naturopathic medical profession is over 124 years old and licensure of naturopathic physicians (naturopaths) has been around for over 100 years, since 1919, in the state of Washington.

Naturopathic medicine is based on the principles of:

primum non nocere (first do no harm)
vis medicatrix naturae (the healing power of nature)
tolle causum (treat the whole cause)
tolle totum (treat the whole person)
docere (doctor as teacher)
praevenire (prevention)
salus (wellness)

Naturopathic physicians are practitioners of naturopathic medicine. Depending on the state in which naturopathic physicians are located, they may also be known as a:

Naturopathic Physician (NMD or ND)
Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD)
Naturopathic Doctor (ND)
Naturopath (NMD or ND)

Naturopathic physicians are trained in conventional, holistic, complementary, integrative, and alternative diagnostic and therapeutic treatment modalities, including:

nutritional medicine
botanical medicine
homeopathic medicine
pharmaceutical medicine
physical medicine, including
- osseous and soft tissue manipulative therapy (“naturopathic manipulative medicine”)
- hydrotherapy
mind-body medicine, including counseling
environmental medicine
lifestyle medicine, including hygiene and diet
minor surgery
phlebotomy
intravenous and injection therapy
traditional Asian medicine, including acupuncture
public health
imaging
naturopathic obstetrics

Naturopathic physicians are known as experts in drug-herb-nutrient interactions and for emphasizing prevention of disease and overall wellness. Many people struggle to understand how naturopathic physicians fit into the medical system in the USA. For better understanding of the training of naturopathic physicians, as a comparison to specialty areas of the allopathic and osteopathic medical professions, naturopathic physicians can be thought of as integrative, outpatient family medicine physicians with an emphasis on natural medical treatment modalities.

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