- Natalie Hennessey
Identify and Treat the Causes | Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
Updated: May 28, 2020

The third principal of naturopathic medicine is to ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.โฃ
While this may seem like common sense, some treatments don't actually address the cause of disease or ailments. It may be that a treatment (like diet, medication, etc..) is only treating and acting on the symptoms that a patient is experiencing. โฃ
๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐, ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ & ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ.โฃ
For example, if you are dealing with a sore back, an ND might recommend or prescribe a pain relieving medication or supplement, recommend you to a chiropractor, remove inflammatory foods from the diet and offer therapeutic massage or acupuncture to address the body directly. โฃ
Perhaps you've lost your period or it's a bit wonky. An allopathic doctor may recommend some blood work and starting the birth control pill. While this isn't wrong, an ND might request more in depth blood work, look at your diet, consider the Chinese Medicine diagnosis and work with you to restore proper hormone functioning. โฃ
So, here is something to think about: are you addressing the cause of your ailment, or are you just treating it?