Naturopathy

Naturopathic medicine is a specific system of medicine for which we diagnose, treat, and prevent disease and impairment, stressing the maintenance of health, preventing disease, educating the patient, and patient responsibilities with an emphasis on treatment of the whole person rather than just the patient's malady. The belief system of naturopathy is based on a philosophy of life, health and disease; Vis Medicatrix Naturae, meaning "the healing power of nature" thus believing in the mind/body to heal itself when given the chance (Micozzi 2006). The human organism has an ability to heal itself and the naturopath tries to remove the obstacles by natural treatments to stimulate the body to heal and cure those obstacles that prevent the healing process to take place.

Naturopathy hastraces of philosophical roots as far back as Ancient Greece (circa 400 BC) but has grown out of alternative healing systems through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The founder of naturopathy and the man who popularized while sustaining it was Dr. Benedict Lust; he was exposed to many diverse practitioners and practices of the natural healing modalities. From the years 1900 to 1917 naturopathic medicine was being formed in America from various forms to one eclectic system of naturopathy. In this time there was a merging of diet, hygiene, physical culture, spinal manipulation, hydrotherapy, emotional and mental healing, botanical/herbal medicine and the homeopathic systems through natural healing which all became one system called naturopathy (Micozzi 2006).

During the 1920's naturopathy reached a peak as far as public awareness and interest there were conventions nationwide attended by professionals, the general public and some members of congress bringing many states to enact naturopathic licensure laws but through the following years, from 1938 to 1970 because of a growing political and social dominance of allopathic medicine and fueled by financial backing of the drug industry, naturopathic medicine was legally and economically suppressed (Heartland and Naturopathy 2009). Through attacks from the AMA, calling naturopathy "quackery" and the death of Benedict Lust in 1945 there was the decline of naturopathic medicine and natural healing in America. Then as the AMA grew in political power this resulted in more restrictive medical practice and got many states to repeal naturopathic licensure laws resulting in the view that naturopathic doctor's were not true doctor's thus losing insurance coverage, lost court battles, etc. and brought the temporary "end" to naturopathy in the United States (Heartland and Naturopathy 2009).

Now there is a renewed interest in natural healing and alternative medicine that began around the 1970's and has only grown stronger the past few years. People are tired of allopathic medicine and their approach to treating just symptoms or focusing on the illness and not the whole person. Getting and being well involves many different aspects of a person from diet and exercise, to the mind/body link, it is all connected and we are connected to nature so one link leads to the other hence the basic philosophy of naturopathy (UMM 2009).

A visit to a naturopath is similar to a visit to a conventional doctor but your initial visit may take an hour or more unlike seeing the average allopathic doctor. You can expect a thorough look at your history and questions regarding your diet, stress, lifestyle, and environmental exposures. After an intake of questions there will be a physical examination and may include laboratory tests such as the ones the patient may be used to but can also include the N.D.'s own unique tests such as a Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA) which gives the doctor a look at the patients digestive process, specific nutrient absorption, along with other things (Hawkins 2007).

The naturopathic doctor looks at the entire (whole) person by taking into account every factor of the patient's life and family history before making a diagnosis and treating the patient. Common treatments used by an N.D. include: nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathic medicine, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, detoxification, spirituality, lifestyle and psychological counseling (Hawkins 2007).

Here is an example of a patients experience with an N.D.:

First step is intake, presenting complaint: what the patient is feeling, light headedness, fatigue, muscle pain, decreased libido, etc. (Dunne 2005).

Second step history, surgeries, lab work and results, treatments used, early traumas, environmental exposures, mental maladies, job and/or family stressors. Family history illness within the family, as much as known, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, any known maladies. Next to be addressed is social lifestyle such as alcohol use, children, spouse/partner, job, or anything pertaining to everyday life (Dunne 2005).

The exam is the next part in the visit followed by laboratory or standard tests that are ordered as needed including blood work, x-rays and such. After a thorough intake a management plan is made and discussed with the patient, which will be reviewed every couple of months to check on progress of patient's recovery and make changes as needed. Management plans will include diet, lifestyle changes, exercise, supplements, and any complementary treatments as needed, such as massage, acupuncture, herbal treatments, all leading to the recovery of the whole body/mind balance (Dunne 2005).

