Many methods of Naturopathy date back
to 400 B.C. As the practice of naturopathy evolved there
developed 6 principles of healing that were adapted by the practitioners.
These are as follows:
The healing power of nature.
Treat the whole person.
Identify and treat the cause.
First of all, do no harm.
Doctors as teacher.
Prevention is the best cure.
The naturopathic physicians receive training
in the following modalities, primary family care, internal medicine, physical
medicine, psychiatry and preventative health care methods. The focus in
training is to determine the underlying causes of the disease rather than
treatment of the illness itself. Patients are educated to take more responsibility
for their own health and this helps them to understand their individual
health conditions. The treatment recognizes the whole person and emphasizes
the treatment of disease through the stimulation, enhancement, and support
of the natural healing abilities of the body. The types of medical options
used varies with the different types of diseases that are presented.
>These
may include:
Clinical Nutrition a dietary
approach to prevention and treatment of chronic degenerative disease.
Botanical Medicine utilizing
medicinal plants for the purpose of healing.
Homeopathy treating the complete
body with organic products and preventative care.
Physical Medicine Naturopathic
manipulation of the muscles, bones and soft tissues, exercise therapy,
physiotherapy using heat and cold, ultra sound and hydrotherapy.
Behavioral Medicine psychological
techniques including basic counseling, stress management, hypnotherapy,
biofeedback and methods of lifestyle modification.
Is Naturopathic
medicine really that different from traditional medicine?
Yes! A naturopathic looks at you as a whole,
unique human being. Traditional medical doctors address your immediate complaint
and often so not link it to your overall well being. Naturopathy is based on
the principle of the healing power of nature. The belief is that an organism
can heal itself. If it is unable to complete that healing then the most natural
and least toxic stimulus is needed to help the body react in that direction.
Naturopaths believe in working with the natural body healing processes rather
than against it. Preventive care includes education to eat well, exercise and
live in harmony with the environment.
Are naturopaths
really doctors?
Naturopath physicians attend a four-year naturopathic
medical school. They use the same textbooks as in traditional medical schools.
They learn the same techniques of physical diagnosis and are licensed in many
states.
What kind of conditions
do naturopathic physicians treat?
They treat acute and chronic diseases of all kinds.
Conditions treated include everything from acute to athletes foot, asthma
to arthritis, headaches to hay fever, dandruff to depression, flus
to fatigue, ear infections to eczema, strep throat to smoking. Patients can
include newborns, pregnant women, the elderly, and everyone else.