A modern Naturopathic Practitioner is someone “…… whose sole intention is to find the cause of a patient’s complaint, to educate and empower them to understand their health manifestation, and to support their presentation with a natural means of treatment. This treatment has evolved over time to be both clinically effective but also rigorously researched and assessed. It is an essential part of the changing face of modern medicine.”(Hechtman xi)Hechtman, Leah. Clinical Naturopathic Medicine – E-Book . Churchill Livingstone, 2015-05-17.
In short a modern naturopath is still interested in being as nature based as possible, but has the benefit of evidence based and proven nutritional and herbal medicines. Someone who embraces wholistic ideals, but who has the added advantage of medical screening tools, pathology and functional pathology.
It’s an exciting time to be a naturopath as our toolbox and knowledge expands quickly.
The principles that I was taught 20 years ago still hold true. Treating the gut first before tackling other issues for example. Making sure that the liver is functioning properly and opening the avenues of elimination.
However now we are able to test our microbiomes and see which strains are deficient or which are overgrown, and then choose from a specific strain for treatment. We can test liver function to discover which pathways are under functioning. It allows us to be more efficient and precise with our treatments.
More information means better outcomes.
