Naturopathic Medicine
What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic Medicine is a unique system of primary health care that offers a comprehensive approach to diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and maintenance of optimal health.
Instead of treating the symptoms of disease, the primary focus of Naturopathic Medicine is to treat the cause of disease. This is done by blending safe and effective natural therapeutics with the most current advances in modern medicine. Naturopathic medicine has been shown to be effective for treating most health problems, both acute and chronic. Naturopathic Physicians diagnose and make assessments by using a thorough comprehensive health history, physical examinations and laboratory testing.
Training, Experience, and the Whole-Person Philosophy
Naturopathic Doctors (N.D.) are licensed and board certified as primary care physicians in the state of Oregon. Naturopathic Physicians must complete an intensive four-year Doctorate program from one of the five accredited Naturopathic medical schools in North America. The curriculum in this four-year graduate training consists of comprehensive study of the conventional medical sciences, including anatomy, physiology, pathology, microbiology, immunology, clinical and physical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, gastroenterology, and gynecology etc. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the Naturopathic Physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling.
A Naturopathic Physician takes a national board exam – The Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam, so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care physician. Additional information on naturopathic schools can be found at AANMC.
Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Layne use a variety of natural therapies to treat their patients. They utilize Lifestyle Counseling, Nutritional Supplements, Botanical Medicines, Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, and Amino Acid Therapies to prevent illness and bring patients back to health.
Naturopathic Doctors are guided by the following principles:
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First, Do No Harm
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Identify and Treat the Cause
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Remove Obstacles to Cure
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The Healing Power of Nature
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Doctor as Teacher
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Treat the Whole Person
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Preventative medicine