Basic Principles of Complementary/ Alternative
Therapies
JUST AS MAINSTREAM MEDICINE has a fairly consistent approach to
illness, so does al-ternative medicine. Most prevalent in alternative
medicine are the six naturopathic principles. In one form or another,
these principles are revisited again and again throughout Section Two
of this text. The following principles are described by Dr. Catherine
Downey and excerpted from her chapter on naturopathic medicine.
1. The Healing Power of Nature (Vis medicatix naturae)
The body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain and restore
health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent: nature heals
through the response of the life force. The physician's role is to
facilitate and augment this process, to act to identify and remove
obstacles to health and recovery, and to support the creation of a
healthy internal and external environment. In short, give the body the
appropriate tools and it will heal itself.
2. Treat the Whole Person (The multifactorial nature of health and
disease)
Health and disease are conditions of the whole organism, involving a
complex interaction of physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic,
environmental, and social factors. The physician must treat the whole
person by taking all of these factors into account. The harmonious
functioning of all aspects of the individual is essential to recovery
from and prevention of disease and requires a personalized and
comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment.
3. First Do No Harm (Primum no nocere)
Illness is a purposeful process of the organism. The process of healing
includes the generation of symptoms, which are, in fact, an expression
of the life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should
be complementary to and synergistic with this healing process. The
physician's actions can support or antagonize the actions of the vis
mediatrix naturae; therefore methods designed to suppress symptoms
without removing underlying causes are considered harmful and are
avoided or minimized. Therapeutic actions are applied in an ordered
fashion congruent with the internal order of the organism.
4. Identify and Treat the Cause (Tolle causam)
Illness does not occur without cause. Underlying causes of disease must
be discovered and removed or treated before a person can recover
completely from illness. Symptoms are expressions of the body's attempt
to heal, but they are not the cause of disease; therefore naturopathic
medicine addresses itself promptly to the underlying causes of disease,
rather than symptoms. Causes may occur on many levels, including
physical, mental-emotional, and spiritual. The physician must evaluate
fundamental underlying causes on all levels, directing treatment at
root cause rather than at symptomatic expression.
5. Prevention (Prevention is the best "cure")
The ultimate goal of naturopathic medicine is prevention. This is
accomplished through education and promotion of lifestyle habits that
create good health. The physician assesses risk factors and hereditary
susceptibility to disease and makes appropriate interventions to avoid
further harm and risk to the patient. The emphasis is on building
health rather than on fighting disease. Because it is difficult to be
healthy in an unhealthy world, it is the responsibility of both the
physician and patient to create a healthier environment in which to
live.
6. The Physician as Teacher (Docere)
Beyond an accurate diagnosis and appropriate prescription, the
physician must work to create a health-sensitive, interpersonal
relationship with the patient. A cooperative doctor-patient
relationship has inherent therapeutic value. The physician's major role
is to educate and encourage the patient to take responsibility for
health. The physician is a catalyst for healthful change, empowering
and motivating the patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient,
not the doctor, who ultimately creates or accomplishes healing. The
physician must strive to inspire hope as well as understanding.
Physicans must also make a commitment to their personal and spiritual
development in order to be good teachers.
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