I was introduced to naturopathic medicine while doing my pre-med work at Grand Canyon University. I had been suffering with excruciatingly painful endometriosis for more than 10 years and was preparing for a hysterectomy when a friend suggested I make an appointment to see her naturopathic doctor first. That appointment changed my life, and I have not suffered from the pain of endometriosis since. I cancelled the surgery and was so inspired by how well the treatment worked that I decided to find out more about how I could learn to do what this doctor did.
She told me about naturopathic medicine: the underlying principles of first doing no harm, treating the whole person, finding the underlying cause of disease, and bringing the body back into balance to facilitate healing. I came to understand that the body knows how to heal itself, and that the keys to healing are to remove the obstacles that are in the way and to give the body what it needs to support that self-healing process. Now, after more than 25 years of studying and practicing this profession, I’m still amazed by the human body and its innate healing powers.
An Ounce of Prevention
Because of the skyrocketing costs of modern health care, many people wait until they’re really sick to go to a doctor. But remember what our mothers so wisely told us, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is so true. It’s much easier to prevent disease than it is to try to treat it. Since each person is unique, with his or her own individual combination of genetic and lifestyle influences, naturopathic doctors can help patients create individualized dietary, exercise and self-care programs that support the body to stay healthy and prevent disease.
When Pharmaceuticals Don’t Work
Many people suffer from environmental sensitivities or other issues that make pharmaceutical medications unworkable for them. Those folks do much better with gentler treatments, like homeopathy, flower remedies and gentle plant substances.
Treating Long-Term Chronic Disorders
Having a long-term chronic disorder means that the body is severely out of balance, and usually pharmaceutical and surgical treatments alone are not enough to address this. Working with a naturopath can provide the additional tools and support necessary to improve the outcome and efficacy of whatever treatment you may be pursuing, and the combination of allopathic and natural medicines can be just what is needed to make a difference.
When There’s No Modern Treatment
What happens if you are told there is nothing that can be done for your condition, or that there’s really nothing wrong with you, even when you know that you’re ill? There are always things that can be done to support health and well-being – you may simply need help to decipher the symptoms and discover the underlying cause of the imbalance. Once the obstacles are identified, there are many ways of working to eliminate them and give the body what it needs to regain balance.
Treating the Whole Being
Imbalances in the organism can happen on many levels: structural, bio-chemical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Naturopathic medicine is integrative medicine, meaning it treats the whole person, not just the symptoms of disease. All these areas may need attention and treatment in order to return to health.
If you’re wanting to live life to the fullest with vigor and vitality, then naturopathic medicine can do more than just eliminate symptoms. Many of my patients report that they had no idea how good they could feel until they tried integrative therapies and have found an increased quality of life that they never dreamed possible. QCBN
By Dr. Susan Godman
I’m very excited to be contributing each month to QCBN and look forward to answering any questions you may have. Partners in Health Care, Naturally also sends out a free weekly email newsletter with useful health tips and information; if you would like to receive it, just drop us an email at message4partners@gmail.com. Back issues available on our website under Forms and Info: prescottnaturopathicdoctors.com