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Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Medicine, or simply,
naturopathy is a holistic approach to health and healing
that originated in Europe. According to this approach, the body is
capable of self healing. Thus, naturopathy sees disease as a manifestation of
alterations in the processes by which the body would otherwise naturally heal itself.
The term "naturopathy" literally translates as "nature disease."
As a holistic approach, naturopathy emphasizes health restoration as well as disease treatment.
It accepts the idea that the mind can do much to improve the functioning
of the immune system and to enhance the person's overall level of health
and vitality. Today naturopathy,
or naturopathic medicine, is practiced throughout Europe, Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, and the United States. According to NCCAM, there are six principles that form
the basis of naturopathic medicine in North America (not all are unique to
naturopathy):
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The healing power of nature
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Identification and treatment of the cause of disease
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The concept of "first do no harm"
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The doctor as teacher
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Treatment of the whole person
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Prevention
The holistic approach inherent in
naturopathic medicine demands a knowledge of many different therapies, or
modalities, to restore health. The core modalities used in naturopathy
include diet modification and nutritional supplements,
herbal medicine,
acupuncture and
Chinese medicine, hydrotherapy,
massage and joint
manipulation, and lifestyle counseling. Naturopathic practitioners
evaluate and treat the "whole person", combining the most appropriate
therapies. As a result, treatment protocols are highly individualized.
Article
Title: Why Choose Naturopathic Medicine?
Author: Tara Barker, ND
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Naturopathic medicine is a system and philosophy of medicine that has been
around for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Before the advent of
‘conventional’ medicine, which uses a wide variety of drugs and surgical
procedures, almost every doctor learned how to use herbs, minerals,
homeopathy, and other natural methods to treat disease. Since the early
1900’s and with the discovery of antibiotics, usage and public knowledge
of naturopathic medicine has declined. This was most likely due to the
‘quick fix’ nature of many of the new drugs developed and increased safety
of surgical procedures. Diseases such as influenza and measles, which
today are generally nuisances and easily treated in most people, were very
scary and sometimes life threatening in these earlier times. The plague
literally plagued people. Today we are blessed with better opportunities
for proper nutrition, hygiene, and information about these diseases, all
of which lessen the threat of many of the more common diseases becoming
life threatening. The attraction that people had towards conventional
medicine was and is understandable. Treatments that decrease symptoms of a
disease are often well received by patients who are dealing with a
troublesome condition. Most advances in technology are viewed as progress
and people want the best, especially where their health or that of their
loved ones is concerned. The problem that came with this flux towards
conventional medicine was that it was new and no one knew what the side
effects or long-term effects of using synthetic drugs would be. Also, most
people abandoned the more natural methods of health care and stopped
caring for themselves in a way that would keep them strong and vital.
Instead they began using pills and surgery as ‘fixes’ when things went
wrong. They began to eat more processed foods that have fewer vitamins and
minerals. Our environment became more polluted. Most doctors know little
about nutrition, how or what to eat, or what to do with people affected by
the environment. As well, the more scientific medicine gets, the less
people understand it. This leads to people feeling ignorant about health
matters and leaving all the power in their doctor’s hands.
So, here we are today. When people feel sick or know something is wrong,
they make an appointment and usually get a prescription. If that doesn’t
work, another prescription is tried. If a person is lucky, they get sick
very infrequently and live healthy lives. Complications arise when the
treatments given don’t work or cause side effects that need another
treatment to lessen them. What happens if you have allergies, asthma, and
diabetes? How many prescriptions do you take? What if the drugs given
interact with each other or cause a nutritional deficiency? What about the
people who are on a drug for the rest of their lives? What about people
with chronic diseases that have been told they have no cure but the
symptoms can be ‘managed’?
