Naturopathic medicine is based on 6 foundational principles: The healing power of nature, First do no harm, Find and treat the cause, Treat the whole person, Doctor as teacher and Disease prevention. These principles provide the framework for how each consultation and treatment plan should be formulated and lead to a more holistic, individualised and educated form of health care. Holism, Individuality and Education are 3 key aspects to Naturopathy and can mean the difference between perpetuating an illness and restoring health.
By using the principles as a framework, a Naturopath will be able to establish and focus on the root cause of illness. This approach removes the need to adopt the conventional medicine strategy of just addressing the symptoms. This also removes the danger of symptom suppression which is more than likely going to cause more problems in time. Focusing on and treating the root cause is the only chance you have to overcome illness. If the factors that contributed to the illness are not removed and restored it is illogical to think that health could be restored at the same time. It would be like trying to fill a bucket without repairing a leak. It may take a while, but it will eventually become drained.
What to expect in my consultations
During your 90 minute initial consultation I will take a detailed health history to gain a thorough understanding of your health concerns. This will take into account a full assessment of different systems and bodily functions, diet and lifestyle consideration and a family health history. I will use a number of tools at my own disposable and may incorporate pathology testing if necessary to help establish the cause of your concerns. I will then formulate a treatment plan specific to you and your needs. Here I will discuss how you would like to make any necessary changes or adjustments to ensure it is something you are able to implement without too much difficulty. After all this is your plan so it has to work for you.
I use a number of treatment options to help get you on the way to recovery. Herbal medicine through liquids, capsules or teas is a gentle yet effective way to help restore balance to even the most unstable system. Natural herbal remedies have been used for thousands of years all over the world. The power they possess for specific health conditions is truly remarkable and the scientific research to support these abilities is extensive. They are a valuable treatment option in my practice.
Nutritional supplements are also often indicated in many of my cases. Supplements are sometimes needed in extreme deficiencies or when the body just needs an extra boost to get through a certain stressful period. I use a number of practitioner only supplements to ensure I am providing high quality and research supported products.
By far my favoured treatment option is diet and lifestyle advice. The hard fact is most of our illnesses today are caused by dietary and lifestyle choices, so it just makes sense that by changing this our health will improve. It can be difficult to make better choices when we are overwhelmed with misleading advertising, busy life schedules and the comfort and convenience of our current choices. I will help you to cut through the confusion and with your input will develop meal plans with recipes that will target your specific needs. If cooking is not your forte, I also offer additional services of helping you to learn to cook in the comfort of your own kitchen. Whatever it takes to help you overcome the obstacles to making better food choices, I can support you.
Conditions that Naturopathy can help with include:
- Digestive issues and gut health
- Anxiety and depression
- Fatigue and insomnia
- Lowered immunity and auto immunity
- Skin conditions
- Hormonal imbalances
- Allergies
As well as general well being and prevention of chronic disease.
You can also get a lot more information from my 6 part blog post series:
TOLLE TOTUM Treat the person as a whole
TOLLE CAUSAM Find and treat the cause
PRIMUM NON NOCERE First do no harm
VIS MEDICATRIX NATURAE The healing power of nature
DOCERE Doctor as teacher
PRAEVENIRE Disease prevention
Belinda Bird 