Naturopathic medicine treats health conditions by utilizing the body's inherent ability to heal. This is a very safe, natural therapy which utilizes the services of several different alternative medicine techniques to heal prospective patients.

Naturopathic medicine encompasses a myriad of healing practices, including diet and clinical nutrition; homeopathy; acupuncture; herbal medicine; hydrotherapy; therapeutic exercise; spinal and soft-tissue manipulation; physical therapies involving electric currents, ultrasound, and light therapy; therapeutic counseling; and pharmacolgy. Used by itself, naturopathy is virtually useless because it needs the other alternative medicine techniques primarily for treatment and relief of pathological symptoms.

The age-old philosophy of naturopathic medicine is built around six important principles which have their roots in Indian (Ayurveda), Chinese (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Native American, and Greek (Hippocratic) cultures:

1. The healing power of nature and of the body to maintain and restore health is well-respected.

2. A naturopathic practitioner must identify and treat the cause rather than the effect.

3. First, a practitioner must do no harm to the patient. It is the belief of naturopathic medicine that methods designed to suppress symptoms without removing their underlying causes are considered harmful; therefore, they are to be avoided or minimized. The onset of symptoms is considered a natural fixture of the healing process.

4. Treat the whole person while keeping in mind the interaction of his or her physical, mental, and emotional factors in causing disease. Naturopathic medicine recognizes the integrity of the whole person instead of just single organ systems or particular symptoms.

5. The physician is a teacher. The doctor-patient relationship has a therapeutic value.

6. Prevention is the best "cure." Naturopathic physicians are preventive medicine specialists.

Naturopathic medicine emphasizes the treatment of disease through the stimulation, enhancement, and support of the inherent healing capacity of the person. It is an art, science, philosophy, and practice of diagnosing, treating, and preventng disease. Disease is seen as a manifestation of the natural causes by which the body heals itself. Fever and inflammation are regarded as the offshoot of the body's immune system reacting to and dealing with either an invader or some sort of dysfuction or imbalance.

Naturopathic medicine grew out of the alternative healing movement of the 18th and 19th centuries. It gained a foothold in America by the middle of the 19th century as a result of the establishment of natural springs and spas in the U.S.A. The early naturopaths attached great importance to a natural, healthy diet. John Kellogg, a physician and vegetarian, and his brother Will, along with a former employee, C. W. Post, helped popularize naturopathic ideas about food, and at the same time founded cereal companies which today bear their names.

Method:

Naturopathic treatment works with the person's vital force, his or her body's ability to fend off diseases and illnesses by itself, without intervention. It does not utilize any major surgery or the use of synthetic drugs at all. Naturopathy focuses on healing the person, not the disease. However, its main focus is in preventing diseases before they occur, rather than actually treating them. It accomplishes this by locating the underlying causes of disease.

Naturopathic physicians are all trained in the basic tools of natural therapeutics, and most work with diet and nutrition while specializing in one or more other therapeutic methods. Once the naturopathic physician identifies a patient's underlying causes of illness, he or she then advises the patient as to what he or she should do to make a safe return back to help without treating the symptoms immediately, especially pain relief. The patient is often told to amend his or her diet and lifestyle. Moreover, homeopathy or acupuncture may be used to expedite recovery time. Herbal medicines may be used as tonics and nutritive agents and vitamin and mineral supplements and glandular tissue extracts may be administered depending on the patient's nutritional needs and excesses. Hydrotherapy and various types of physical therapy might be required. The patiet's level of emotional stress will probably be determined to see if it needs to be eased to allow the digestive system to function in the relaxed environment required for proper digestion (i.e. prevent ulcers).

A typical office visit with a naturopathic doctor takes approximately one hour. The specialist will ask for a thorough medical history (including a person's likelihood of developing a disease along genetic lines) and interview process to view all aspects of a peson's lifestyle. The physician may explore standard diagnostic procedures including a physical exam and blood an urine analysis. Finally, the doctor and the patient will work harmoniously (and may have to compromise) to establish a treatment and health-promoting program that is acceptable for both of them.

Common cures:

Orthomolecular medicine benefits children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly who have the following problems, diseases, and/or conditions:

Application:

• clinical nutrition
• botanical medicine
• homeopathic medicine
• physical medicine
• psychotherapy, counseling, and lifestyle modification
• Chinese medicine
• ultrasound light therapy
• hygiene and public health measures
• therapeutic fasting
• laboratory diagnostic testing and other imaging techniques
• Oriental medicine
• naturopathic obstetrics
• psychological medicine
• minor surgery
• hydrotherapy
• acupuncture
• herbal medicine
• therapeutic touch

Modern medicine's perspective:

Naturopathic medicine flourished in the United States until the mid-1930's, when modern conventional medicine began to develop a one-sided, narrow-minded approach to clinical health care. Yet, naturopathic medicine has made a triumphant comeback in the last two decades. This is largely due to increased public awareness of the role of diet and lifestyle in the cause of chronic disease. With its emphasis on prevention and natural care, naturopathic medicine may offer long-term savings to the mindful consumer. It is becoming increasingly common for medical organizations which in the past have opposed the advent of naturopathic medicine to embrace it.

Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide; Compiled by the Burton Goldberg Group; Future Medicine Publishing, Inc.; Puyallup, Washington; copyright 1994.

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians 2366 Eastlake Avenue, Suite 322 Seattle, Washington 98102 (206) 323-7610 http://www.naturopathic.org/. To find the Naturopathic physician in your area: Visit the AANP Website with includes a searchable database or naturopaths OR call their referal line at: (206) 298-0125.

National College of Naturopathic Medicine 11231 SE Market Street Portland, Oregon 97216 (503) 225-4860 http://www.ncnm.edu/

Naturopathic Medicine Network http://www.pandamedicine.com:80/
e-mail: staff@pandamedicine.com A great site for locating naturopathic practitioners or for chatting with other people about the principles of naturopathy. This site has everything you would ever dream of in a website dedicated to one particular alternative medicine therapy.

British Columbia Naturopathic Association http://www.bcna.bc.ca/

e-mail: bcna@portal.ca

Naturopathic Therapeutics http://www.healthy.net/pan/pa/Naturopathic/
aanp/h.naturo.therapies.html An informative site for information on the method and practice of naturopathy.

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences 6535 E. Osborn Road Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 (602) 990-7424 http://www.scnm.edu/