Vis Medicatrix Naturae: "The Healing Power of Nature"

The Body Has Inherent Wisdom to Heal

Naturopathic physicians believe that the body is programmed to achieve wellness. In other words, the body will return itself to health if given the correct stimuli to set the healing process in motion. The Latin translation of this principle is “Vis Medicatrix Naturae,” meaning the healing power of nature. We witness this amazing ability to return to health each time a child falls and scrapes a knee or breaks a bone. Even more awe inspiring, is the body’s moment-by-moment ability to regulate complex neurological and hormonal cycles, modulate proper levels of electrolytes and proteins in the blood, and to breakdown, digest, and eliminate food particles and other ingested substances or stimuli. Throughout a lifetime, the body continually responds and adapts to both internal and external events, forever attempting to return to a state of balance (also known as homeostasis). By being aware and supportive of this natural phenomenon, naturopathic physicians guide patients back to optimal health.

An elegant example of the body’s innate healing capacity is the fever process. For about 300 million
years, fever has evolved to help fight off invading organisms in the physiology of numerous members of the animal kingdom, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. During an infectious process, the body creates a fever that will kill invading organisms, increase metabolism and elimination, promote immune function, and return the body to health. As we eliminate the ‘bugs,’ we may feel tired and achy—a sign that the body needs rest in order to adequately repair itself.

For thousands of years, medical practitioners have held the view of fever as an integral aspect of healing. But, in the last couple of centuries, we have developed medicines to inhibit this natural process—an attempt to rid ourselves of troubling signs and symptoms. Numerous scientific studies, however, (from the National Institute of Health and other respected sources) verify the position that suppressing fever, not only decreases the body’s overall immune function, but also makes us more susceptible to infections in the future! In fact, the body’s ability to mount an efficient fever increases survival rate, decreases recovery time, and reduces the chances of spreading infection to others. A good fever (101°F-105°F) is a natural, healthy and necessary part of the healing process. Naturopathic physicians support the body’s natural immunity by enhancing the fever process because we trust the body’s power to heal itself.