In researching this area of alternative medicine I came to realize how complete it is in regards to treating the person with every aspect taken into consideration. Taking a complete history including things from as far back as can be remembered can be an invaluable tool in diagnosing patients since one possibility can lay dormant for many years before health effects will surface. There have been cases in which a fall or blow to the head could cause a stroke or other illness years after the fact and without knowing the cause may not be treated in time or the right way.

In researching the field and learning about the process of diagnosis and treatment I have come to respect this form of medicine. Like all the alternative systems and modalities I feel it is imperative to blend the old and the new to have the best health care system possible. There is much to be said about the "old ways" and the new technology that is introduced everyday but without a healthy respect for both I think we short change ourselves in many ways. Society has been taught to believe in one form of medicine over another so an important part of medical history has fallen by the wayside, which is the ancient teachings and known benefits of alternative therapies and medicines. We need an open mind and an acceptance of all nature has to offer in order to keep our body and mind as balanced and healthy as possible, with this there would be no limit on what we could accomplish.

While writing this article the only surprises I have come across is the fight to integrate these alternative treatments and the lack of acknowledgment from the conventional medical community. There are many things scientists cannot prove but it does not mean they are not real or the outcome is not viable, "miracles" happen every day in medicine with or without intervention showing anything is possible.

My ideas and conceptions about Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) have only been enhanced and reinforced with the research that has taught us that these methods have or should have a place in our medical system. Working in any of these fields would be an interesting and eye opening experience with many rewards based on helping people in ways they may not have imagined. Working with botanicals and the natural world of medicine out there would be a valuable focus; I have always believed in "home remedies" and the logic or wisdom behind. I believe there is a cure for everything on this planet given to us by nature it just needs to be found and utilized. The planet is a living organism as are we so we need to sustain each other in the most natural ways available, that means using what the earth gives us while replenishing what we use; everything is about balance when something or someone is out of balance the structure suffers and there is a chain reaction that is detrimental to all things.

I am coming away from this research with a stronger respect for nature and the CAM therapies along with the possibilities they may hold for the future of medicine. I am glad to see a new rise in the interest of these fields and I hope it continues now that people seem to be taking their healthcare more seriously and are willing to think outside the box in terms of treatments and what is available out there. We are curious by nature and with that curiosity comes a great new learning potential and a drive to try more options in the face of need. The consumer is becoming more savvy in their own well being and what they want, with this the doors are opening to the world of CAM so in time with enough demand it may become an excepted form of treatment to be covered by insurance and a main source of preventive medicine. To be aware of the whole body/mind and the wellness of both could be the answer to the healthcare crisis we face today and since CAM practices this connection it seems the logical path to go down for the future. We are on the cutting edge in so many ways so we should utilize the knowledge we possess to venture into this (CAM) field with open hearts and open minds then the possibilities are endless.

I am excited as to the road ahead and where it may lead, learning about all the different systems and modalities out there has been eye opening as far as what can and should be done within the healthcare system. Writing this article has helped me realize just how far we have gone away from trying to prevent illness, instead illness takes over after the fact and we rely on the doctors to fix us without realizing how we got there in the first place. Prevention is the key in so many ways, as is being in tune with our own body and mind since it is all connected thus one influences the other in the balance of the system.

References

Dunne, N. (2005, December). Naturopathic medicine: What can a patient expect? The Journal of Family Practice, 54, RetrievedMay18, 2009, from http://www.ltpmedical.com/patient_handouts/what_to_expect_from_a_naturopathic_physician.pdf

Heartland Naturopathic Clinic, (2009). History of naturopathic medicine. Retrieved May 24, 2009, from Heartland Naturopathic Clinic Web site: http://www.heartlandnaturopathic.com/history.htm

Micozzi, M. S. (2006). Fundamentals of complementary and integrative medicine. St. Louis, Mi.: Saunders, Elsevier.

University of Maryland Medical Center, (2009). Naturopathy. Retrieved May 24, 2009, from University of Maryland Medical Center Web site: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/naturopathy-000356.htm