08
Aug

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

At Infinity Life Center our approach to health and aesthetics couples perfectly with integrative & wellness medicine’s belief that a patient’s intrinsic ability to realize their full potential can be optimized.

Wellness medicine focuses on the underlying cause of illness and pain with the belief that the body’s innate ability to heal itself through diet, lifestyle and stress reduction can have a profound effect on an individuals biology. Traditional medicine can be guilty of treating or depressing the symptoms of an illness which can make the healing or elimination of the illness difficult if not less pleasant. We by no means reject traditional allopathic science based medicine with solid peer reviewed data. In fact we abide by it. Yet we are open to combine many approaches to achieve the best possible outcomes for our patients including osteopathic, wellness and functional approaches to obtain total health.

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathic medicine has basically 6 tenants.

  • The healing power of nature -self healing or “Medicatrix Naturae”
  • Identify and treat the cause or “Tolle Causam”
  • First Do No Harm or “Primum NonNocere”
  • Doctor as Teacher “Docere”
  • Treat the Whole Person
  • Prevention

Holistic Medicine

This approach is holistic with its emphasis on natural healing methods, limiting itself to some of the more alternate methods of care. The Naturopathic practitioner tends to focus on natural self healing methods which attempts to remove some of the obstacles to healing ranging from poor diet or contrary lifestyle. Yet there is overlap and sharing of many of the same approaches found in so termed wellness type medicine. Osteopathic physicians made popular the holistic more natural approach upon its inception in the 1800’s when it rejected some of the very weird practices of the day such as prescriptions of arsenic or high volume blood letting. Naturopathic physicians utilize some of these same principles and those in their 6 basics tenants above.

So Many Different Names

So why all the various terms and labels such as Osteopathic, Wellness, Allopathic, Functional or Integrative medicine all claiming to have a super unique advantage?
The answer is very simple, as medicine has developed many practitioners have come to realize that although fundamental knowledge comes from basic medical science found in Allopathic care (traditional MD practice). Many physicians are recognizing the value and prime importance of holistic care, so each specialty has moved this overall pattern to mainstream care and claimed it as its own. At Infinity Life Center our philosophy is to find for our patients that which works for them to achieve the best results. That is if its safe treatment, our number one priority.

Is Infinity Life Center Naturopathic?

We at the Infinity Life Center have worked with Naturopathic doctors within the practice and with outside Naturopathic consultants and share some of these philosophies and tenants. This allows us to do what it takes to help you reach a healthy state. This may include using similar methods or referrals to these specialized healers. We draw from all of the disciplines to some degree Osteopathic, Allopathic, as well as the traditional subspecialties in a reasonable science based fashion. This is for one reason only, we want you obtain the best care possible.

Osteopathic medicine, integrative medicine, functional medicine and wellness medicine are similar in some ways and share these tenants with naturopathic medicine as well. Yet most important is that it will depend on the individual practitioner. Some practitioners are more traditional and use an allopathic approach, others are more open to integrating other disciplines.

Integrative Medicine, Wellness & Plastic Surgery?

The vast majority of aesthetic based medicine – Cosmetic Surgery & Plastic Surgery, isolates itself within the realm of physical appearance. It’s a mistake to deny the deep relationships between a person’s overall wellness or level of health regarding the physical, mental, social and spiritual spheres and their outward physical appearance. Oftentimes, these domains are negatively influencing each other such as with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). In this case, an individual is unhealthily obsessed or preoccupied with an illusory physical defect likely resulting from some level of mental imbalance. We as plastic surgeons sometimes don’t but should recognize that appearance issues are directly related to overall wellness and health. Here we use a combined approach and more enlightened thinking than simply cut some skin to make it look better. In other words we truly believe the best plastic surgery is through optimal health first.

It’s believed that an individual of healthy body, mind & spirit will heal more rapidly, have a more balanced sense of self, take less risks with their bodies regarding aesthetic based medicine and largely have a more successful result or outcome in their aesthetic goals. We at Infinity Life Center take this integrative, gestalt driven, big picture approach to all of our patients whether it be skin care, plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, preventative medicine or wellness therapy.