What Is Naturopathy Treatment?

Naturopathy is also known as natural medicine or naturopathic medicine. It focuses on the use of natural remedies and the body's ability to heal itself. Naturopathic practitioners use many approaches to healing, such as nutrition, herbs, manipulation of the body, exercise and stress reduction.

History

• The philosophy of naturopathy can be traced to ancient Greece, around 400 B.C., but naturopathy as a medical discipline grew out of alternative healing systems in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to HeartlandNaturopathic.com. Dr. Benedict Lust is known as the founder of naturopathy, and the person who popularized it. He studied under Father Kneipp, a practitioner of hydrotherapy, and both men came to America from Germany in 1892, the website says. Lust founded the American School of Naturopathy in 1902.

Types

• The type of naturopathic treatment will depend on a practitioner's area of expertise and the symptoms the patient exhibits. Traditional Chinese medicine is known for two methods of treating illness naturally---acupuncture and herbology. Acupuncture uses very thin needles of varying lengths in special points on the body to balance the body's energy field. Herbology cleanses of toxins from the body.

  Bodywork, or energy healing, may incorporate reiki, qi gong (pronounced "chi kong"), Quantum-Touch and other methods to balance the body's energy field and allow the body's innate healing to occur. Ayurvedic medicine, founded in India 3,000 to 5,000 years ago, uses herbs, bodywork, diet, exercise and meditation in order to bring proper balance to the body. Instead of focusing on a person's symptoms, it takes a holistic approach to an individual's healing.

  Homeopathy uses highly diluted potions of natural substances derived from mineral, plant and animal sources in order to restore health and stimulate healing. Hydrotherapy uses water to promote the healing process---through sitz baths, saunas, steam baths, whirlpool baths, and hot and cold compresses. Clinical nutrition treatments are a change in diet, through the addition of some foods or the elimination of others, while detoxification uses fasting, juice diets or enemas to remove toxins from the body.

Benefits

• Naturopathic treatments offer a holistic approach to healing with a very minor use of surgery and pharmaceutical drugs. They go after the source of the problems, instead of just treating symptoms. Practitioners also educate patients about their illness, how to care for themselves and how to prevent future illnesses.

Philosophy

• Practitioners must adhere to the philosophy of not harming a patient by giving false hopes for cures, by avoiding the suppression of symptoms and by recognizing the limitations of natural medicine and allowing the use of conventional medicine when necessary.

Considerations

• As with any form of natural medicine, it is always better to seek a professional in the field than to self-treat, as professionals have years of training in their specialties. Make sure that your practitioner is licensed, if required, especially when herbal or homeopathic remedies are involved, and tell your primary care physician about any naturopathic treatments you have received.