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Naturopathy

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Description

Naturopathic medicine is a complete alternative care system that uses a wide range of approaches such as nutrition, herbs, manipulation of the body, exercise, stress reduction, and acupuncture. Parts of naturopathy are sometimes used with conventional medicine as complementary therapy. Naturopathic medicine is a holistic approach (meaning it is intended to treat the whole person) that tries to enlist the healing power of the body and nature to fight disease.

Overview

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that naturopathic medicine can cure cancer or any other disease, since virtually no studies on naturopathy as a whole have been published. The individual methods used by naturopathic medicine vary in their effectiveness. Homeopathy, for instance, may be of little value. Other naturopathic methods have been shown to help in prevention and symptom management. Examples include diet for lowering the risk of severe illnesses such as heart disease and cancer and acupuncture to reduce pain.

How is naturopathy promoted for use?

Supporters claim that naturopathic medicine uses the healing power of nature to maintain and restore health. Their goal is to create a healthy environment inside and outside the body. Supporters claim naturopathic medicine prevents illness because people are taught healthy diets and lifestyles to avoid disease. Treatment is focused on the cause of disease, rather than on the symptoms. Naturopathic doctors may diagnose illness with many of the same methods used in conventional medicine. They use x-rays, laboratory tests, and physical exams to try to identify the problem. However, naturopathic treatment does not generally use drugs, radiation therapy, or major surgery.

There are 3 kinds of practitioners who may offer naturopathic treatment. Naturopathic doctors (NDs, who may also call themselves naturopathic physicians) have usually had four years of study in a school of naturopathy. The second group may call themselves naturopaths, although some also call themselves naturopathic doctors. Many naturopaths are self-taught or were apprenticed to another naturopath. They may focus on one or just a few naturopathic methods. The third group consists of chiropractors, massage therapists, dentists, nurses, nutritionists, or doctors who practice under a professional license but include some naturopathic methods in their practice. They may have studied or read on their own or taken courses on naturopathic methods. They use these methods along with their usual treatments.

Naturopathic medicine is promoted for the treatment of conditions such as migraine headaches, chronic lower back pain, enlarged prostate, menopause, AIDS, and cancer. Practitioners claim to use “natural methods” to strengthen the body’s ability to heal itself. They believe that this type of care causes fewer side effects and costs less than conventional treatment. However, practitioners often refer complicated cases or people needing major treatment to conventional medical professionals.

What does naturopathy involve?

Naturopathic medicine uses many different techniques and methods. Practitioners act mostly as teachers. They decide how to treat a particular patient based on case history, observation, medical records, and previous experience. Naturopathic treatment can include nutritional medicine and fasting; herbs, minerals, and vitamins; homeopathy; Chinese medicine; manipulation of muscles, the spine, and other bones; acupuncture; counseling and hypnotherapy; massage; colonics (enemas); hydrotherapy, heat, and cold applications; therapeutic exercise; and some minor surgery. For more information about some of the treatments involved in naturopathic medicine, see our documents, Acupuncture offsite linkHomeopathy offsite linkHypnosis offsite link,Colon Therapy offsite link, and the information on herbs, vitamins, and minerals.

Counseling or behavioral medicine is an important part of naturopathic medicine. Practitioners are usually trained in counseling, biofeedback, stress reduction, and other means to improve mental health (see our documents, Biofeedback offsite link andPsychotherapy offsite link). They may also use other unproven techniques such as ozone therapy for people with cancer and AIDS. These treatments have shown no benefit in curing cancer or other diseases.

Treatment by naturopathic doctors is not covered by many insurance policies, including those offered through Medicare and Tricare. A few states require that treatment by licensed naturopathic doctors be covered by insurance companies. States that license naturopathic doctors as primary care providers may provide coverage on Medicaid programs.

What is the history behind naturopathy?

Naturopathic medicine began with Sebastian Kneipp in the 1800s. Kneipp, a German priest, opened a water cure center and developed herbal treatments. Later, a student of Kneipp’s, Benedict Lust, opened a water cure institute in New York that used Kneipp’s drugless therapies. Lust went on to acquire degrees in osteopathy and chiropractic, homeopathic, and eclectic medicine. In 1902, Lust purchased the rights to naturopathic medicine from another Kneipp student and opened the American Institute of Naturopathy.

By the early 1900s, there were more than twenty schools of naturopathic medicine. With the advances in conventional medicine after World War II, however, interest in naturopathy began to decline. It resurged in the mid-1950s, when the National College of Naturopathic Medicine was founded in Portland, Oregon. In 1968, the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare issued a report stating that the educational programs for practitioners of naturopathic medicine did not adequately prepare them to make accurate diagnoses or treatment decisions. The report also concluded that naturopathic medicine was not based on widely accepted scientific principles of health, disease, and health care.

The American Naturopathic Medical Association was founded in 1981 and today reports a membership of approximately 4,000 people worldwide. The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) was approved by the U.S. Secretary of Education in 1987 as an accrediting body for full-time schools. It lost its certification in 2001, but regained it in 2003.

Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) degrees are offered by four-year graduate-level programs. Naturopathic doctors take some basic science courses and courses on disease prevention, wellness, clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling. Naturopathic doctors do not receive residency training. As of this writing, there are four accredited ND programs in the United States, and 13 states license naturopathic doctors. Some ND degrees are available through non-accredited correspondence schools.

What is the evidence?

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that naturopathic medicine is effective for most health problems. Most of the claims of effectiveness are based on individual cases, medical records, and summaries of practitioners’ clinical experiences. One clinical study that looked at treatment of ear pain in children tested the effectiveness of naturopathic ear drops, anesthetic ear drops, and oral antibiotics. The pain improved over 3 days in all groups, and the naturopathic drops were slightly more effective than the anesthetic drops. Antibiotics were not helpful and may have slowed recovery, which is in agreement with several other studies and consistent with guidelines of most conventional medical groups, which do not recommend antibiotics for uncomplicated ear pain.

Naturopathic medicine includes several methods, many of which have been shown to vary in effectiveness. Available scientific evidence looking at unproven methods such as homeopathy and colonic irrigation has not shown them to be helpful for cancer or any other disease. Other aspects of naturopathic medicine, like proper diet and nutrition, have been shown to lower the risk of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer. Another component, acupuncture, may help reduce pain. Some aspects of naturopathic medicine may be useful when used with conventional medical treatment.

Are there any possible problems or complications?

These substances may have not been thoroughly tested to find out how they interact with medicines, foods, or dietary supplements. Even though some reports of interactions and harmful effects may be published, full studies of interactions and effects are not often available. Because of these limitations, any information on ill effects and interactions below should be considered incomplete.

Excessive fasting, dietary restrictions, or use of enemas, which are sometimes components of naturopathic treatment, may be dangerous. Naturopathic treatment may involve taking unregulated herbs, some of which may have harmful effects. In addition, the potential interactions between herbal preparations and conventional drugs and other herbs should be considered. Some of these combinations may be dangerous. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs you are taking.

Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.

We add: The Professional To See

See a licensed naturopathic physician who has finished a four-year program at at an accredited school. To find such a person, go to: www.naturopathic.org offsite link

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