By Dr. Holly Lucille, ND

On July 17^th 2011, Dr. Dennis Godby, accompanied by his energetic sons Isaiah and Jeremiah and nephew, Jonas Ely, will set off on an historic, 4-month journey from San Francisco, CA to Bridgeport, CT on foot. Yes, on foot! Why on earth would a doctor, with an established practice, set off to run more than 3,250 miles across the country? Because of you! Dr. Dennis Godby cares about you, and your access to safe, natural health care.

Dr. Godby is a licensed doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. Naturopathic Medicine is a system of medicine based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and cutting edge natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to ward off and combat disease. Since many Americans are not even aware of the many systems of medicine that are available to them, The RUN is a public awareness campaign to educate Americans about natural medicine, and help empower personal choice.

The six principles of naturopathic medicine that make it unique from all other systems of medicine are:

• Do No Harm Naturopathic medicine uses therapies that are safe and effective as we understand there are many options available before drugs and surgery.
• The Healing Power of Nature The human body possesses the inherent ability to restore health. The physician’s role is to facilitate this process with the aid of natural, nontoxic therapies.
• Discover and Treat the Cause, Not Just the Effect Physicians seek and treat the underlying cause of a disease. Symptoms are viewed as expressions of the body’s natural attempt to heal. The origin of disease is removed or treated so the patient can recover.
• Treat the Whole Person The multiple factors in health and disease are considered while treating the whole person. Physicians provide flexible treatment programs to meet individual health care needs.
• The Physician is a Teacher The physician’s major role is to educate, empower, and motivate patients to take responsibility for their own health. Creating a healthy cooperative relationship with the patient has a strong therapeutic value.
• Prevention is the best “cure” Naturopathic physicians are preventive medicine specialists. Physicians assess patient risk factors and heredity susceptibility and intervene appropriately to reduce risk and prevent illness. Prevention of disease is best accomplished through education and a lifestyle that supports health.

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are primary care physicians clinically trained in natural therapeutics and whose philosophy is derived in part from a Hippocratic teaching more than 2000 years old: Vis mediatrix naturae—nature is the healer of all diseases. Their practice is based on the same basic bio-medical science foundation that traditional medical practice is; however, their philosophies and approaches differ considerably from their conventional counterparts. Naturopathic physicians diagnose disease and treat patients by using natural modalities. They choose treatment based on the individual patient, not based on the generality of symptoms. This approach has proven successful in treating both chronic and acute conditions.

Information and awareness is power!  Join the Run’s movement and feel your own strength.

Dr. Holly Lucille, aka “Dr. Holly” is a nationally recognized licensed Naturopathic Physician, author and educator. She graduated from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine where she received the prestigious “Daphne Blayden Award” for her “Commitment to Naturopathic Medicine, academic excellence, compassion, perseverance, a loving sense of humor and a positive, supportive outlook”.

The Run: Moving Natural Medicine Forward is an extraordinary 3,250-Mile run across America! Naturopathic Physician Dr. Dennis Godby and a fantastic team are setting out to increase awareness, educate and empower people about natural health care options, preventing disease, finding and treating the cause of illness, and revitalizing the nation’s health. The RUN is the primary project of the Institute for Natural Medicine, a public advocacy non-profit organization. http://www.therun.org

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