Naturopathic Physicians such as Dr. Mackler define themselves by their philosophy and principles (see below). They can work as your complementary health care provider or as your primary care physician. They can do physical exams, order lab work and diagnostic imaging to diagnosis your condition. Naturopaths can also write prescriptions, however, many use other modalities for the majority of their treatments.
The principles of naturopathic medicine are:
Healing power of nature
The body has the inherent ability to maintain and restore health. The physician's role is to support and augment this process.
Identify and treat the cause
Illness does not occur without cause. Underlying causes of disease must be discovered and removed before a person can recover completely from illness.
First do no harm
Illness is a natural process. Symptoms are the body's expression of that process. Treatments that suppress symptoms are minimized. Less invasive measures are used when possible.
Doctor as teacher
It is the doctor's responsibility is to teach the patient and allow the patient to take responsibility for their health.
Treat the whole person
Health and disease involve complex interactions of physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors. The doctor must take all into account to find the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Prevention is the best cure
Prevention is accomplished through education and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. The physician assesses risk factors and susceptibility to disease and makes appropriate interventions to avoid harm and risk to the patient.
If you have further questions about Naturopathic Physicians please go to www.naturopathic.org for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
If you are interested in finding out more about our education please go to the National College of Naturopathic Medicine website at www.NCNM.edu