Naturopathy
Naturopathy(Definition)
A system of disease prevention and treatment that avoids drugs and surgery. Naturopathy is based on the use of natural agents such as air, water, light, heat, and massage to help the body heal itself. It also uses herbal products, nutrition, acupuncture, and aromatherapy as forms of treatment.
Source: The website of the National Cancer Institute (http://www.cancer.gov)
How Naturopathic Doctors Can Help
Source: The Institute for Natural Medicine
Specifically, naturopathic doctors help to:
- Boost and sustain the immune system and minimize inflammation after biopsy, lumpectomy, or mastectomy surgery[1],2 with the goal of shortening recovery times
- Safely reduce side effects of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and pharmaceutical drug therapies, as well as provide natural synergists to these conventional treatments to enhance their efficacy3
- Support the patient through mental and emotional stresses that any cancer diagnosis and treatment brings4,5,6
- Emphasize prevention measures in healthy patients motivated to reduce their cancer risk7
- Develop post-treatment recommendations to reduce the risk of recurrence8,9
Naturopathy: An Introduction
Source: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Naturopathy—also called naturopathic medicine—is a medical system that has evolved from a combination of traditional practices and health care approaches popular in Europe during the 19th century. Guided by a philosophy that emphasizes the healing power of nature, naturopathic practitioners now use a variety of traditional and modern therapies. This fact sheet provides a general overview of naturopathy and suggests sources for additional information.
Underlying Principles
The practice of naturopathy is based on principles that are similar to and consistent with the principles of primary care medicine as practiced by conventional physicians. These include:
- First do no harm. Try to minimize harmful side effects and avoid suppression of symptoms.
- Physician as teacher. Educate patients and encourage them to take responsibility for their own health.
- Treat the whole person. Consider all factors (e.g., physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, genetic, environmental, social) when tailoring treatment to each patient.
- Prevention. Assess risk factors and, in partnership with patients, make appropriate interventions to prevent illness.
- Healing power of nature. Seek to identify and remove obstacles to the body’s natural processes for maintaining and restoring health.
- Treat the cause. Focus on the causes of a disease or condition, rather than its symptoms.
Treatment
Naturopathic practitioners use many different treatment modalities. Examples include:
- Nutrition counseling, including dietary changes (such as eating more whole and unprocessed foods) and use of vitamins, minerals, and other supplements
- Herbal medicines
- Homeopathy
- Hydrotherapy
- Physical medicine, such as therapeutic massage and joint manipulation
- Exercise therapy
- Lifestyle counseling.
Some practitioners use other treatments as well or, if appropriate, may refer patients to conventional health care providers.
Efficacy and Safety
Some of the individual therapies used in naturopathy have been researched for their efficacy, with varying results. The complex treatment approaches that naturopathic physicians often use are challenging to study, and little scientific evidence is currently available on overall effectiveness. Related research is under way but is in the early stages.
Some studies have shown a few areas of scientific interest to pursue. For example, a study of warehouse employees with chronic low-back pain found that naturopathic care was a more cost-effective approach than standard physiotherapy advice. In another study, postal employees with chronic low-back pain had significantly greater improvement from naturopathic care than from standard physiotherapy advice. Researchers have also found evidence that naturopathic treatment may help improve quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. A study of treatment approaches for patients with temporomandibular (jaw) disorders found that two complementary health practices—naturopathic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine—both resulted in greater pain reduction than state-of-the-art conventional care.
In assessing the safety of naturopathic care, points to consider include:
- Naturopathy is not a complete substitute for conventional care. Relying exclusively on naturopathic treatments and avoiding conventional medical care may be harmful or, in some circumstances (for example, a severe injury or an infection), have serious health consequences.
- Some therapies used in naturopathy have the potential to be harmful if not used under the direction of a well-trained practitioner. For example, herbs can cause side effects on their own and may interact with prescription or over-the-counter medicines or other herbs, and restrictive or other unconventional diets can be unsafe for some people.
Where can I get this treatment and more information?
Search Online for qualified Naturopaths in your area.
Updated 2024