PRINCIPLES AND MODALITIES

The practice of naturopathic medicine is the promotion of health, the assessment of the physical and mental condition of an individual, and the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases, disorders and dysfunctions through education, common diagnositic procedures, and the integrated use of therapies and substances that promote the individual's inherent
self-healing processes.

Naturopathic doctors provide primary and adjunctive health care to people of
all ages, focusing on the rational use of natural therapies to support and stimulate healing processes. Naturopathic doctors promote health and
prevent illness, and diagnose and treat disease in a manner consistent
with the body of knowledge and standards of practice for the profession.

Human health can be described as an experience of well being resulting
from a dynamic balance that involves the holistic integration of the physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of a person as well as interactions
with natural and social environments. Human health exists when the innate intelligence of the body can function optimally and unrestricted, and when
each person can realize the aspirations they have chosen and strive to actualize their potential.

Naturopathic doctors begin with the principle of Hippocrates ­ Primum non nocere (firstly, do no harm). They utilize diagnostic and therapeutic methods as well as medicinal substances that pose the least risk of harm to the patient. In recognition of the healing power of nature active within the patient (known as the vis medicatrix naturae), naturopathic doctors strive to assist the intrinsic healing ability of the body in its efforts to restore and maintain a dynamic healthy person.

ND's seek to identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery in
order to facilitate and augment these inherent self-healing processes.
Choosing to assist true healing and the resolution of disease, and not merely the treatment of symptoms, naturopathic doctors focus their efforts on the identification and treatment of the underlying causes of the patient's illness
by applying the principle of Tolle causam (find the cause).

In order to identify underlying causes, a holistic view of the patient must be employed, taking into account the complex integration of the person, including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, genetic, environmental, and social aspects. Naturopathic doctors subsequently construct treatment protocols
that treat the whole person through individualized care.

Because practitioners favour a patient-centred form of care, naturopathic doctors educate their patients so that these patients are better informed and able to exercise ultimate control over and responsibility for their own health. As a further extension of this principle of doctor as teacher (docere), practitioners emphasize the prevention of disease and the promotion of health in partnership with their patients by assessing risk factors, heredity and susceptibility to disease, and by promoting healthy lifestyles and communities.

TREATMENT MODALITIES
Naturopathic therapies are selected to treat the individual's presenting condition, taking into consideration their particular symptoms and overall health status. The underlying principles that guide the naturopathic doctor's selection of therapies for individual patients are:

- utilization of therapies that are the least invasive, i,e. first do no harm
(Primum Non Nocere)

- recognition of the inherent healing ability of the person (Vis Medicatrix Naturae)

- identification and treatment of the causes of disease (Tolle Causum)
- the primary role of the doctor as teacher (Docere)
- treatment of the whole person through individualized care
- prevention of disease through healthy lifestyle and control of risk factors

The body of knowledge that underlies treatment modalities used in modern naturopathic medical practice incorporates both traditional knowledge and the latest advances in medical science. Naturopathic therapies are selected to treat the individual's presenting condition, taking into consideration particular symptoms and overall health status.

Naturopathic medicine is unique in that each naturopathic doctor is trained in all of the treatment modalities described below, and most importantly in their integrated use:

Botanical Medicine: Plant. substances have been utilized safely and effectively for centuries in the prevention and treatment of disease. Their clinical uses and effects are described in detail in traditional literature, and they are the subject of an increasing amount of new scientific research. Documentation exists that demonstrates the safe and effective use of many botanical medicines over generations. Botanical medicines have pharmacological properties that necessitate their use by appropriately trained health care providers.

Clinical Nutrition: The relationship between nutrition and wellness, or between inadequate nutrition and disease, is well documented and is a cornerstone of naturopathic practice. Naturopathic application of clinical
nutrition involves the use of dietetics and specific nutritional substances for
the prevention and treatment of disease, the correction of dietary inadequacies and the promotion of wellness.

Counselling: A tenet of naturopathic medicine is that emotional health and physical health are interdependent. Naturopathic practice includes the integrated use of counseling techniques along with such methods as stress management and biofeedback when indicated.

Homeopathic Medicine: Homeopathic medicine was originally developed during
the 18th century by the German physician Hahnemann, and is widely used throughout the world. Minute amounts of substances prepared and prescribed according to strict homeopathic principles are used to evoke a physiological and/or psychological response.

The practice of homeopathic medicine includes a unique and detailed method of case taking and analysis, and an in-depth knowledge of homeopathic materia medica.

Lifestyle Modification and Public Health: Environment and lifestyle have a significant
impact on health. Contamination of food, water or the local environment, and extremes in diet can cause a significant risk for the patient. These factors are evaluated and dealt with when appropriate.

Mechanotherapy including Manipulation of the spine and extremities:
Mechanotherapy includes both the manipulation and mobilization of the joints of the spine and extremities, as well as other physical and mechanical techniques applied to connective tissue. Mechanotherapy has been part of naturopathic medicine since the turn of the century and is used in conjunction with one or more other naturopathic modalities.

Oriental Medicine and acupuncture: Oriental medicine and acupuncture comprise a
unique system that has been in use for 5,000 years for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. This system employs unique methods for evaluating the flow and balance of energy in the body, and includes the specialized use of Oriental herbs and acupuncture. Naturopathic doctors are trained to use this system when indicated as part of an integrated approach with Western diagnostic methods.

Physical Therapeutic Procedures: Naturopathic medicine has traditionally
utilized a wide variety of physical modalities for the treatment of
pain and to stimulate circulation and healing. These include
heat/cold, light, ultraviolet and infrared, electrical pulsation,
magnetic field, therapeuticultrasound,diathermy,interferential,
cold laser,hydrotherapy, colon therapy, traction, massage and exercise.

*Extracted from The Ontario Naturopathic Professionšs Submission to the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council, a joint submission by the BDDT-N and the OAND.

Common ND Procedures of Practice

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