There are several stages to healing the whole person, and extensive knowledge of each patient is required in order to use the right methods of treatment and treat the root cause of disease. First the naturopathic doctor (ND) will take extensive notes on your medical history. Family medical history is also important. The ND is a general practitioner and in accordance will ask questions about the health of all your body systems.
Once the information is recorded, the ND may discuss possible root causes of specific conditions, or treat your general health. If psychological barriers appear to be obstructing physical healing, the ND will treat these first. It is important to remember that a person’s will directly aids or disperses the healing energies of the body, and when psychological and spiritual conditions preclude healing, these must be treated first.
The ND may treat specific conditions in conjunction with this counseling and energetic therapy, or they may wait until the patient is ready for such treatment. As a partner in healing, the patient is always encouraged to ask for emotional, spiritual or physical treatment if they determine that such treatment is preferable.
Another barrier to healing can be energetic patterns in the body that draw energy away from areas that need it, or direct too much energy to areas that don’t need it. The ND is trained to sense these energetic patterns and redirect energy through cranial-sacral therapy, heat and cold, the use of the elements, reflexology and massage, and chakra healing. Sometimes the ND will coach an individual to actively relax certain muscles or areas or to consciously retrain their body for correct posture. As a teacher, the ND has a wealth of knowledge and can answer questions about utilizing energetic corrections for oneself and working to maintain health independently.
Once barriers to healing are eliminated or in the process of remission, the work on physical change can begin. Often the solutions to life-long conditions are as simple as eliminating a food from the diet, getting more, or a specific kind of exercise, or even learning to sleep better. Again, the ND is trained to heal the whole person, and each person’s whole cycle of being. Activity, sleep, what to eat and what not to eat, and even the ability to relax the body and mind are all important factors in a healthy lifestyle.
Natural remedies to chronic conditions are often very effective and easy to obtain, and once a course of action is chosen, the ND works with each person to refine the treatment and move on. Naturopathic medicine is focused on the person, not the symptom, and so elaborate routines and expensive medicines are recognized for what they are – both a treatment and an impact on a person’s life. Working with a naturopathic doctor is much like working with a counselor who wants to find the solution to a problem that will actually stick, that you can actually work with and that will lead to the best results.