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Naturopathy: 

NATURAL HEALING APPROACH

Naturopathy is a natural approach to health and healing: both are a way of life and a concept of healing. It s primary goal is the establishment and maintenance of optimum health, achieved by teaching and promoting the principles of wellness, and treating with natural therapy or natural substances (homeopathic, herbal, mineral and vitamin supplements) as opposed to relying on pharmaceuticals in order to restore a dynamic balance to the body and mind.

It is a distinct, integrated system of primary health care, based on the vitalistic principles of naturopathic philosophy and holism, which is able to treat a wide range of disorders and imbalances. Vitalism treats disease through the support and stimulation of the body’s own inherent healing capacity i.e. the vital force promotes self-cleansing and self-repair and subsequently self-healing. Naturopathy incorporates several fundamental components of health, including biochemistry, biomechanics, and emotional temperament i.e. it takes into account the multifactorial nature of illness, in order to restore healing and balance to the body and mind.

Fundamental to the practice of naturopathy, is recognition of the integrity of the whole person, which takes into account physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, genetic, social and environmental factors: respect for the healing processes of Nature; and empowerment of the individual to take responsibility for his or her own health process - in partnership with treatments and education provided by the practitioner Dr Harvey.

Food is the best medicine.

Naturopathic treatments originated as a system of using food, herbs, air, sun, and water as healing agents for the restoration of health. The same principles still apply in modern day practice, with some innovations, but primarily it still consists of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders by the therapeutic use of diverse natural methods and materials, such as:

• Medical nutrition: which incorporates supplementation with nutraceuticals , diet and fasting .
• Botanical and homeopathic remedies.
• Iridology as a diagnostic tool.
• Physical medicine: ultrasound, exercise, hydrotherapy, body and colon cleanse, detoxifications, massage, manipulations, magnets, acupressure, acupuncture, reflexology and aromatherapy
• Counselling, which incorporates: diet, lifestyle and stress management, biofeedback, hypnotherapy and stress management.

The naturopathic mode of healing ensures that each individual is treated according to his or her own unique set of symptoms and reactions. Since these indicators govern the naturopathic doctor’s approach towards therapy, each person receives an individualized treatment protocol.

Herbal Therapy: 

DIFFERENT KINDS OF HERBS

here are many classifications of herbs used in medicine, which often overlap, as many herbs are common to several groups. Herbs used by us are included in the following groups:

WESTERN HERBS

Most of the Western herbs that I prescribe are produced by Mediherb in Australia. Mediherb has an international reputation for organically grown source materials and highly standardized production methods. The result is a dependable, effective herbal product. Different methods of preparation of Western herbs can result in Flower Essences or Homeopathic medicines.

CHINESE HERBS

Often combined with classical Acupuncture for optimal effect.

AFRICAN HERBS

Exciting discoveries involving the benefits of some African herbs have yet to be thoroughly researched. Such herbs include Sutherlandia, African Ginger, Warburgia, Buchu, Sceletium and Hoodia, which are very useful in practice.

AYURVEDIC HERBS

These belong to an Indian traditional medical system going back 5000 years.

UNANITIBB HERBS

Relatively new in South Africa, this system of medicine originates in ancient Greek times and has been adopted into Arabic culture.

WHEN ARE HERBS USED?

Herbs are used in a wide variety of conditions, including detoxification, liver support, regulation of the immune system, organ support [e.g. thyroid gland], regulating metabolic functions [e.g. blood sugar balance], emotional support, and parasite, virus and fungus elimination.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HERB AND A HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE?

HERBAL MEDICINES	HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES
Made from plants	Made from plants & other substances
Have a physiological effect on the body	Have an energetic effect on the body
Have colour and taste	Have no intrinsic colour or taste
The more concentrated the more powerful the effect	The more dilute the more powerful the effect
May have significant side effects	No intrinsic side effects
Cautions: May interact with certain drugs, causing an enhanced effect or side effects. Can usually be taken with food. Not sensitive to odours or sunlight	Cautions: Effect may be diminished by certain drugs e.g. cortisone. Do not take with food. Do not expose to strong odours or sunlight.
Follow laws of Newtonian physics	Follow laws of Quantum physics

Integrated Medicine: 

Integrated or Integrative medicine is practicing medicine in a way that selectively incorporates elements of Complementary and Alternative medicine into comprehensive treatment plans alongside solidly orthodox methods of diagnosis and treatment.

