Naturopathy is an holistic form of medicine with two main themes:

using nature and the body's own healing properties; and preventing illness and disease through healthy lifestyle adaptations such as diet.

At times lifestyle counselling and coaching are included in your recommended treatment.

Naturopathy focuses on treating both chronic diseases and acute, short-term ailments.

There are six recognised foundation principles in modern naturopathy:

• Use the healing power of nature;

• First do no harm

• Find and treat the cause, not only the symptom

• Always treat the whole person, not only their disease

• Education; and Prevention

• Naturopathy is considered suitable for patients of any age

A naturopath may specialise in a particular field, but generally they look at common disorders such as:

Fatigue; Digestive complaints; Mood disorders and depression; Allergies; Behavioural problems; Chronic fatigue syndrome;

Musculoskeletal complaints such as arthritis; Cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) problems; High blood pressure;

Fertility problems; Endocrine disturbance; and Hormonal imbalances, such as premenstrual tension and menopause.

Naturopathy applies traditional, empirical, biomedical and scientific knowledge to optimise health and to prevent and treat disease. The principles of naturopathy are: supporting the body's innate healing power; identifying and treating the causes of illness; treating the whole person; promoting optimum health and preventing disease; and educating and actively engaging patients in the management of their health. Naturopathy is underpinned by holistic considerations of human health - physical, mental, spiritual and environmental. The practice of naturopathy utilises a range of modalities that are congruent with these principles. These commonly include dietary and lifestyle advice, nutritional medicine, herbal medicine, tactile therapies and iris analysis (Southern Cross University, School of Human Health Science, 2009).

 Practitioners should meet stringent qualifications always ensure the Naturopath that you are seeing is a registered practitioner and a member of a reputable association such as ANTA Australian National Therapies Association.