Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the six principles on which its practice is based:

• The Healing Power of Nature: The body is intelligent and heals itself in an ordered process. Naturopathic doctors facilitate this process by removing obstacles to healing and recovery.

• To Treat the Cause: Instead of only dealing with the symptoms of which the patient complains, NDs investigate for the root problem(s) which is causing these symptoms, and aim toward eliminating it.

• First, do no harm: Naturopathic doctors respect guidelines that involve minimizing the risk of harmful side-effects, and using the gentlest methods to diagnose and treat.

• Doctor as Teacher: Naturopathic doctors aim for long-lasting optimal health in their patients, and offer lifetime suggestions to achieve good health in a changing world.

• Treating the Whole Person: Conventional medicine tends to treat only specific symptoms. NDs take the individual’s physical, mental, emotional factors into consideration.

• Prevention: The aim is not to simply treat a problem once it has started, but to strive to prevent problems from starting in the first place. With naturopathic medicine, the patient has the knowledge to prevent problems from beginning as well as from recurring