The Healing Power of Nature: Nature acts powerfully through healing mechanisms in the body and
mind to maintain and restore health. Naturopathic doctors work
to restore and support these inherent healing systems when they
have broken down, by using methods, medicines, and techniques that
are in harmony with natural processes.
First Do No Harm: Naturopathic doctors prefer non-invasive treatments which minimize
the risks of harmful side-effects. They are trained to know which
patients they can treat safely, and which ones they need to refer
to other health care practitioners.
Find the Cause: Every illness has an underlying cause, often in aspects of lifestyle,
diet or habits of the individual. A naturopathic doctor is trained
to find and facilitate removal of the underlying cause of disease.
Doctor as Teacher:The
original meaning of the word doctor was teacher. A principal
objective of naturopathic medicine is to educate the patient and
emphasize self-responsibility for health. Naturopathic doctors
also recognize and employ the therapeutic potential of the
doctor-patient relationship.
Treat the Whole Person:Health
or disease comes from a complex interaction of physical, emotional,
dietary, genetic, environmental, lifestyle, and other factors. Naturopathic
doctors treat the whole person, taking these factors into account.
Preventive Medicine:The
naturopathic approach to health care can prevent minor illnesses
from developing into more serious or chronic degenerative diseases.
Patients are taught the principles with which to live a healthy
life; by following these principles they can prevent major illnesses.
Classical Chinese Medicine uses acupuncture,
Chinese herbs, and qi gong to bring the body back into balance.
Chinese medicine is holistic, looking at the body, mind and spirit
as one. The medicines philosophy is that symptoms relate to
a disease pattern, and by treating the underlying pattern, health
is restored.
Dr. Back integrates both Chinese and naturopathic medical philosophies
in her approach to healing, using the most appropriate modalities
for each individual.
The
following principles are the foundation upon
which a naturopathic medical practice is built.