Human beings have been finding ways to heal themselves from injury and sickness for thousands of years.
And different cultures have come up with different remedies for a variety of ailments with which we may become afflicted. It turns out that some of these remedies actually have scientific merit, while others do not.
The Origin of Naturopathic Medicine
The term Naturopathic Medicine was first coined in the United States in the 1800s.
Naturopathic Medicine, or Naturopathy, is based on the belief that the body can naturally heal itself of many different types of diseases and afflictions.
Today a doctor of naturopathic medicine, or ND (naturopathic doctor), goes through a naturopathic medical school in order to become licensed and treat patients. And some states in the U.S. even give these doctors privileges to order lab tests such as x-rays and prescribe certain pharmaceuticals.
With all this schooling and prescribing it would seem that naturopathic medicine is on the same level as modern medicine, and this is where the debate lies.
While naturopathic medicine is not without its benefits, one needs to tread lightly when considering these alternative treatments and be on the look out for those trying to take advantage of the sick.
Benefits of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopaths have been known to treat a variety of illnesses such as allergies, joint pain, even cancer.
While the benefits of treating the latter is debatable there have been success stories for treatments of milder illnesses such as earaches, insomnia, allergies and joint pain.
Naturopaths focus on the source of the illness rather than its symptoms and try to treat that in the hopes of consequently wiping out any and all of the associated symptoms. ND’s do this through the use of herbal remedies, massage therapies, and sometimes acupuncture and homeopathy.
Precautions to Take
Naturopathic medicine is garnering more and more attention in one form or another, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
To rely less on pharmaceuticals (and their unwanted side effects) and to instead treat the body holistically and assist it naturally when you feel sick is a good thing. A very good thing, in fact.
The danger, however, comes in the extreme ends of the spectrum.
Some naturopathic doctors deny that germs are real, believe children should not be vaccinated, and treat their patients with homeopathic solutions that are really nothing more than water due to the extreme amount of dilution that takes place when making their solutions.
Responsible naturopathic doctors, however, work with modern medicine not against it.
They help patients find natural ways of dealing with symptoms of sometimes serious illnesses such as cancer while supporting and encouraging patients to seek treatment with remedies that have been proven to be effective. Many naturopathic doctors actually work with medical doctors in the treatment of their patients.
Naturopathy has been around a long time.
And it will most likely be around in one form or another, so it falls to the patients to do their due diligence and research any potential naturopathic doctors that they go to in order to find the right ND for their situation.
At the end of the day approaching health in a holistic manner is good, provided you work with the right practitioner.