Definition of Naturopathy Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of healing - a philosophy, science, art and practice which seeks to promote health by stimulating and supporting the body's inherent power to regain harmony and balance. Although the term naturopathy was first used at the turn of the century, the philosophical basis and many of the methods of naturopathic medicine are ancient, some dating back at least to 400B.C., when Hippocrates became famous for his treatment of disease in accordance with natural laws. In fact, although Hippocrates is called the Father of Medicine, modern medical science completely ignores the self-evident laws of health laid down by him, which state:
Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food; Disease is an expression of purification; All disease is one. The philosophy of naturopathic medicine is based upon three basic principles. The first principle is that the body possesses the power to heal itself through its internal vitality and intelligence. This vital force is the foundation of naturopathic philosophy and all the naturopathic practitioner does is to create the most favourable conditions to stimulate and enhance this healing power of nature. The second principle is that disease is a manifestation of the vital force applying itself to the removal of obstructions to the normal functioning of organs and tissues. The naturopathic practitioner always seeks to discover and remove the basic causes of disease whether they be: Chemical; i.e. an imbalance in the chemistry of the body fluids due to dietary deficiency or dietary excess, retention of waste products due to inefficient functioning of the lungs, kidneys and bowels, or poor circulation of body fluids; Mechanical; i.e. muscular tensions, strained ligaments, stiff joints, poor posture due to occupational factors, as well as spinal misalignments, leading to an interference in the functioning of the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system generally; Psychological; i.e. impaired function induced by stress, which may be due to worries and upsets in personal and domestic life and/or anxieties and pressures at work. The Naturopathic Philosophy advocates a number of principles: Naturopathy promotes health through education and non-invasive natural agents. 1. Do no harm
2. Recognize the healing
power of nature
3. Identify the cause
4. Involve the total person
5. Teach rather than treat
6. Identify the source
7. Prevent disease
What to expect? When you consult a naturopathic doctor for counsel, you will find a person committed to the holistic approach to health. The doctor will gather a medical history, inquire about your diet, discuss any stress you are experiencing, give various non-invasive tests designed to evaluate body conditions and advise you concerning your condition. You will experience techniques which are consistent with traditional naturopathy and its philosophy. These will enable your body to correct problems now and prevent them from occurring in the future. To be sure of the training of your naturopathic doctor and his/her adherence to natural healing principles, ask your doctor if he/she is a "Registered Naturopathic Doctor." In a society focused on an allopathic mindset, naturopaths can provide people with more options in the treatment of disease and pain. These options, along with being non-invasive, are all natural and, in actuality, are more historical methods in the pursuit of good health. In looking at the natural healers and naturopaths of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one can find many common points. All of them believed in healing by bringing strength to the individual rather than by curing specific diseases. All had a reverence for nature, and many of them could point to specific observations that led to the formation of theories and practices. Personal experience of illness and recovery often led them to practice natural healing. They frequently learned from each other or studied on their own, instead of, or in addition to, receiving a formal education. Most were persecuted by the medical establishment. Those on record were highly successful, bringing good health to many people. Some Basic Tenets and Theories of Natural Healing Whether they emphasized the use of hydrotherapy, nutrition, manipulation, herbs, or homeopathy, the goal for all practitioners of natural healing was to stimulate the body to heal itself. Vis medicatrix naturae, or the healing power of nature, remains central to naturopathic philosophy today. Rather than trying to attack specific diseases, natural healers focus on cleansing and strengthening the body. Regardless of the specific methodology, and regardless of whether the healer practiced in the last century or is active today, the approach remains basically the same. Naturopathic doctors are trained specialists in a separate and distinct healing art which uses non-invasive natural medicine. They are not orthodox medical doctors (M.D.s). Naturopathic doctors (N.D.s) are conventionally trained in subjects such as anatomy, physiology, counseling, dietary evaluations, nutrition, herbology, acupressure, muscle relaxation and structural normalization, homeopathy, iridology, exercise therapy, hydrotherapy, oxygen therapy and thermal therapy. Some practitioners are also trained in additional specialties such as acupuncture or natural childbirth. Naturopathic doctors tailor the healing modality to the needs of the individual with methods which are effective for both chronic and acute problems. Naturopathic doctors cooperate with all branches of medical