What causes many of the above problems is the philosophy of the medicine
used. The focus should not be (however contrary it may sound) how to get
rid of whatever ails you, but why it began. If you can find out what
causes your disease and why it began for you, it is entirely possible to
foster your health in such a way that your body heals itself. It does
little good to get rid of an ear infection in your child if it returns
again. Why take an antiviral daily to suppress herpes outbreaks when this
can be done with lifestyle and natural methods that do the same thing
while enhancing your immunity? If you have advanced heart disease,
diabetes, or cancer, what feelings of hope do you have that your life can
be enhanced? If you take medications daily, perhaps in increasing doses,
for the rest of your life with your only hope to have better or stable lab
test results, that doesn’t sound like the quality life you could be
having. Did you know that with changes to your lifestyle and natural
therapies you could increase the energy you feel as well as possibly
reverse many of the damaging changes you now live with?
There are natural treatments for every complaint. I once heard from a wise
doctor, “There are no incurable diseases, only incurable people”. What he
meant was that every case of cancer may not be curable, but it is possible
to cure cancer. No condition is incurable. What happens in treatment is
more a factor of the person, the nature of the disease, and other
variables, and not so much which disease is being treated. It is more
difficult, of course, to treat diseases that are long-standing, severe, or
in other ways complicated. But that does not mean it can never been done.
If a person does not want treatment and they get something from being in
the place they are at, that makes recovery all the more difficult. It is
much easier to treat conditions when they first start and when the person
wishes to be well. But still there are no guarantees.
What tends to work best for most people is a multifaceted approach to
treating their condition. First, treat the whole person. Find out what
their needs are and treat them physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually, as they need it. Treat their whole body. Migraines,
arthritis, and urinary infections can be related and not separate
diseases. A person may not need antibiotics or removal of an organ, they
may need something that seems entirely unrelated. The toddler with
constant stomach pains may not need medication; he may need to change day
cares. Try to understand what is going on for the person.
Second, treat them in such a way as to increase their vitality. The goal
is to increase the healing response within so that the body becomes
healthier and reverses the disease process naturally and in its time (if
this is possible). It may be necessary to provide some symptomatic relief,
but the goal of a treatment should not be to simply suppress the symptoms.
Just because symptoms are gone does not mean that the disease is not
there. The goal is a complete cure and no return of the condition
(sometimes this is possible, at other times it is not). Your body holds an
incredible healing force that wants to keep you in harmonious balance at
all times. Think of the miracle of healing a broken bone. Think of how
microorganisms cause your lungs much distress in bronchitis, yet how well
you breathe and how complete the cure when the body is done healing that
condition. Think of the miracle of life itself. If disease arises when we
hinder the body in maintaining its perfect balance, then restoring
conditions of balance will help our bodies to heal themselves. After all,
it is not the antibiotic that heals you. The antibiotic simply kills off
enough bacteria to allow your body the upper hand. Ask yourself if the
body shouldn’t have the upper hand to begin with. If you really do need
antibiotics, what is causing the bacteria to gain the upper hand?
Naturopathic medicine strives to restore balance by removing any obstacles
keeping your body from healing itself. Physicians using this medicine
understand the importance of treating each person individually and in a
way that helps restore their natural vitality. They also try to use the
most gentle yet effective treatment possible to avoid causing side effects
or interactions between treatments. Naturopathic physicians also recognize
the importance of using conventional medicine when it is necessary. They
will also use appropriate lab work, x-rays, and other tools for diagnosis
and tracking when necessary. As all physicians, they frequently will refer
a complicated condition to providers who can give the patient the best
care along with the natural treatments. Naturopaths regard the wants and
needs of their patients highly. A patient is encouraged to share their
goals and take and active part in their healthcare. Consultations and
treatments are generally longer than those with a conventional
practitioner so questions can be addressed and a healing relationship
established.
For more information or questions on related topics, please visit
www.MyWebND.com. Get all your health questions answered from a licensed
Naturopathic physician without the wait for an office visit.
Well-researched, reliable information is now available and easy to find. |
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