Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic Medicine, or Naturopathy, is a system of medicine that uses
natural substances to treat the patient and recognition that the
patient's mental, emotional, and physical states must all be treated for
a lasting effect.
Though the term Naturopathy was coined in 1895, this type of medicine
had been practiced for hundreds, if not thousands of years prior. In the
mid and late 1800s in the United States, the standard medical schools
taught herbal, homeopathic, and nutritional medicine along with surgery
and other more heroic type medicines.
Gradually, the pharmaceutical direction to isolate components of the
herbs created more potent, but potentially more txic drugs. Further,
with the advent of antibiotics, the long-term adverse consequences of
drugs was not understood and the slower, more gradual effects of
Naturopathic medicine almost pushed it into disuse in the early 1900s.
The current resurgence is due to a recognition of both the
accomplishments and the limitations of the current medical system and
the efficacy of Naturopathic medicine.
The foundation of Naturopathic medicine is the vitalistic philosophy of
the "healing power of nature." This means that within every human
organism there is a healing energy, which includes our immune system in
the fuller sense of both the physical and the psyche, which is
responsible for our wellness and our ability to heal and maintain
health.
Following this first premise is the second, that the therapies used to
support and stimulate this healing power of nature must be in "the
gentlest, least invasive, most efficient manner possible".
The third Naturopathic premise is "to diagnose and treat the cause".
Naturopaths do not simply treat the manifestation of the disease but
rather search for the cause and treat it.
To accomplish these goals, Naturopathic medicine incorporates many
therapeutic modalities: herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition,
hydrotherapy, food, exercise therapy, physical therapy, manipulation of
the bony and soft tissues, lifestyle and counseling. Additionally, some
Naturopaths elect to continue their education to receive a license to
practice natural childbirth.
Natural Medicine
Naturopathic medicine treats the patient from the preventive stage
through to serious, chronic and debilitating disease. Therefore, people
can go to Naturopaths for colds, bronchitis, allergies, as well as for
heart disease, diabetes, and malignant diseases.
Naturopaths are recognized in the state of Oregon as licensed physicians
who are trained not only in the naturopathic therapeutics but in the
conventional fields of diagnosis: lab tests, x-rays, physical exams and
other procedures. On account of this broad training, Naturopathic
physicians are best able to integrate conventional and alternative
medicine.
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