Naturopathic philosophy..

Disease is a state of dis-balance, a state where the natural defensive effort of the body can't cope anymore.
It is also a signal for attention, or to reduce or compensate for adverse conditions.
Therefore, disease is not a morbid or negative function to be suppressed and combated.

Rather, it is an attempt by the biological intelligence to alarm you that something has gone wrong, and you have to take steps to get back into balance to produce health.

The severe chronic manifestations of disease are the result of combating and suppressing acute symptoms of lesser diseases in the past.

Germs, viruses and bacteria are Nature's scavengers.
They are always and everywhere present, in every cell, held in their rightful place by balance and health.
Upset the balance, however, by inharmonious habits, be it; mental, emotional, lifestyle, bad nutrition, drugs, poisons, overindulgence, stress and the resulting low vitality and resistance will provide an environment for their proliferation.

Germs of all sorts are really agents, no the causes, of disease.
Bad hygiene, externally and internally, mentally and physically allows them to break the order of life.
Disease gives way to normal functions or health when there is no more reason for its existence - and this is what the main aim of Naturopathy and Natural Healing is.

How is this achieved?

By a total logical and biological approach - to build up the general resistance and immunity, to cleanse the system, produce better attitudes and the correction of mental factors, by education in nutrition, exercise and natural therapeutic measures such as detoxification, massage, manipulations, nutritional supplements, herbal and homeopathic medicines, acupuncture or osteopathic and chiropractic treatment to eliminate both the cause and the symptoms.

(Note: Those are only some of the modalities used)

It is an individual and creative process, requiring a lot of co-operation and understanding between the patient and the therapist.

There are no miraculous and instant cures, no magic pill, for naturopaths don't really cure disease at all - they simply treat the whole person.

How does a natural therapist diagnose?

That would depend upon their training, but the basics are the same for all Naturopaths and similar to GP's:

history taking and a physical examination, by symptoms, which may be followed up if need be with; X-rays, blood tests, etc.

And specific natural type diagnosis:
pulse diagnosis in the case of acupuncture, or by iris diagnosis, specific ways of looking at the body, tongue, nails, face, feet, connective tissues.

Each technique is particularly suited to a specific treatment modality or patient.

It is important to remember that naturopathic diagnosis is not like ordinary diagnosis -

it is not done to ascertain the name of a disease, but to discover the organic and functional weaknesses that need attention or correction.

A Naturopath is trained in differential diagnostics, and will refer patients to a medical Doctor for further tests if need be.

Article supplied by the editor of Use Nature, Dieter L.