Naturopathic Cancer Cures

Naturopathic healing utilizes the body's natural healing power to prevent and fight off disease. Practitioners of naturopathic medicine treat not just a patient's physical symptoms, but also his overall condition, which includes the surrounding environment and the patient's mentality. When it comes to cancer, naturopathic practitioners avoid conventional therapies such as radiation or chemotherapy, and instead focus on natural ones such as nutritional therapies, acupuncture and acupressure, and hydrotherapy. In general, naturopathic therapies are used in conjunction with their conventional counterparts, and usually do not replace them entirely.

Finding a Naturopathic Practitioner

• The first step to relieving cancer symptoms (and cancer treatment symptoms) through naturopathy is finding a naturopathic practitioner. There are two types of naturopathic practitioners you can go to for cancer treatment: naturopathic physicians and traditional naturopaths. According to CanCure.org, naturopathic physicians must graduate from an accredited naturopathic university--which usually takes four years--and are allowed to perform minor surgeries and use IVs or intravenous fluids in addition to natural treatments. However, according to the same source, they are only allowed to do so in states that provide naturopathic medical licenses, which include Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. Traditional naturopaths have no university degree, and usually earn certificates from unaccredited naturopathic programs or schools. Because there is no standardized training for traditional naturopaths, it is important for you to ask for qualifications and find recommendations when looking for a traditional naturopath to perform treatment.
  According to CanCure.org, traditional naturopaths are not technically legal in the United States, except for in Minnesota, where they must comply with certain regulations. However, because the health risks involved with naturopathic therapies are minimal, most traditional naturopaths are allowed to treat patients without being troubled by law enforcement.

Naturopathic Therapies for Cancer

• Some of the most common therapies performed by naturopathic practitioners to help relieve cancer and cancer treatment symptoms are nutritional therapies, acupuncture and acupressure, and hydrotherapy. According to CancerCompass.com, proper nutrition is essential to naturopathy and is thought to help patients fight off infections and tolerate conventional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. Practitioners will often recommend that patients take vitamin and mineral supplements as well as supplemental protein milkshakes. In addition, naturopathic practitioners may also recommend that plants such as ginger, mint and fennel be included in diets, as these will help reduce nausea. According to CancerCompass.com, green tea, which has natural compounds that fight cancer, should also be included. Other often-used naturopathic therapies are acupuncture (the insertion of needles into strategic areas of the body) and acupressure (the massaging of strategic areas of the body). According to the above source, both therapies help relieve nausea associated with chemotherapy. Another common naturopathic therapy is hydrotherapy (or drinking large amounts of water), which can help eliminate the body's waste products and increase blood circulation.