Naturopathy & Homeopathy

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) defines naturopathy as a distinct system of medicine based on the following naturopathic principles:

• First, Do No Harm
• The Healing Power of Nature
• Treat the Whole Person
• Identify and Treat the Causes
• Doctor as Teacher
• Prevention

According to the AANP:

• Naturopathic medicine addresses the causes behind illness rather than just treating the symptoms.
• Naturopathic medicine treats the whole person – body, mind and spirit. It considers nutrition, lifestyle, environment, genetics, and social factors affecting health and favors the least invasive approach first.
• Licensed NDs collaborate with all branches of medicine, including conventional medicine, referring patients as needed for diagnosis and treatment.
• Licensed NDs rely on methods and substances that minimize the risk of harmful side effects.
• Licensed NDs educate patients and encourage them to take responsibility for their own health.
• Based on research from AANP, naturopathic physicians are perceived as more willing to take the time to listen to patients’ needs and provide treatments that are uniquely tailored to each patient.

For more information about naturopathic medicine, see Naturopathic Medicine FAQs on the AANP website.  

Each person experiences the world uniquely and will respond to stressors in their environment by producing symptoms that are specific to their constitution. For example, one person under stress might be prone to headaches while another person experiences digestive symptoms. The character of headache and how the person experiences the headache is important. For example, where is the headache located? Is it sharp, dull, throbbing, diffuse, or localized? When does it occur? What makes it better or worse? Are there any other symptoms associated with the headache? These types of qualities make each of us unique and it's this type of information that's used to help find a homeopathic remedy for a patient.

Dr. Swanson specializes in constitutional homeopathy, in which the details of a person's emotional, mental, and physical symptoms are elicited to find a specific homeopathic remedy that matches their constitution and presenting symptoms. Homeopathic remedies work by stimulating a person’s innate healing abilities. The remedies are given as infrequently as possible in order to produce a healing response. Constitutional homeopathy can be very helpful for chronic conditions such as allergies, anxiety, depression, digestive problems, fatigue, menstrual problems, migraines, sinusitis, and many others. 

There are thousands of homeopathic remedies, so it is a comprehensive process to find an appropriate constitutional remedy. Therefore, gathering the necessary information to choose a homeopathic remedy may require multiple visits.