Definition
Also commonly referred to as naturopathic medicine,
naturopathy is a healing technique based solely on the curative influence of
nature. In contrast to other forms of treatments, naturopathic medicine is a
holistic system. As such, naturopaths or naturopathic physicians aim to unearth
the actual cause of an ailment by comprehending the body, mind and soul of the
patient. A majority of naturopathic medical doctors utilize a wide range of
medications as well as methodologies, for example, nutrition, homeopathy,
behavioral change, acupuncture and herbal medicine amongst others.
Naturopathy generally places a lot of emphasis on two areas.
These are:
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Sustaining the body’s therapeutic capabilities.
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Encouraging patients to make positive lifestyle
changes.
Whereas it is true that naturopaths cure both severe
sicknesses and mild conditions, it is important to point out that their major
focus is to educate patients and promote preventive treatment.
What to Expect from a
Naturopath?
As is the case with a normal GP, you should try as much as
possible to visit a naturopath on a regular basis. Visiting a naturopathic
doctor is akin to consulting a family doctor. The first consultation normally
takes more than one hour. During that time, the naturopath goes with you
through your medical history, while at the same time enquiring more about your
living and working conditions, stress factors, diet and lifestyle. Once the ND
is through with your medical history, he/she will conduct a physical
examination, which entails lab tests. Besides the traditional examinations, the
naturopathic doctor may also apply unique lab methods, for example, CDSA
(Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis). This particular examination enables
NDs to evaluate your digestive system in addition to determining how well the
body absorbs the nutrients.
A naturopath normally aims to cure the whole patient. What
this means is that, a naturopathy doctor takes into consideration different
elements prior to diagnosing a condition. A naturopath may assess your spiritual,
emotional and psychic state; your surroundings; your lifestyle; your diet prior
to making any kind of diagnosis.
Listed below, are just but a few of typical medications
applied by naturopathic doctors:
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Acupuncture.
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Nutritional counseling.
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Detoxification.
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Physical medicine.
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Herbal medicine.
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Hydrotherapy.
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Homeopathic medicine.
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Spirituality.
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Lifestyle counseling.
Naturopathic doctors usually regard patients referred to
them as partakers within their wellness program. Consequently, when you visit a
naturopath, you may be requested to start making lifestyle changes, for
example, the way you eat, the number of hours you sleep and the number of time
you exercise in the week.
What Types of
Ailments and Conditions React Properly to Naturopathy?
Since naturopaths merge different types of medications, it
is hard to point out actual ailments which react properly to naturopathy. NDs
cure not only severe sicknesses like asthma, hepatitis, cardiac ailments and
HIV and mild conditions like sore throat, digestive issues and arthritis. As
pointed out earlier, naturopathic doctors cure the entire patient instead of
focusing on the signs and symptoms. This in turn enables patients to play a
crucial role in their treatment process since they will be required to make
certain changes to their lifestyle. For instance, diabetics will be encouraged
to take into account what they eat and how much they exercise on a weekly
basis.
Finding a Qualified
Naturopath.
Prior to visiting a naturopath, you need to make sure that
he/she is licensed. As at the end of 2009, there were a total of 15 states in
the US, for example, Alaska, Utah, Idaho, Vermont, Minnesota and Washington
that had license requirements for naturopathic doctors. To find a naturopath in
your area, simply log into
www.naturopathic.org
and find out which NDs in your area are licensed.