Health is feeling vital mentally, emotionally, and physically. It is not merely the absence of disease.

Naturopathic practice treats the whole person, recognizing that all aspects of the patient’s health—physical, emotional, and mental—are inseparably related. The naturopathic doctor, a primary care provider, uses therapeutic methods which strengthen and act in harmony with the body’s self-healing ability. Naturopathic medicine draws on the proven medical experiences of various cultures and integrates these with modern scientific research.

Naturopathic philosophy maintains that an underlying cause exists behind all disease and manifestation of symptoms. Therefore, the naturopathic physician seeks to: 1) address the underlying cause of illness; 2) restore the body back to health using effective, safe, and natural measures; and 3) educate the patient on how to take an active role in his or her own health and well being.

Most naturopathic physicians will spend significantly more time with each patient than an allopathic doctor. The average doctor visit in the U.S., for example, is about seven minutes. Allopathic doctors will only stay in the room long enough to get information on the most current problem. Naturopathic physicians spend more time with patients because they need to understand the whole person.

Key principles of naturopathic medicine

Six principles of healing form the foundation for naturopathic medical practice:

Healing power of nature -- The body has an inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The physician’s role is to facilitate and help this process.

Identify and treat the cause -- For a person to recover from illness, the naturopathic physician must determine and treat the underlying causes of disease, rather than simply managing the symptoms.

First do no harm -- Therapeutic actions should be safe and effective, to increase overall health and decrease harmful side effects of treatments.

Treat the whole person -- To treat and prevent disease, the physician does not look at one isolated piece, but looks at the whole individual.

Doctor as teacher -- A cooperative doctor-patient relationship enables the physician to help people understand health and illness and make healthful decisions.

Prevention -- The emphasis of naturopathy is on building health rather than fighting disease; the ultimate goal is building a strong foundation to prevent disease.

Naturopathic Physician Training

After pre-medical training, Naturopathic physicians must complete medical school at an accredited institution, where they graduate with a doctoral degree, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND). Naturopathic physicians are trained in basic medical and clinical sciences, physical and clinical diagnosis, and Naturopathic philosophy and therapeutics. In Oregon, Naturopathic candidates must pass a board licensing examination, and then they are licensed to practice primary care medicine. See Dr. Brody's education and training.

Naturopathic Medical Training includes all of the same basic course work as traditional medical schools, with a few exceptions. Naturopathic students study only minor surgery, and their pharmacology focus is on naturally-derived medicines, which they can prescribe in the state of Oregon.