Naturopathy

Naturopathic medicine or Naturopathy is the use of natural substances to treat a patient. It is not just the nature of the specific complaint that is taken into account. Naturopaths believe that a specific ailment affects other bodily systems, which are all interconnected, and these in turn produce other mental, emotional, and physical effects. It is believed that these all need to be taken into account and treated in specific ways including ensuring that the patient eats a properly formulated diet to aid healing.

Naturopathic medicine has been practiced in a wide range of different cultures over thousands of years. Specialist areas include Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, and Herbs. Chinese medicine is still very popular and there is a groundswell of interest in using natural remedies rather than synthetically produced medicines which some people believe have the potential to cause more side effects than natural remedies. In fact it is only relatively recently, in the last 100 years or so, that modern medicine and pharmaceuticals have become standard practice. Medical Schools used to teach students about herbs, nutrition, and homeopathy right up to the beginning of the last century.

The core beliefs of Naturopathy are that the body has natural healing powers to heal itself, and that the immune system is just as important as the psyche in achieving wellness. Natural products should be used in order to avoid side effects of synthetic chemicals to support and stimulate the healing process. These herbs and treatments should be used in the gentlest, least invasive and most efficient way possible. Some of them can have damaging effects if used ion the wrong quantity or on pregnant women, and the course should cover these aspects of toxicology. Naturopaths aim to find and treat the cause of disease rather than just the symptoms in isolation. In order to achieve this objective, the Naturopath has many ‘tools’ which they can use such as: herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, hydrotherapy, diet, exercise therapy, physical therapy, various types of soft tissue massage and joint manipulation, lifestyle parameters and counseling.

If you are interested in following this specialty as a career, you will need to have a caring nature, be a good listener and methodical in your approach. The legislation and licensing requirements to practice naturopathy varies between states, so you will need to check what these are in the sate in which you intend to work. Many require licensure and a higher qualification.