About TerraMadre
What is Naturopathy and Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary health care system that blends modern
scientific knowledge with traditional and natural forms of medicine. Naturopathic
Medicine is often placed in a category of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine or CAM.
The naturopathic philosophy is to stimulate the healing power of the body (nature) and
treat the underlying cause of disease. Symptoms of disease are seen as warning signals
of improper functioning of the body, and unfavorable lifestyle habits. Naturopathic
Medicine emphasizes disease as a process rather than as an entity.
Treating both acute and chronic conditions, naturopathic treatments are chosen based on the individual patient –
their physiological, structural, psychological, social, spiritual, environment and lifestyle factors.
In addition to diet and lifestyle changes, natural therapies include:
- botanical medicine
- clinical nutrition
- hydrotherapy
- homeopathy
- naturopathic manipulation
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- acupuncture
Additional forms of treatment may be included (depending on the doctor’s specialty training and the province or state within which they practice:
- Intravenous therapies
- Chelation
- Supplementation
- Infrared heat
- Laser
- acu-stim acupuncture
In Canada, the naturopathic medical profession’s infrastructure includes accredited educational
institutions, professional licensing, national standards of practice, participation in many federal
health committee initiatives, and a commitment to state-of-the-art scientific research.
The organizations associated with licensing and regulation include:
- Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors. www.cand.ca
- Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors. www.oand.org
- Board of Directors of Drugless Therapies-Naturopathy. www.boardofnaturopathicmedicine.on.ca
- American Association of Naturopathic Practitioners. www.naturopathic.org
- North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners. www.nabne.org