Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathy - You Should Definitely Give It A Try

Naturopathic medicine is based on the philosophy of ‘Vis Medicartric Naturae”, which means, the healing power of mother nature. It achieves this by applying laws of nature for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease.

Naturopathic physicians believe that illness occurs due to the imbalance at some level in the body (emotional, physical, spiritual and psychological), and should be restored back to normal using natural agents. Instead of using one single method for treating a diseases, it uses multi-disciplinary approach for promoting natural health using alternative medicine and complimentary therapies. In fact, naturopathic medicine is a comprehensive and unique approach for treatment and overall improvement of health.

When consulting a naturopathic doctor, you will not only learn more about your health, but will also understand how it relates to your condition. Aside from that, you will also have a say in determining the best treatment option according to your condition. In most of the cases, a naturopathic doctor will educate patient towards improving their lifestyle for preventing further complications and diseases.

Prevention is Better than Cure

Main Therapies Used by the Naturopath

• Nutrition
• Herbal Remedies
• Homoeopathy
• Remedial Massage
• Counseling

There is great significance of the following in the ensuing the well-being of a person:

• Physical Activities
• Lifestyle
• Fresh Air
• Sunlight
• Pure Water

Alternative medicine has been used since thousands of years, and now there is large amounts of scientific data and research that proves the efficacy of the naturopathic medicine in treating various health problems. This field of alternative medicine evolved with time through consistent observation and application of lessons of the mother-nature.

Various methods used by naturopaths (especially the nutritional and dietary measures) are now being readily accepted by even medical doctors. Various research studies are now confirming the significance of the relationship between, not only emotional, but also physical and mental well being of patients.

Specific Naturopathic Therapies

• Clinical Nutrition- It examines the relationship between health and diet. In some cases, special diets are recommended, and some treatments may include various nutritional supplements such as minerals, nutraceuticals, enzymes, and vitamins.
• Acupuncture- In this form of treatment, very fine needles are inserted on the surface of the body, and influences the physiological functioning of the body. This treatment is based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine. It not only improves and strengthens the overall body functions, but also enables you to regain emotional and physical strength.
• Acupressure- re-establishes the balance within the body and ensures unrestricted flow of vital life energy, also known as Qi (pronounced as “chee”)
• Traditional Chinese alternative medicine- It evaluates the balance and flow of energy in the body and uses both Chinese acupuncture and herbs.
• Cosmetic acupuncture- It is a non-surgical facelift and reduces signs of aging. In this process, thin needles are inserted into the acupuncture points in the face. This superficial insertion stimulates the flow of energy and blood in the facial areas, which helps in nourishing and moisturizing the skin. It also boosts the collagen production, which fills out lines and provides firmness in the skin producing glowing, and healthy complexion.
• Physical medicine- It involves the treatment of pain by stimulation of circulation, which promotes healing. Some of the applications include electrical pulsation, heat/cold, UV and infrared, exercises, massage, and traction.
• Homeopathic medicine- It uses dilute preparations of mineral, plant, or animal substances for stimulating the body to heal itself.
• Lifestyle Counseling- It helps in identifying diet, environmental risk, and lifestyle factors. Naturopaths make recommendations for optimizing emotional, physical, and mental environment of the individual.
• Botanical Medicine- It works on the theory that plants have quite powerful healing properties. In fact, many pharmaceutical drugs are derived from plant substances, and are used by naturopaths because of their nutritional value and healing power.

Naturopathic Consultation

Mostly, a naturopathic consultation takes much longer than a visit to any health practitioner or a mainstream doctor. This is mainly because naturopath first understands more about your state of health.

A naturopath might ask few questions relating to:

• Lifestyle
• Diet
• Symptoms
• Allergies
• Sensitivities to environmental factors.
• Sensitivities or allergies to certain foods
• Hereditary background
• Home & work environment
• Constitution

Aside from asking questions, a naturopath may also use various other diagnostic techniques:

• Iridology (iris diagnosis)
• Vega testing, (allergy and electro-dermal diagnosis)
• Tongue, pulse or fingernail diagnosis
• Kinesiology (muscle response testing)
• Examination of the spine to ascertain restrictions or mobility problems.

Some of these methods are used for ascertaining the detailed case history in a precise and clear way for creating your unique and personal health profile.

Naturopathy uses alternative medicine, and even home remedies for treating the causes and not the effects of disease. Once the diagnosis is over, a naturopath will then decide on an appropriate plan of action for restoring the body back to good health.

Forms of Treatments

This form of treatment comes in the form of programs that include:

• Dietary and lifestyle modifications,
• Exercises,
• Relaxation therapy,
• Patient education,
• Therapies and home remedies that help in stimulating the body’s own healing mechanism.

Diseases Treated with Naturopathy

Some of the diseases that can be treated using naturopathic medicine are:

• High Blood Pressure
• Allergies
• Insomnia,
• Depression and Anxiety
• Acne,
• Psoriasis and Eczema
• Menopausal Problems
• Prostatitis and Cystitis
• PMS and Menstrual Disorders
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Infertility,
• Endometriosis, and Fibroids
• Low Energy
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Migraines
• Thyroid Conditions
• Weight Management
• Diabetes
• Muscle, Joint and Bone problems

Certain acute conditions that can be treated using naturopathic medicine and home remedies include:

• Colds and flu
• Ear infections
• Headaches
• Heart disease
• Allergies

Mostly, naturopath chooses various natural remedies, alternative medicine or techniques for restoring the health of their patients. Every patient (even suffering from a similar disease) may be treated differently to get the desired results.This depends upon the individual body and circumstances, which are taken into consideration by a naturopath.

Final Thoughts

Naturopathic medicine is also referred to as alternative medicine or complimentary medicine, as it is meant to compliment the traditional medicinal practices. Even when using various home remedies or alternative medicine, it is important to visit a regular doctor for annual appointments. However, if you face any nagging health problem in future that refuses to go away, you should definitely try your local licensed Naturopathic doctor, to treat yourself naturally.