History of naturopathic medicine
What is naturopathic medicine?
"Naturopathic medicine", sometimes called "naturopathy,"
is as old as healing itself and as new as the latest discoveries in biochemical
sciences. Modern naturopathic physicians (NDs) are primary health care providers
who use therapies that are almost exclusively natural (hence the name naturopathic)
and nontoxic.
These natural therapies include clinical nutrition, homeopathy, botanical medicine, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, and counseling. Many practitioners of naturopathic medicine have additional training and certification in acupuncture and home birthing. In the United States, naturopathic medicine's infrastructure includes accredited educational institutions, professional licensing by a growing number of states, national standards of practice and care, peer review, and an ongoing commitment to state-of-the-art scientific research." (www.becomehealthynow.com/article/otherhealth/606)
The principles behind naturopathic medicine have been around since the birth
of medicine. But the term naturopathic medicine or naturopathy was first used
in the U.S. just 100 years ago.
"Hippocrates, a physician who lived 2400 years ago, is often considered the earliest predecessor of naturopathic physicians, particularly in terms of his teaching that "nature is healer of all diseases" and his formulation of the concept vis medicatrix naturae -- "the healing power of nature." This concept has long been at the core of indigenous medicine in many cultures around the world and remains one of the central themes of naturopathic medicine and philosophy to this day." (www.becomehealthynow.com/article/otherhealth/606)
The history of naturopathic medicine
"Naturopathic medicine was popular and widely available throughout the U.S. well into the early part of the 20th century. Around 1920, from coast to coast, there were a number of naturopathic medical schools, thousands of naturopathic physicians, and scores of thousands of patients using naturopathic medicine."
"But the rise of "scientific medicine," the discovery and increasing use of "miracle drugs" like antibiotics, the institutionalization of a large medical system primarily based (both clinically and economically) on high-tech and pharmaceutical treatments -- all of these were associated by mid-century with the temporary decline of naturopathic medicine and most other methods of natural healing."
"By the 1970s, however, the American public was becoming increasingly disenchanted with conventional medicine. The profound clinical limitations of conventional medicine and its out-of-control costs were becoming obvious, and millions of Americans were inspired to look for "new" options and alternatives. Naturopathic medicine and all of complementary alternative medicine began to enter a new era of rejuvenation." (www.becomehealthynow.com/article/otherhealth/606)
The modalities of naturopathic medicine
Unlike allopathic medicine, the central theme in naturopathic medicine is prevention. These preventative measures include eating a healthy diet, taking supplements for nutritional deficiencies, getting exercise and practicing relaxation and stress relief.
However when patients come in with a health complaint, the practitioner will use naturopathic medicine to gently coax the body back on a healthy course using modalities such as herbs, nutrition, water therapy, fasting, tissue manipulation, body work and acupuncture. What these treatments have in common is that they are all gentle and harness the body's own energy and don't obscure or tax its healing power with drastic measures.
But practitioners of naturopathic medicine are not only stuck to these traditional modalities. Modern science is also a benefit in naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic medicine doctors use the latest biochemical research involving nutrition, botanicals, homeopathy, and other natural treatments to individualize the treatment for the constitution of each patient.
"For many diseases and conditions (a few examples are ulcerative colitis, asthma, menopause, flu, obesity, and chronic fatigue), treatments used in naturopathic medicine can be primary and even curative. Naturopathic physicians also function within an integrated framework, for example referring patients to an appropriate medical specialist such as an oncologist or a surgeon.
Naturopathic medicine therapies can be employed within that context to complement the treatments used by conventionally trained medical doctors. The result is a team-care approach that recognizes the needs of the patient to receive the best overall treatment most appropriate to his or her specific medical condition." (www.becomehealthynow.com/article/otherhealth/606)
What is required to practice naturopathic medicine?
A practitioner of naturopathic medicine is subjected to rigorous training. A licensed N.D. must attend a four-year graduate level school of naturopathic medicine. The curriculum incorporates the same basic science program that an M.D. must learn and includes alternative therapies and a holistic approach to treatment. Those studying naturopathic medicine are strongly schooled in disease prevention and optimizing wellness.
A training in naturopathic medicine also includes instruction in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling. N.D.s are also taught how to encourage people (through counseling) to make lifestyle changes that will support their personal health. After graduation an N.D. must take professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician of naturopathic medicine.
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