Take a Positive Approach to Health
– Holistic Health inspired by Nature
We live in a culture where there is “a pill for every ill”. It is time we looked at a different approach to wellness and health, an approach that encourages lifestyle and nutritional change, encourages exercise and the management of stress and work/life balance, positive thinking and the use of herbs as medicine alongside our existing biomedical model.
Three well-known Dublin Naturopaths tell us why the Naturopathic model plays an important role in an Integrative Healthcare approach.
Naturopathy is a system of medicine based on some very specific tenets. Vis MediacatrixNaturae (There is a healing power in nature), prevention is preferable to cure. The root cause of dysfunction is identified and treated, not the branches (symptoms). The whole person is treated, not the disease. Health is abundantvitality; it is not just the absence of disease. All disease starts with a disruption to the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, and health is a return to balance of these mechanisms. If a person is deficient, treatment is used to build them up, and if they are in excess (toxicity), they are detoxified.
John Doran (M.P.S.I. Dip Herb. ND)
For many years,Naturopaths have been looking at the individual’s constitution, looking at factors such as the 8 principles, heat/cold, yin/yang, excess/deficiency, as well as differential diagnosis. We use many different tools and treatment modalities depending on the person’s individual constitution.
Pharmaceutical companies are now acknowledging that drugs work only in about 25% of the people who take them. They now see the way forward as genetic testing to identify if the person is suitable for that particular medicine. This is a positive acknowledgement of each individual’s uniqueness and one that Naturopaths absolutely concur with.
I worked as a pharmacist for many years. In 1992, I computerised the records of my pharmacy. For the first time, I could see a person’s entire drug history going back years. I could see definite patterns such as if a child had one antibiotic, it was almost inevitably followed by a second or third. I realised that the system was not getting to the root of their problems.
I became fascinated with Naturopathy because it really looks to treat the underlying problems, issues such as gut permeability, adrenal stress, nutrient absorption, liver health, and blood sugars, etc. are all looked at and addressed to start a healing process. I have seen fantastic results with this approach. Every day in my practice, I witness people becoming empowered to safely transform their health, with most able to reduce or completely stop their prescription medicines. I now look forward to my work every day.
Rebecca Redmond (B.A. Dip.Herb.ND)
Naturopathy is an umbrella term that describes the blending of modern scientific knowledge with various traditional and natural forms of medicine, including Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy, Nutrition, Iridology, Flower essences, Tissue salts, lifestyle recommendations, and often bodywork such as Massage, Acupuncture and Reflexology.
As a multifaceted form of health care, Naturopathy includes the holistic philosophy of viewing a person as a whole, stimulation of the body’s innate healing power, treatment of underlying causes of disease, prevention of disease states and the promotion of balance.
Patient education, empowerment and motivation are key goals of Naturopathy; the aim is to promote personal responsibility for health. Symptoms of disease (acute and chronic) are seen as warning signals of physiological, emotional, environmental, spiritual and lifestyle imbalances. Treatment is chosen to kick start the person’s own innate healing ability to overcome illness that has been triggered.
It is incredibly rewarding to witness clients responding to treatment and making changes in how they are living in order to feel well again.
Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived 2,400 years ago, first formulated the concept of “the healing power of nature”. As a Naturopath, I enjoy introducing people to the power of nature, so they too can be in awe.
Rita-Anne Keyes (Dip. Herb.ND.M.INA.M.IRH)
I worked for many years in the financial services sector. I experienced high stress levels first hand. When I trained with CNM to work as a Naturopath, I used what I learnt personally and then applied it professionally in practice. There was a huge positive transformation both physically and mentally. I am now a mother of two and really enjoy running a private practice and helping others achieve wellness, while raising my young family. To all those people who have high levels of stress in their lives, there is help out there.
Naturopathy gave me the tools and insight to take charge of my own health. Typically, a consultation includes a review of the various systems of the body, medical history, and a lifestyle review, including exercise, sleeping habits, diet and levels of stress. This process alone usually raises the patient’s awareness of what aspects of their life are not working optimally. People often know themselves what they need to change – but may not take the time to recognise it, or may need guidance on how to make the necessary changes.
I design individually tailored plans for each client. This usually includes short-term elements (to address immediate issues) plus long-term elements, to suit the person’s constitution and to manage more chronic health problems. Treatment may include herbs, nutritional change, tissue salts, Bach flower remedies, stress management and work/life balance. It is the long-term elements and constitutional analysis which can empower people to take ownership of their health long-term.
All graduates were trained at the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) in Dublin. To enquire about training and see the next Open Evening dates, see www.naturopathy.ie
If you are looking for a Naturopath in your area, see www.naturopaths.ie