science, referring individuals to other practitioners for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate. In practice, naturopathic doctors perform lifestyle analysis, laboratory testing, nutritional and dietary assessments, metabolic analysis and other evaluative procedures. They are trained to use a wide variety of natural methods which involve the individual in the healing process. Naturopathy is based upon a belief in the body's innate God-given natural ability to heal itself when given an appropriate internal and external healing environment. Naturopaths are not involved in the practice of medicine and do not use drugs or pharmaceuticals, nor do they perform abortions or surgery (other than minor first aid). They have traditionally been referred to as "drugless doctors." In reality, naturopathy deals with wellness and relief from conditions which are the result of stress whether from mental, nutritional, environmental or physical factors. Naturopathic doctors (N.D.s) have participated in a specialized course of study and received degrees in naturopathy. Some states license naturopaths and regulate the profession. In those states, the naturopaths must also have passed a national or state board examination and their practice is subject to review by a State Board of Examiners. Several naturopathic, professional organizations also require the candidate to pass a proficiency test in naturopathy in order to join their organization. It seems that most, if not all, of the American naturopaths whose work is well documented had some kind of formal training in the natural healing arts or in medicine. However, not all of this formal education occurred before they began to practice. For example, after learning natural healing from Father Kneipp and others informally and then establishing his practice, Benedict Lust earned degrees in osteopathy and medicine. When the American School of Naturopathy, which he had founded, gained its charter in 1905, it conferred on Lust the Doctor of Naturopathy degree. Early practitioners of "the nature cure" learned through observation and self experimentation. Later healers learned by apprenticeship. Some had a conventional medical education but rebelled against it, and still others were educated in osteopathy and chiropractic, with the addition of intense independent study. As to what kind of education these healers recommended for others, there was alsovariation. One healer, who felt that doctors should be artists rat her than scientists, said "Furnish them with the necessary portion of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. But not too much of it.(Schweninger 1926, 43-46)". Benedict Lust founded the American School of Naturopathy in 1901. Here students learned "basic sciences, physiotherapy, phytotherapy, geotherapy, electrotherapy, mechanotherapy. Degrees in naturopathy and chiropractic were granted." Lust also established a school of massage and physiotherapy. In addition to classroom education, he offered naturopathic home-study courses through his journal. In 1947, in a speech before the Eastern ANA, Dr. Jesse Mercer Gehmann, president at the time, stated, "We need standards and we need more, to stand by them, once they are established.... These standards should insist upon a thorough training in basic Nature Cure. All students should be required to be thoroughly competent in applying the methods of the old Masters ... Our standards should include thorough training through study of Kneipp, Priessnitz, Just, Kuhne, Rikli, Trall, Schroth, Graham, Jennings, Lust and Macfadden ... We need adequate standards for entrance upon training for a Doctorate in Naturopathy, but these standards need NOT be, nor should they be patterned after the medical requirements. Our work is not based on awarped and decadent pathology, bacteriology, or biology (cited in Freibott 1990, #7)." Techniques used by Naturopathic practitioners The task of naturopathic practitioners is twofold. First, to educate their patients to take more responsibility for their health and to assist them to understand the fundamental laws of health relating to rest, exercise, nutrition and life-style. Second, using natural therapies, to increase the vitality of the individual and to remove any obstructions, chemical, physical or psychological which may be interfering with the normal functioning and internal harmony of the organs and tissues. The following therapies are considered to be of primary importance in the naturopathic treatment of disease. It is also accepted that specialised therapies which are naturopathic in principle and practised by those qualified to do so may be considered complementary to the above methods. Among the therapies considered acceptable are osteopathy, chiropractic, relaxation techniques, herbalism, nutritional biochemistry and homoeopathy.Nutrition and Dietetics: This includes the prescription of a balanced, wholesome, natural diet, based on the principles advocated by naturopathic practitioners for nearly 100 years and only now accepted as correct by the medical profession. Also specific, controlled diets may be given at the discretion of the practitioner to patients requiring a more rigid regime. Any naturopathic therapy should
at all times assist the inherent tendency present in all living organisms,
which is striving to restore biological integrity and balance. Observation
of the effects of naturopathic treatment in establishments all over the
world for a period of 100 years or more have established that a therapy
that is truly naturopathic in its application gives rise to the following
phenomena.