Integrative medicine is not simply a synonym for Complementary medicine. It has a larger meaning and mission with it s focus being on health and healing, rather than only on disease and treatment. It views patients as whole people with minds and spirits as well as bodies, and includes these dimensions into diagnosis and treatment.

It also involves patient and doctor working together to restore and maintain health by paying attention to lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, quality of rest, stresses and the nature of relationships. Conventional medicine has become ever more dependent on high-tech solutions, and turned its back on holism and holistic therapy treatments, and on simple and effective methods of intervention.

The Chinese model for the levels of intervention provides an excellent example, which can be modified to suit many other modalities:

Diet - Exercise - Massage - Herbs - Acupuncture - Poisons - Knife

Conventional medicine relies heavily on the last 2 modalities: Drugs and Surgery. An Integrative approach should start at the left with dietary correction.

A State Of Disease:

Chronic disease is often complex, and usually several modalities have to be employed to achieve good results. Apart from the well-documented chronic diseases, there exists a grey area between defined disease and complete wellness. This so-called state of dis-ease is often a cause of great frustration to both the conventional medical doctor and the patient. This is because the patient persists in feeling unwell in spite of normal results from all the traditionally available tests.

The drugs used to combat the symptoms are often ineffective or cause more problems. This is a very common scenario in which the patient may endure many months of harsh treatments, suffering and frustration. Consequently, the poor patient is finally referred, in desperation, for a psychiatric assessment and treatment . An integrative approach in these situations can provide much needed relief.

Healing Vs Suppression: 

It is important to make the distinction between suppression of symptoms and true healing of a condition. In an acute bronchitis, for example, the antibiotic will suppress the infection by killing the bacteria, thus allowing the Life Force to bring about healing of the condition. In chronic disease, though, the drugs usually just suppress the symptoms.

This may continue for as long as the drugs are administered, but as soon as the drugs are stopped the symptoms usually return. This is because healing has not been allowed to take place. Many patients are happy to continue with chronic medication, as it allows them reasonable quality of life, without the effort of having to make changes to their lifestyle.

The symptoms of the disease are in reality the signals that the Life Force is emitting, in an attempt to get correct interpretation and healing. If these vital signals are suppressed each time they appear, the disease process is driven to a deeper level in the body. Let us take the example of a child with eczema, who presents with symptoms of an itchy, scaly rash.

The conventional treatment would be to apply cortisone creams to suppress the rash. This eventually drives the pathology to a deeper level and the child may develop asthma. Although the eczema may have disappeared, it has not been cured but merely re-appeared as asthma. If the asthma is suppressed for years with a cortisone inhaler, it too can appear to recede, only to be replaced by hay fever.

Chronic diseases can NOT be cured by suppressing the symptoms. Only treatments that recognise the clues that the Life Force is emitting, and work with them with natural, energetic tools, have any chance of assisting the body back to true health. Examples of such treatments include constitutional Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Acupuncture , Functional medicine and others, which all form part of an Integrative approach.

True healing is when the person has regained a sense of health and vitality, without the continued need of any kind of medicine but rather holistic remedies to support the vital force in the early stages of the dis ease.

The Germ Vs The Terrain: 

Louis Pasteur, who died 100 years ago, was responsible for the promotion of the germ theory of infection and disease. He discovered pasteurisation and disinfection, which have become so important to modern surgical aseptic procedures. Another Frenchman and colleague, Claude Bechamp, developed a contrasting theory that the integrity of the terrain of the organism or body is far more important in warding off infections. He proclaimed that if one maintains a healthy lifestyle, one’s immune system would be stronger, which means that one will not be susceptible to all the germs in your environment i.e. the terrain is strong.

Pasteur, on the other hand, advocated killing all the germs in order to prevent disease. Pasteur and Bechamp were vociferous adversaries throughout their lives, but it is interesting to note that on his death bed Pasteur finally acknowledged that he was wrong and Bechamp was right: “le terrain est tout” [the terrain is everything]. Conventional medicine to this day follows the Pasteur theory, while practitioners of Natural medicine advocate the truth of the terrain theory put forward by Bechamp and remedy to it with natural therapy and even better, with holistic therapy treatments.