The Guiding Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

In my last blog, I explained that conventional medicine and naturopathic medicine can both be helpful in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, such as cancer. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) have a long history of helping Canadians. In Ontario, naturopathic doctors have been licensed to practice since 1925, under the Drugless Practitioners Act. In the past several years, there have been over 1 million patient visits to see naturopathic doctors in this province. Today I will elaborate on the six guiding principles of naturopathic medicine.


1) First Do No Harm: The primary goal of a naturopathic doctor is to diagnose, prevent, and treat health conditions using safe, effective natural medicines. To that end, the most natural, non-toxic, and least invasive treatments are used.

2) Identify and Treat the Cause: As a naturopathic doctor, I treat the underlying cause of disease. Although symptom management is essential in acute conditions, (and can be treated in many cases with naturopathic medicine) it is important to recognize that symptoms are signals that the body is out of balance. The cause of the various imbalances can stem from a patient’s lifestyle, dietary habits, even their emotional state.

3) Treat the Whole Person: A holistic approach to healing is more effective than treating a single body system, as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Health and disease are a result of a complex interaction of physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and spiritual factors impacting our bodies. I take these factors into consideration each and every time I provide a holistic, personalized, and comprehensive treatment.

4) The Healing Power of Nature – Our bodies have an inherent ability to heal. We see this in action every time our blood clots after a simple cut, a bone heals following a fracture, and our immune system responds to a simple pathogen. My role is to facilitate this process.

5) Prevention. The ultimate goal of naturopathic medicine is to prevent disease in the first place. I assess risk factors and hereditary susceptibilities and make appropriate recommendations in order to remove obstacles to health as we strive to achieve wellness.

6) Doctor as Teacher. The original meaning of the word doctor in Latin (docere) means teacher. I educate my patients in order that they can achieve optimal health. It is gratifying to see that my patients incorporate the knowledge learned, and see positive changes in their health.

In my next blog, I will elaborate on the various natural treatments I use in clinical practice.