Naturopathic Principles
- Adopted by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians in 1989
- Culmination of 3 years of meetings, interviews and discussions for the purpose of defining Naturopathic Medicine
- Consensus document involving all associations and agencies as well as over 1000 physicians
Naturopathic Principles
- The Healing Power of Nature
- Identify and Treat the Cause
- First Do No Harm
- Doctor as Teacher
- Treat the Whole Person
- Prevention
Naturopathic Principles--Laws of Healing
- Unique and individual concepts
- None contains or overlaps another
- Each describes an aspect of the vitalist view
- Taken together they comprise a cogent whole philosophy
- Universally applicable
Doctrine (he Oxford Universal Dictionary on Historical Principles, Third Edition)
- 1. A lesson, a precept
- 2. That which is laid down as true concerning a particular department of knowledge as religion, politics, science, etc.
- 3. A body or system of principles, a theory
Doctrines of Naturopathic Medicine
- Viz Medicatrix Naturae
- Health as Balance
- Suppression
- Individualization
- Signature
- Minimum Dose
- Dual Effect
Doctrine of Viz Medicatrix Naturae
- The Healing Power of Nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which, establishes, maintains and restores health.
- Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent.
Doctrine of Viz Medicatrix Naturae (cont.)
- It is the physician’s role to support, facilitate and augment this process by:
- identifying and removing obstacles to recovery of health and,
- by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.
Doctrine of Viz Medicatrix Naturae (cont.)
- Symptoms are the “labor of the body”
- “Disease” represents the attempts of the organism to restore by its own strength the derangement of its integrity.
- Thus the symptoms show the method of cure.
Doctrine of Viz Medicatrix Naturae(cont.)
- The physicians role is to assist Nature through: Supporting the symptoms, or Artificially creating similar symptoms. Hence, Similia Similibus Curenter
Doctrine of Viz Medicatrix Naturae (cont.)
- The Doctrine of Viz Medicatrix Naturae relates to the following concepts: The Model of Healing Acute and Chronic Disease Healing Crisis Disease Crisis
Doctrine of Health as Balance
- Health is normal and harmonious vibration of the elements and forces composing the human being on the physical, mental and moral planes of being, in conformity with the constructive principle in nature applied to individual life. Lindlahr, Nature Cure
Doctrine of Health as Balance (cont.)
- Nothing of value can be added the normal environment. Spitler, Basic Naturopathy
Doctrine of Health as Balance (cont.)
- In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force, the dynamis that animates the material body, rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence. Hahnemann, Paragraph 9, Organon of Medicine.
Doctrine of Health as Balance (cont.)
- The physician’s high and only mission is to restore the sick to health, to cure, as it is termed. Hahnemann, Paragraph 1, Organon of Medicine.
Doctrine of Health as Balance (cont.)
The Doctrine of Health as Balance relates to the following concepts:
- “Disease” as any state other than balance - Laws of Cure (Herring’s Rules) Determinants of Health
Doctrine of Suppression
- Treatments not in conformity with (the constructive principle in) Nature are inimical to the Viz Medicatrix Naturae, resulting in increased “effects of disease” on the organism, i.e.,
Decreased vitality Abnormal composition of the blood and lymph, and Accumulation of waste matter, morbid materials and poisons.
Doctrine of Suppression (cont.)
- Treatments which are in conformity with (the constructive principle in) Nature lead to restoration of balance, and by definition, elimination of symptoms.
Doctrine of Suppression (cont.)
- The Doctrine of Suppression relates to the following concepts:
- Do No Harm Therapeutic Order
Doctrine of Individualization
- Things which disagree with some, are well borne by others; while on the contrary, if something were dangerous to all mankind, it would have the same effect on everybody, which is not true. Hippocrates
Doctrine of Individualization (cont.)
- All (the) perceptible signs represent the disease in its whole extent, that is, together they form the true and only conceivable portrait of the disease. Hahnemann, Paragraph 6, Organon of Medicine.
Doctrine of Individualization (cont.)
- Constitutional types: Paracelsus, Hippocrates, Hahnemann, Rocine
- Genetotrophic Theory of Disease: Williams
- Nutrignenomics: Bland
- Genetics
Doctrine of Individualization (cont.)
- The Doctrine of Individualization relates to the following concepts:
Treat the Whole Person Determinants of Health Therapeutic Order
Doctrine of Signatures
- First Law of Hermes: As above, so below
- And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
- Crude matter…is but an expression of the Life Force, itself a manifestation of the Great Creative Intelligence which some call God, others Nature, the Oversoul, Brahma, Prana, The Great Spirit, etc., each according to his best understanding.
Doctrine of Signatures (cont.)
- Concerning the Nature of Things, Book the Ninth – Signatures of Man
- All things are a manifestation of their inner essence.
- The physical is a reflection of higher levels on intelligence, organization, and energy.
Doctrine of Signatures (cont.)
- The Doctrine of Signatures relates to the following concepts:
Consciousness Prayer Intention Spirituality
Doctrine of Minimum Dose
- Die milde Macht ist gross. Hahnemann
- Less is More
- Suggests that the physician strives to use the least number of medicines in the smallest possible dose as infrequently as possible to encourage the desired outcome –restoration of health.
- The Elegance in Medicine
Doctrine of the Minimum Dose (cont.)
- The Doctrine of the Minimum Dose relates to the following concepts:
Single remedy Therapeutic Order Treat the Whole Person Doctrine of Compensation
- Also known as the Law of Dual Effect
- For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
- Every agent affecting the human organism produces two effects: a first temporary effect, and a second, lasting effect.
- Allopathy versus Homeopathy
Doctrine of Compensation (cont.)
- The Doctrine of Compensation relates to the following concepts: Suppression and elimination Do No Harm Determinants of Health Therapeutic Order
Summary of Doctrines
- Doctrine of Viz Medicatrix Naturae
- Doctrine of Health as Balance
- Doctrine of Suppression
- Doctrine of Individualization
- Doctrine of Signatures
- Doctrine of the Minimum Dose
- Doctrine of Compensation
What’s the Answer?
- There ain’t no answer.
- There ain’t going to be any answer.
- There never has been an answer.
- That’s the answer.
- -Gertrude Stein