What is Naturopathy and Naturopathic Treatment by Naturopath?

What is Naturopathy and Natural Treatment by Naturopath?

Naturopathy is a form of healthcare with naturopathic modes of treatment that may sometime combine modern and other types of treatments with  types of traditional methods. It includes alternative, natural therapies to modern medicine which can be sometimes referred to as integrated medicine. Thus, this is a type of integrated approach where most part is natural type treatment.

Naturopathy and Naturopaths focus on:

•          Body capacity of self healing

•          Stopping emerging of health problems

•          Naturopaths observe personal responsibility to optimize body health

 

Naturopathic treatment plans focus on education and prevention. They often emphasize diet, exercise, and stress management.

 

What is naturopathy actually?

Naturopathy combines both modern and traditional healthcare methods to form it an integrated medicine.

Naturopathy uses a series of tenets and practical experiences to create individual treatment plans with natural orientation.

What are the principals and beliefs under naturopathy?

These principles and beliefs by Naturopaths are:

•          Underlying symptoms: Rather than stopping symptoms, a naturopathic doctor can resolve underlying physical or mental issues by treating the body, mind, and spirit.Auto healing by the body: Identifying and removing obstacles to recovery, allows for natural healing.

•          No Adverse Treatment: Treatment plans should not have harmful side effects or control symptoms negatively.

•          Holistic Treatment: A naturopathic doctor does not recognize individuality to treat all aspects of a person’s health effectively but takes body as a whole.

•          Awareness about Treatment: Naturopathic doctors educate patients about self care to help empower them against diseases and adverse health conditions.

•          Prevention of Aliment: It is good to remove toxic substances from a lifestyle to prevent problems from arising.

 

Therapies may include acupressure, acupuncture, herbal medicine, Ayurveda, yoga and homeopathic sciences.

 

 

What are the pros and cons of Naturopathy?

The benefits and risks f Naturopathy are as follows:

 

Advantages of Naturopathy

Naturopaths create natural treatment plans that consider all aspects of the patient. Naturopathic Healers work on a more personal level of the patient, spending more time covering individual needs. 

Naturopathic healthcare can also be a cheaper alternative to conventional healthcare, many times.

Naturopathy methods can be useful alongside modern medicine. It is also known that these methods allow the body to activate self-healing mechanisms.

 

Risks of Naturopathy

Many natural treatment practices, such as healthful eating, are likely to be safe, but experts warn that regulations and licenses do not guarantee safe treatment.

Studies in naturopathic treatments often have small sample sizes and lack supporting scientific evidence.

 

When should I consult a Naturopath?

Naturopathic doctors may hold different licenses. Not all states in all the countries may have the same licensing requirements, so it is advisable to check the details of the naturopathic doctor before seeking consultation.

 

How many types of naturopaths are there?

The main 3 types of naturopath are:

•          Naturopathic doctor: In some countries a licensed naturopathic doctor must attend 4 years of naturopathic medical school to hold a recognized certification in order to practice.

•          Traditional naturopath: Traditional naturopaths may not hold a license, so they are not so broadly accepted by law but by people who see practical aspects of treatment. So better prudence is needed by the patient.

•          Other healthcare advisors: Other, contemporary healthcare professionals which w may also call allied health professionals or para-medical professionals, such as dentists, may incorporate naturopathic methods in their treatment plans for more promising results.

 

Treatment protocol may vary between naturopathic practitioners, but under formal conditions, consultations usually follow a similar overall practice. Ancient healers however are not bound to any sort of regular practices and are more result oriented.

A naturopathic doctor may suggest physical assessments, laboratory tests, medical imaging, and medical history examinations to diagnose a health problem.

A naturopath typically begins with diagnosis of the ailment. In this process, they will address personal patient information, lifestyle habits, stress levels, diet, etc.

After diagnosis, a naturopath tries to establish ways to prevent and treat the health problem by working with the natural healing systems within the body.

 

What are the Possible Treatments under Naturopathy?

Naturopathic doctors design medical care plans to suit individual needs and health conditions. This means the naturopathic treatment plans they offer may vary, but they all follow similar tenets.

Most treatments include food and nutrition which we call diet. A naturopathic doctor may customize recommendations for the individual patient.

A therapeutic diet plan will typically use whole foods, e.g. fruits, vegetables, lean meat, whole grains, etc.

The naturopathic healer may also offer advice on maximizing nutritional value by eating seasonal, local food.

Most naturopaths believe food is much better for the body when consumed raw, rather than cooked or with heat applied as it burns the nutrients.

 

What does naturopathic treatment include?

Treatments a naturopathic doctor may offer include:

•          Circadian Chart          

•          Diet and nutrition recommendations under diet

•          Lifestyle change, such as exercise and behaviour

•          Hydrotherapy, which is water-based treatment

•          Manipulative therapy, for instance, putting pressure on certain parts of the body            

•          Body detoxification like Sauna therapy

•          Psychotherapy by mind manipulation methods like meditation

•          Earth Therapy/ Zero Volt Therapy

 

Sometimes, naturopaths with appropriate license, my recommend prescription drugs, undertake minor surgeries, give vaccinations, give psycho therapies, etc.

 

A Natural treatment plans are useful in controlling type 2 diabetes which is well known world over with research publications. The same is true for blood pressure and other chronic conditions of patients

 

What are the Applications of Naturopathy?

Naturopathic treatment by naturopaths is usually not usually a person’s first source of healthcare. People often seek naturopathic remedies when traditional or other complementary treatments are not effective. While evidence proves that naturopathy is always effective while modern medicine may not be so.

Research based studies reveal that methods that use naturopathy may be effective in:

•          Anxiety

•          Depression

•          Type 2 diabetes

•          Cardiovascular disease

•          Musculoskeletal pain

•          Polycystic ovary syndrome

•          Other chronic conditions

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest naturopathic treatments such as acupressure and acupuncture can cure chronic disorders, however, this is not well supported by the formal scientific community. But practical experiences approve it.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) release categorizes naturopathy under Traditional and Complementary Medicine. Overall, the WHO states that this area needs more evidence to be sure practices are useful and harmless.

People can use dietary changes with caution to maintain a well-rounded diet. Naturopathic doctors sometimes recommend a gluten-free diet when it is not necessary.

If a person does not substitute dietary changes correctly, they can cause nutritional deficiencies.

Conclusion

Naturopathy is not a controversial field but other modes of theirapies create controversies for their survival.

Naturopathy blends traditional medicine with conventional healthcare to work with the body at natural level rather than seeing disease as a part only where it exists. A naturopathic doctor may use naturopathic methods to support modern treatments and surgeries. This is n ot a reductionist science like modern medicine also known as allopathy.

It is sensible for people to talk to a doctor and be cautious before changing to or adding naturopathic treatments to their usual methods, as some therapies may interact with existing treatments.