Naturopathic medicine has its roots in 19th century Europe where it was developed as a medical system which incorporated traditional practices of health care. Naturopathic medicine is available for people for a variety of services like primary care, treatment of illnesses and for the well-being of individuals. The United States has professional Naturopathic practitioners, in the form of naturopathic physicians, several traditional naturopaths and other health care providers whom all have the ability to use naturopathy to cure people.
Medicine in the present day is usually correlated with the western medication which is also called the allopathic medication suggested by physicians and doctors in the present day. (Naturopathic, 2016). Whenever medication is mentioned, people think of doctors in hospitals and clinics which will provide medicine for their treatment. Doctors, surgeons, nurses and health care providers have used various methods for providing treatment to patients, and the underlying truth is that they have a basic understanding of curing the human body and treating it well. (Gavura, 2014). If this information is amalgamated with pre-existing notions of treatment such as the use of herbs and botanical seeds, acupuncture or homeopathy, then it can present a world of medication which might prove effective for the patient and help in the process of their treatment. Naturopathy thrives on the notion of ‘vitalism.’ (Cayleff , 2016). Vitalism is a term that is a basic part of naturopathy which refers to giving the patient a kind of treatment which is pure and effective, and it will rush into them a vital force which is going to improve their medical condition very rapidly. When such advice is given by physicians, then it is called naturopathy. (CNM, 2016).
The idea of Naturopathy is ingrained in restoring the vital ‘energy’ in the human body so it can be revitalized and healthy again. It surpasses the idea of using science objectively and inculcates the idea of going beyond what the mind sees and perceives. Thus, it encompasses the traditional methods of treatment like homeopathy, acupuncture and herbalism very effectively and it thrives on these. Although a true allopathic might consider the treatment provided by these methods as useless and ineffective, many of them are actually based on evidence, and they are proven to be beneficial for the patient. Sometimes, medical advice and thought goes hand in hand with naturopathy and its doctrine.
Criticism on naturopathy exists as many believe that its basis is unscientific. However naturopaths are determined by providing healthcare services to all other physicians, and they believe their methods are successful and effective. In fact, the claim by the AANMC goes by saying that Naturopathy looks at the patient from above the cellular level, and they try to work in accordance with the biochemical functions of the body so that they can provide nutrition, medication, homeopathic and herbal treatment likewise (NIH, 2016). This treatment is not anywhere below the expectations of medical science the entire course of treatment is based on the evidence suggested by the patient’s medical workup.
As far as the toxic effects of the naturopathic medicine are concerned there are none because it is natural and devoid of synthetic elements. Naturopathy comes to use when a person is suffering from a chronic condition where conventional medicine cannot help beyond a certain point. Hence using Naturopathic medicine, a person recovers by certain natural ways which target the organ or system which is being affected. The main doctrine of naturopathy is ‘first do no harm.’ This means the medicine is meant to have no after effects and even if it doesn’t show significant health benefits, it will not harm the patient.
There are several treatment plans that are taken up by Naturopathic doctors, and they are less aggressive methods of treatment usually aimed at moving the patient to as much of a natural style as they can. For instance, Naturopathy focuses on the diet and lifestyle of the patient. If a patient is suffering from a disease which is curable and treatable, they will definitely make significant changes in the diet and lifestyle of their patient. (Gleixner and Anhorn, 2012). The second is to work on stress reduction and relieving pressure. Many people are ill today because they are too tense and stressed out due to various social and personal reasons. Naturopaths realize that stress is a precursor to many other diseases. Hence, they provide such treatment and therapies that reduce stress. Acupuncture is known to relieve stress. Hence, it can be amalgamated with other therapies as well. People who are suffering from weakness or old age need to be given treatment the natural way because allopathic medicine can be harmful, so they are preferably given herbs to take and diet supplements for good health. The other treatment is homeopathy. Illnesses such as diabetes, heart problems and obesity have cures in homeopathy and for people who do not want to have any side effects of their treatment, they are given homeopathic medication. The other kind of treatment that can be given by Naturopaths is manipulative therapies. Manipulative therapies are for patients who need physiotherapy or occupational therapy, and this treatment is modified and enhanced by naturopathy. Exercise therapies are also suggested in the course of treatment and naturopathy takes its help from yoga and other exercises to help people relax and lose weight and maintain their well-being. Apart from the illness treatment plan, naturopathic practitioners also help health-conscious people with detoxification and plan out a diet and medication along with exercise as a means of treatment (NIH, 2016). Moreover, naturopathy also covers psychotherapy and counseling for people with psychological issues.
Naturopathic medicine is a fairly common treatment method in America. There are currently about 17 States that offer medical treatment by Naturopathy, and they have licensed Naturopathic doctors and physicians. These States include California, Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Montana, Minnesota, Utah, Vermont, Maryland, Hawaii, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Washington, Kansas, District of Columbia, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Maine, and Montana. It is also practiced in some of the territories like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (Cayleff , 2016).
It is not very easy for a person to get into the program, regarding the amount of competition in the field. There are about 350-400 fresh naturopathic doctors graduating every year, and the opening seats are only about 30-40 in the country. (Cayleff , 2016). This is because there are openings provided by clinics and healthcare givers, and there aren’t many independently operational facilities in the country which offer fewer jobs for naturopathic doctors. However, this new form of treatment has gained its ground, and there are emerging opportunities for doctors in this field in the future. They can work independently but for this, they need to have ample experience working with a professional naturopathic doctor.
Naturopathy is mainly concerned with helping an individual live in and deal with a stressful and busy environment which can lead to illness and disease. Naturopaths have a belief that every patient needs to be provided individual attention because care and attention are effective curative measures. Therefore as doctors, naturopathic doctors can work in a freelance environment, and there is no obligation for them to work in a hospitals or clinic, rather they can work anywhere they please such as a spa, health care, management jobs in the retail industry and even go on media and lead their voice out to the people. (NIH, 2016). Hence, the possibilities that come with the job are endless. Moreover, the field has a scope of specialization. People can take up one specialty of interest and pursue a career in it. For example, infertility, beauty treatment, skincare, geriatrics, herbal expert, sports and fitness, childcare and all many other fields of specialty can be chosen (Barrett, 2013).
The entire concept of naturopathy is to use the force of medicine, nature and religion to help cure people. The man is considered as a physical, emotional and spiritual being that has the capacity to find his cure in all the elements of the world as well as those which are beyond the natural world. It is the job of a naturopathic doctor to determine which course of treatment would be recommended for which condition and how the patient is supposed to be aligned to all kinds of the treatment. (Naturopathic, 2016).
An important breakthrough made by naturopathy in the field of medicine was the reduction of bleedings by ingesting naturopathic medicine containing 1260mg of polyunsaturated oil daily. Healthy people were administered naturopathic medicine with natural ingredients containing clotting factors in the blood. After 7 days of administration, their AUC was measured which showed that the naturopathic medicine with a high dose of fish oil impacted clotting whereas the other ingredients had no effects on the patients. (A, U and T, 2016).
Therefore, naturopathic medicine is an incorporation of herbal, homeopathic and allopathic medicine and it has been in vogue since the 19th century in Europe. It is present in America and is gaining popularity in terms of its approach being admissible in various other fields. People can turn to naturopathy for the treatment of illness, general well-being, and other purposes. It is innovative and turns to nature for curing people.
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Cayleff, E. Susan. (2016). “Nature’s path: A history of Naturopathic healing in America.” JHU
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