“Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of primary health care – an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles which underlie and determine its practice. Methods used are consistent with these principles and are chosen upon the basis of patient individuality. Naturopathic physicians are primary health care practitioners, whose diverse techniques include modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods.” - Dr. Benedict Lust, 1902 (founder of Naturopathic Medicine)

The Healing Power of Nature : The body's natural wisdom, its Vital Force, constantly works to restore health and balance to the human system.

First, Do No Harm : Naturopathic medicine seeks to avoid harm to patients by working with the Vital Force rather than against it, and by utilizing natural healing modalities which minimize harmful side effects.

Identify and Treat the Root Cause : Illness is the result of an imbalance to the Vital Force which can be caused by any combination of physical, mental, emotional or environmental factors. Naturopathic medicine, with its holistic approach to the patient, seeks to identify the true cause of illness.

Treat the Whole Person : People exist as a multi-dimensional entity, involving the physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual planes of being. Additionally, each individual interacts with and is affected by their daily environment. All these areas must be addressed in any successful healing approach.

Doctor as a Teacher : Naturopathic doctors consider educating their patients to be a vital part of health restoration. The more you know about your condition and the methods used to treat it, the more like it is that will be successful in your healing programs.

Prevention is the best cure : Preventing serious, chronic disease is far easier than treating it. The core of Naturopathic treatment programs constitute a holistic, natural lifestyle that will also help prevent illnesses in the future.

The determinants of health include genetics, influences during pregnancy, diet and eating habits, nutrition, rest and exercise patterns, past illness and medical interventions, physical and emotional traumas, stresses, and exposures.

These are the areas in which determine how illness arises, and how we chose appropriate treatments. Most of hese are things which can be addressed and modified to enhance health. It is in these areas where we find the causes of disease. Causes of disease manifest in the following three areas: spiritual, mental/emotional, and physical.

A key concept in naturopathic medicine is the order of intervention and treatment.

FIRST : identify and moderate the causative factors that disturb function.

SECOND : stimulate the natural self healing mechanisms.

THIRD : to use the botanicals or other substances to support tissue function or repair.

FOURTH : work to correct structural integrity.

FIFTH : specifically address pathology if absolutely necessary.

SIXTH : suppress pathology with drugs or surgery as a last option.

The greatest mistake commonly made in medicine is to intervene at a lower level with drugs and surgery, but also botanicals or nutritional factors to treat specific tissues or lesions without attention to the first and second order tasks. If these steps are not addressed, the doctor is merely treating a disease, and not treating a person. Only by treating the whole person, are we able to help patient's achieve optimal health.

Dietary Therapy :"You are what you eat." A healthy diet, and healthy thinking about diet are two of the most important factors in health. Dietary lifestyle is unique to everyone, and what is good for some may not work for others. Naturopathic Physcians work with individuals to ensure that they are not only eating what is right for them, but also getting the most out of what they eat.

Lifestyle : This is one of the largest areas of the determinants of health that is within our direct control, but at the same time largely ignored. Sleep, exercise, work, stress, are all factors in our life that we often let get out of control and overwhelm us to the point of exhaustion or illness. It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle if there is any hope of maintaining mental, spiritual, or physical health.

Western Herbal Medicine : Western herbal medicine has a long history that stretches back to Ancient Greek and Egypt. It is the precusor to modern western pharmacology but differs largely in its application of formulating and preparations. Western Herbs are used to help stimulate the body's own healing mechanisms, and are often used in dietary therapy. "Food is Medicine," and herbs and spices are a way to get the most out of every meal.

Physical Medicine : By addressing structural alignment and integrity of the body, we lay an important foundation for health. This begins with movement in daily life, but can often involve stretching, soft tissue work, and manual manipulations.

Hydotherapy :Naturopathic medicine holds it's roots in hydrotherapy and "Water Cure" treatments from Germany. Using water as a medium to bring the body back to a state of health is one of the best and most subtle modailities in healthcare. We use water in a wide variety of treatments from baths, washes, and soaks to ice rubs and steam treatments.

Nutritional Supplementation : If dietary threapy and lifestyle modifications are not enough to get a person's vital force working to it's optimal ability, sometimes supplementation of vitamins or minerals is necessary to give it a kick start. Though it is common practice in the Natural Medicine field to prescribe herbs and supplements to all patients, it is our belief at Insight Natural Medicine that the body has the ability to heal itself, and only needs to be pointed in the right direction through subtle treatments.