Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a means of treating disease and healing the body that works by stimulating the body’s own natural powers of restoration and recovery. In contrast to “traditional” or “Western” medicine, naturopathic therapies are characterized by their holistic approach—practitioners take into account the totality of an individual’s symptoms and environment in order to understand the underlying reasons for his or her current condition. These factors can be physical, social or psychological, and the symptoms considered important range from the most obvious complaints to small, often overlooked details in the individual’s history. “Naturopathy” is sometimes used as an umbrella term to encompass a variety of natural therapies including herbal medicine, homoeopathy, dietary counselling and physical therapies such as deep tissue massage. These therapies may be undertaken singly or some may be combined, depending on the individual’s needs.