Naturopathy

Naturopathic medicine is a system of healing encompassing philosophy, science, art and practice which seeks to promote health by stimulating and supporting the body's inherent power to regain harmony and balance.

Although the term naturopathy was first used at the turn of the century, the philosophical basis and many of the methods of naturopathic medicine are ancient, some dating back at least to 400 B.C., when Hippocrates became famous for his treatment of disease in accordance with natural laws.

The philosophy of naturopathic medicine is based upon three basic principles:

1. The body has a natural drive to maintain equilibrium, symptoms of disease are viewed and indications that the body is striving to heal itself.
2. The root cause of all disease is the accumulation of waste products and toxins, due to poor lifestyle habits.
3. The body contains the wisdom and power to heal itself, provided treatment serves to enhance this power.

A naturopath will often view themselves as a teacher, whose job it is to educate and support the client. The treatment involved will vary from client to client but the following therapies are considered to be of primary importance in the naturopathic treatment of disease.

1. Nutrition and Dietetics:

This includes the prescription of a balanced wholesome, natural diet, based on the principles advocated by naturopathic practitioners for nearly 100 years and only now accepted as correct by the medical profession. Also specific, controlled diets may be given at the discretion of the practitioner to patients requiring a more rigid regime.

2. Fasting:

The controlled abstinence from food has been use therapeutically for over 2,000 years. It was advocated by Hippocrates as a treatment for many diseases, because it allowed the body to concentrate its resources on dealing with the disease rather than the processes of digestion. Although largely ridiculed by orthodoxy for many years, fasting has recently begun to gain a reputation as an excellent and safe treatment for conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, arthritis and rheumatism, various allergies and some psychiatric disorders.

3. Structural adjustment:

By such methods as osteopathy, chiropractic, neuromuscular technique, postural re-education and remedial exercises, the naturopathic practitioner seeks to balance and integrate the spine, muscles, ligaments and joints of the whole body.

4. Hydrotherapy:

This is the use of water, both internally and externally in the form of baths, packs, compresses, sprays and douches. Hydrotherapy is of value in most conditions and rightly applied can give remarkable results in the treatment of both acute and long-standing conditions.

5. Healthy life-style:

This includes the general care of one's body, the use of moderate physical exercise, the cultivation of a positive approach to life and health, relaxation techniques, etc.

6. Education:

In naturopathic philosophy it is just as important, if not more so, to explain to the patient why disease occurs and what the patient can do for him or herself to maintain the new, improved level of health given to them by naturopathic treatment. In this way the patient is given responsibility for his or her health.

It is also accepted that specialised therapies which are naturopathic in principle and practised by those qualified to do so may be considered complementary to the above methods. The therapies generally considered acceptable are osteopathy, chiropractic, relaxation techniques, herbalism, nutritional biochemistry and homeopathy.