Professional help should be aimed at restoring a patient to a point where he or she becomes independent of treatment and is able to maintain normal health by such means as whole food, fresh air, exercise, positive thinking, etc. It is necessary to bear in mind that the terminally ill, the elderly, those overwhelmed by the stresses of modern life and those of congenitally weakened physique may well require continuing naturopathic treatment.There is a progressive raising of the general level of health attended during the process by healing crises (which are signs that the body is dealing with the disease); Homeopathy, one method of treatment used by naturopaths, is a system of medicine that treats ailments with very small amounts of the same substance that causes the patient's symptoms. Oriental or traditional Chinese medicine applies techniques developed in ancient China to treat disease. Acupuncture is one of those techniques: the insertion of needles in certain points on the body to treat illness. For hydrotherapy or spa therapy, patients are sent to spas for rest and rejuvenation. Spa therapy is especially popular in Europe, and it is even covered by some European insurance programs. Physical medicine includes various methods to manipulate bones in a way that is similar to chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation. Electricity, heat, massage and exercise techniques, and sound also may be used. Botanical medicine involves the use of whole plants and herbs as medicines, a practice found in nearly all ancient cultures around the world. Naturopathic doctors believe that botanical medicines are better, safer, have fewer side effects, and are less costly than synthetic drugs. However, scientists are concerned about the use of an entire plant as medicine. Plants have several parts--stems, roots, petals, leaves--all of which can contain many active chemicals, some of which may be harmful. They can also cancel each other out, or interfere with regular medications. Naturopaths also use food as medicine. Each patient is given a diet based on his or her health and lifestyle. Advocates point to increasing evidence about the role of nutrition in disease. They claim that naturopathic doctors receive much better training in nutrition compared to mainstream doctors. The fact is, good nutrition is important and it may help prevent heart problems and some cancers, but no diet cures disease. Counseling or behavioral medicine is an important part of naturopathy. Naturopathic doctors are trained in counseling, biofeedback, stress reduction, and other means of helping improve mental health. Naturopathic doctors may also apply other alternative, unproven techniques, such as ozone therapy for patients with cancer and AIDS. Naturopaths view what they do as an alternative to conventional primary care. However, naturopathic medicine treats almost all illness, from self-limiting and minor conditions to major diseases such as AIDS and cancer. Some examples of naturopathic remedies include: Supporters stress that naturopathic treatment has fewer side effects and lower costs than conventional medicine. Some of these differences, however, are due to the fact that naturopaths refer complicated cases or patients needing major treatment to mainstream doctors. Naturopathy's overarching goal is to enlist the natural healing power of the body to fight disease. Some naturopaths equate this healing power to the vital force idea that underlies the traditional healing systems from many ancient cultures. A related emphasis is placed on uncovering and treating the cause of disease, instead of merely relieving symptoms. Other naturopathic principles include avoiding drugs and surgery in favor of natural methods. Naturopaths pay close attention to a person's lifestyle and medical history. They strive to treat the whole person, which includes lifestyle, environment, and other factors that affect well-being. Naturopathic medicine uses several methods that vary in how effective they are. Some naturopathic methods, such as homeopathy, may be of little value. However, others are thought to be effective. Examples include the importance of diet in lowering the risk of severe illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, and the use of acupuncture to reduce pain and to help with drug addiction. Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School studied naturopathic treatments and found some supporting scientific evidence in their favor. But they also pointed out a need for more clinical trials. Naturopathic medicine is a good example of how the nature of proof can differ between mainstream and alternative physicians. Most methods used by naturopathic physicians have long traditions, and practitioners cite these traditions as evidence of effectiveness. On the other hand, conventional medicine requires more stringent data such as that obtained through clinical trials. Naturopathic treatments generally can be helpful against minor illnesses, but using naturopathic instead of conventional therapy for major illnesses or serious conditions is not wise. Top Ten Naturopathic Resolutions 1. Eat as if your life depended
on it.
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