What Is Natural Medicine?
Functional Medicine
‘Natural medicine’, ‘functional medicine’, ‘naturopathy’, ‘nutritional medicine’ or ‘complementary medicine’ all have similarities in how they approach preventing disease, treating health conditions and maintaining optimal health. If you have been losing your energy and feeling stressed out lately and you need help to achieve optimal health, visit functional-medicine.associates and contact them for a consultation.
A relatively new term being used to describe a patient centred approach rather than a disease centred one. It enageges both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic way, addressing the whole person rather than isolating people to their symptoms. Considerations and treatments are decided upon, by looking at the interactions among lifestyle factors, such as diet, sleep, movement, stress management and factors such as genetics and the environment in which we live. These interactions influence both short and long term health. We use pathology testing to paint a bigger and better picture of your health and allow us to measure progress from mere subjective symptoms. This style mimics many of the philosophy’s of Naturopathy, and could be classed as a type of “new age” Naturopathy.
Nutritional Medicine
Nutritional Medicine uses the same principles in diet, sleep, movement, stress management etc, as functional medicine and naturopathy but it has a great emphasis on nutrition, vitamin, minerals and the type of foods you eat and how this can influence health and disease. Again it involves testing such as nutrient levels like vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D, zinc, copper, electrolytes, selenium, iodine, iron and others.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a system of healthcare that incorporates a range of natural therapies, which collectively assist in the prevention and management of illness and disease, or in other words, maintaining optimal health and wellbeing. naturopathic philosophy views patients as a student and heavily considers lifestyle changes that meet each clients needs.
So it’s about functional medicine, nutrition, the use of whole foods such as herbs, vitamins, minerals, movement, sleep, stress management, toxins and incorporates scientifically endorsed pathology tests to determine what is going on under the hood or in that little black box.
Natural Medicine
At Natural Health Medicine, all our practitioners have degrees, we draw on all of these styles, and a combination of practical, logical approach to health combined with an understanding of nutritional biochemistry, modern scientific research. Natural Medicine offers a comprehensive and integrative approach to your healthcare needs. You can check out more on our 6 ways here:
The healing power of nature
Naturopathic (NP) and Nutritional Medicine (NM) will use food and its nutrients, herbal medicine, and lifestyle changes to improve an individual’s health and wellbeing.
Find and treat the cause
A NP and NM Specialist will take a thorough case history to ensure that whenever possible, the treatment addresses any potential causes of illness/disease rather than suppressing just the symptoms.
Education
A NP and NM Specialist aims to educate their clients on what is going on in their body, and how particular nutrients, diet and lifestyle changes, or herbal medicines may help.
First do no harm
An NP or NM Specialist will ensure that all treatments aim to maintain and/or improve an individual’s current health.
If a patient requires more specific or advanced medical care, an NP or NM will always refer that patient to an appropriate healthcare practitioner.
Treat the whole person
NP and NM will address all body systems that may be playing a role in a particular condition, including the most powerful of all – the mind.
Prevention
By implementing certain diet and lifestyle strategies, or using specific nutritional and herbal medicine, a NP or NM Specialist can help guide a very specific treatment plan for an individual in order to prevent illness and disease, or prevent the worsening of a condition already diagnosed.