It states that the healing process is ordered and intelligent, that nature heals through the response of the life force. Physicians in naturopathic medicine, serve as a catalyst through facilitating and augmenting this process then identifying and removing obstacles to health and recovery. One of the underlying principles of naturopathic medicine is that symptoms are expressions of the body's attempt to heal. Naturopaths believe that treatment should not suppress symptoms because they are not the cause of the disease. Causes of disease may occur on many levels including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Conventional medicine takes a different approach to symptoms.
These methods are designed to restrain physical expressions of an ailment without removing the underlying causes. This may be harmful for a variety of reasons. I now have the opportunity of actually applying some knowledge I stumbled upon in a microbiology course. As any antibiotic eventually creates immunity in bacteria, new drugs enact a vicious cycle. Corrective measures, however, can stop the process of immunity to drugs.