What Is Naturopathy?

A naturopath follows a distinct system of medicine that is based on a belief in the healing power of nature--and especially in the body's innate ability to fight disease and heal itself. A naturopath incorporates a wide range of natural treatment methods, rather than drugs or surgery, to stimulate the body's own healing powers. Among the therapies many naturopaths frequently prescribe are diet and lifestyle modifications, nutritional supplements, homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, detoxification, spinal manipulation, and more.

Although the term "naturopathy" wasn't coined until the late 19th century, it is one of the oldest forms of medicine known to mankind, tracing its roots to the healing traditions of ancient China, India, Greece, and to Native American cultures.

The therapy became a formal profession in the U.S., when German emigrant Benedict Lust (1872-1945), a naturopath, osteopath, chiropractor, and M.D., founded the first school of naturopathic medicine in New York City in 1902. A primary focus at the school was hydrotherapy; this was because Lust had been a devoted disciple of Father Sebastian Kneipp, the famous Bavarian hydropath, before coming to the U.S. Students were also taught herbal medicine, nutrition, physiotherapy, psychology, homeopathy, and many other techniques--but not what the founder termed "poisonous drugs and non-adjustable surgery."
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Naturopaths had a growing following in the early part of the 20th century, with 22 colleges of naturopathic medicine operating in the U.S. But by mid-century, with the introduction of "miracle drugs" such as antibiotics, and a campaign by the American Medical Association to discredit alternative forms of medicine, interest in the profession declined and most schools closed their doors. Since the early 1970s, however, there has been a rapid resurgence of interest in this healing technique. Naturopathy has two main groups of practitioners in the US, the naturopathic physicians, who seek training and licensure as biomedical health care providers, and the “traditional naturopaths”, who typically function as educational consultants in areas of healthy lifestyle, herbs, and nutritional supplements. Because state regulations vary widely in this field, consumers should inquire as to the actual training and experience of anyone who uses the initials “N.D.” for their profession.

How Does a Naturopath Work?

1. Nature has the power to heal. According to naturopathy, the body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The naturopath's role is to facilitate the self-healing process by removing obstacles to a person's health and recovery.
2. Treat the cause, not the effect. Rather than suppress symptoms, the naturopath should treat the underlying causes of disease.
3. Treat the whole person. Illness rarely has a single cause, so every aspect of the patient--mind, body, and spirit--must be brought into harmonious balance.
4. Do no harm. The naturopath should utilize methods and substances that are as nontoxic and noninvasive as possible. Methods that suppress symptoms without removing underlying causes are considered harmful and are to be avoided or minimized.
5. Encourage prevention. A naturopath should help "create" health as well as treat disease.
6. Act as a teacher. Part of the naturopath's task is to educate the patient and encourage lifestyle habits that promote good health. The emphasis should be on building health rather than on fighting disease.

The naturopathic physician movement carries these principals into a primary care “drug-less” medical provider role. The preference of naturopathic physicians to evaluate the whole person rather than just the disease itself, places them in the center of the movement to make health care more “holistic” by giving special consideration to the patient's mental, emotional, and spiritual attitude, as well as to lifestyle, diet, heredity, environment, and family and community life. In contrast, conventional medical training biases allopathic physicians to view all patients as essentially alike (allowing for some variation in susceptibility). In conventional medicine, especially in drug therapy, the focus has been on the scientific study of the disease itself.

Significantly, in naturopathy, as in many other traditions of health care, every patient is regarded as unique--as someone with self-healing potential. Because the naturopath's emphasis is on the person, the first question often asked is, "What were the circumstances in this patient's life that set the stage for this illness?”

What You Can Expect

If you are consulting with a medical-school trained naturopath, your consultation will typically begin with the practitioner taking a very detailed medical history, as well as asking you about your diet, exercise regimen, lifestyle, stress, sleep patterns, bowel habits, and mental and spiritual outlook.

The naturopath will then conduct a routine medical exam, just as a medical doctor would, but with more emphasis on the musculoskeletal system. If needed, X rays may be taken and laboratory tests recommended (these may be done through a hospital).

If a problem requires immediate medical treatment or surgery, the naturopath will suggest that you contact a medically trained family physician, internist or specialist.

Although some of the diagnostic tests used by naturopathic physicians are the same as those used by conventional medical doctors, others are quite different. Naturopaths often order a series of tests that measure how well a particular body system may be functioning. For example, the Comprehensive Stool Digestive Analysis is a lengthy examination of fecal material that evaluates the whole process of digestion. The Liver Detoxification Capacity Test measures how efficiently the liver clears toxins.

Depending on the naturopath their clinical approach, other physical evaluations may be used. These might include an evaluation of the tongue and pulse, common in traditional Chinese medicine; or iridology, which tracks how an illness within the body manifests itself in the irises of the eyes; or applied kinesiology, which tests how the muscles respond to a variety of potential allergens. These alternative methods of diagnosis generally fall outside the purview of science-based mainstream medicine.

With exam and test results in hand, the naturopathic physician then devises a natural treatment program unique to you. This is in major contrast to conventional medicine, in which two patients with a headache usually receive the same basic tests and drugs. Your individualized treatment program will be gradual and can be adapted as your health improves.

Indeed, because naturopathy involves lifestyle changes (such as exercise, stress reduction) and changes in eating habits, as well as the use of supplements and herbs, the therapeutic plan requires much more patient involvement in the process of getting well. Again, this is unlike mainstream medicine, in which prescription drugs--and sometimes surgery--are by far the dominant therapeutic tools.

The initial session with a naturopathic physician is generally about an hour long, and follow-up sessions typically last 30 to 45 minutes. The number of sessions needed depends on the seriousness of the ailment. If you have a chronic condition, you may require treatment for six months or more.

Some health insurance companies will cover certain aspects of naturopathic care, such as massage and acupuncture treatments. Naturopathic physicians are seeking to increase their eligibility to serve as primary providers for insurance reimbursement.

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