Our Philosophy

“We are a naturopathic health clinic dedicated to helping people alleviate suffering by natural means”
 
 

The premise of our work is, as Hippocrates termed it:

“THE HEALING POWER OF NATURE”

As part of nature, human beings are endowed with self-healing capacities.

The emphasis at Coeur d’Alene Healing Arts is on treating the whole person. This means that we try to recognize a person’s total experience while assessing one’s condition and determining what to do about it. While our approach is comprehensive, diagnosis and treatment is completely individualized. We are always seeking out the underlying cause.

Coeur d’Alene Healing Arts offers specific natural medicines, therapies and techniques to support and stimulate the self-healing capacity of each person. For some, this may mean treatment complementary to the necessary use of drugs or surgery. To others, treatment may be a way to avoid toxic and interventive therapies. And to another, enhancement of health and prevention may be the goal.

We encourage patients to be active and educated participants in their health care. We esteem the Golden Rule and the advice of Paracelsus, who aid “Physician, heal thyself.”

 

Six Key Principles

 

FIRST DO NO HARM – PRIMUM NON NOCERE

Naturopathic Medicine follows three guidelines to avoid harming the patient:

  1. Utilize therapies and medicinal substances which minimize the risk of harmful side effects.

  2. Avoid, when possible, the harmful suppression of symptoms.

  3. Acknowledge and respect the individual’s healing process, using the least force necessary to diagnose and treat illness.

Identify and Treat the Cause – Tolle Causam

Naturopathic physicians seek to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness, rather than to solely treat symptoms.

The Healing Power of Nature – Vis Medicatrix Naturae

Naturopathic Medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing ability in the body that is ordered and intelligent. Naturopathic physicians act to identify and remove obstacles to recovery and to facilitate and augment this healing ability.

Treat the Whole Person – Tolle Totem

Naturopathic physicians encourage a healing path that takes into account each individual’s unique physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social attributes.

Doctor as Teacher – Docere

Naturopathic physicians educate patients so they can make informed choices about their health. They also encourage self-responsibility for health and acknowledge the therapeutic value inherent in the doctor-patient relationship.

Prevention- Praevenic

Naturopathic physicians emphasize the prevention of disease, assessing risk factors and heredity, susceptibility to disease, and make appropriate interventions to prevent illness. Naturopathic Medicine strives to create a healthy world in which humanity may thrive.

Therapeutic Order

1.

Determinants of Health
Assess the determinants of health and find the cause of disturbance of the natural balance of the body

2.

Stimulate the Healing Power of Nature
Support the body’s natural healing mechanisms and give the body rest, supportive nutrition, and the attention necessary for proper functioning.

3.

Tonify Systems
Support the affected systems and facilitate normalization of their function. Give physical and biochemical support to the affected tissues and organ systems.

4.

Correct Structural Integrity
Manipulate the tissue or bones to facilitate the needed compensation for health to return.

5.

Natural Symptomatic Treatment
While attempting further assessment or treatment of the causative factors, palliate symptoms at hand while being cautious not to undermine the vis.

6.

Synthetic Symptomatic Treatment
Utilize synthetic treatments designed to alter physiologic function in order to control the reaction of the body to
the disturbance.

7.

Surgery, Chemotherapy, etc.
When all subtle attempts fail and surgical or suppressive therapy is indicated.

 

  • The assertion that food is the best medicine is a cornerstone of naturopathic practice. Many medical conditions can be treated more effectively with foods and nutritional supplements than they can by other means, with fewer complications and side effects. Naturopathic physicians use dietetics, natural hygiene, fasting, and nutritional supplementation in practice.

  • Many plant substances are powerful medicines. Where single chemically-derived drugs may only address a single problem, botanical medicines are able to address a variety of problems simultaneously. Their organic nature makes botanicals compatible with the body’s own chemistry; hence, they can be gently effective with few toxic side effects.

  • Homeopathic medicine is based on the principle of “like cures like.” It works on a subtle yet powerful electromagnetic level, gently acting to strengthen the body’s healing and immune response.

  • Naturopathic Medicine has its own methods of therapeutic manipulation of muscles, bones, and spine. NDs also use therapeutic ultrasound, interferential, exercise, massage, and hydrotherapy.

  • Mental attitudes and emotional states may influence, or even cause, physical illness. Counseling, nutritional balancing, stress management, emotional freedom technique, and other therapies are used to help patients heal on the psychological level.

    The philosophical principles of naturopathic medicine guide the physician in choosing which therapies are appropriate for the patients particular experience of disease.