Persatuan Perubatan Naturopati Malaysia (Naturopathy Medicine Association Malaysia)

Persatuan Perubatan Naturopati Malaysia
(Naturopathy Medicine Association Malaysia)

Introduction of Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, with the primary aim of identifying and treating the underlying causes of illness and disease using nutrition, herbal medicines and lifestyle strategies.

The core principle of a Naturopathic treatment protocol is ‘healing through nature’, so treatment will focus on supporting the body’s innate self-healing abilities to overcome any health complaints and regain optimal wellbeing. It uses natural remedies to help the body heal itself. It embraces many therapies, including herbs, massage, acupuncture, exercise, nutritional, and counseling.

The goal of naturopathic medicine is to treat the whole person -- that means mind, body, and spirit. It also aims to heal the root causes of an illness -- not just stop the symptoms. A naturopathic doctor may spend 1 to 2 hours examining you. He’ll ask questions about your health history, stress levels, and lifestyle habits. He may order lab tests. Afterwards, he’ll discuss your personal health plan. Naturopathic medicine focuses on education and prevention, so your doctor may give you diet, exercise, or stress management tips. He might use complementary medicine -- like homeopathy, herbal medicine, and acupuncture -- in addition to naturopathic treatments.

Naturopathy was brought to the United States from Germany in the 1800s, but some of its treatments are centuries old. Today, it combines traditional treatments with modern science.

Six Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

The principles of Naturopathy were first used by the Hippocratic School of Medicine in around 400BC and they are based on the beliefs of Greek philosopher Hippocrates, who is considered the Father of Medicine. Hippocrates recognised the importance of viewing the whole person to determine the cause of disease and using the laws of nature to induce cure.

The following 6 principles underlie the foundations of naturopathic medicine:

First, do no harm – the least invasive treatment options are used
The healing power of nature – recognition of the body’s inherent ability to heal itself
Identify and treat the cause – there is always an underlying cause, be it physical or emotional
Treat the whole person – recognising the body as an integrated whole
Naturopath as teacher – empowering patients to take responsibility for their own health, acknowledging the therapeutic value of the physician-patient relationship
Prevention is better than cure – promotion of overall health, wellness and disease prevention

Our Mission

To promote, support and represent the naturopathic medicine practitioners to maintain and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in their practice and in naturopathic medicine education.