Naturopathy, which is said to have evolved in Europe in the 19th century, is a medical practice that combines both traditional practices and modern healthcare approaches. Naturopathy is a system of medicine that believes the human body has the innate ability to heal itself. Though the medical practice of Naturopathy started in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was Benedict Lust who popularised the term Naturopathy.
Principles of Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a medical practice that focuses on the person as a whole and aims at curing health conditions by addressing the problems right at the root rather than just treating them based on the symptoms they project. Naturopathy encourages the body to heal by itself without the intervention of any other external sources. The purpose of Naturopathy is to realise and relish the healing powers of Nature and realise the interconnection between various living organisms. That is why Naturopathic Physicians follow certain sets of rules and regulations so that they treat the patients and ensure they do not harm them through the treatment process. There are a set of Six Principles that Naturopaths are required to follow during the treatment process, and these principles are:Healing Power of Nature
Naturopathy staunchly believes that Mother Nature has the extraordinary power to heal any ailment. Naturopathic doctors don’t just look into the symptoms in an individual. They get to the root cause of the condition and eliminate it at the root to prevent any re-appearance in future. The entire treatment procedure of naturopathy relies on nature and its mechanism.Identify and Treat the Causes
You must know that an illness doesn’t occur without a cause. That is why, before starting the treatment process, Naturopathic doctors try to understand more about the patient and the underlying cause of the particular health condition he is suffering from. This process may take some time, but the results are always good.Do No Harm
During treatment, all medical experts ensure they do not harm the patients. While treating patients, naturopathic doctors utilise methods and medicinal substances that minimise the risk of harmful effects on the patient’s health and apply the least possible force during the treatment to restore health.Doctor as a Teacher
In Naturopathy, a naturopathic doctor always ensures that the patient knows about their body, the healing process, and how to approach the health issue and cure their ailment. That is why naturopathic doctors teach patients to heal themselves and ensure that they follow a particular diet and lifestyle throughout the treatment process and beyond.Treat the Whole Person
In Naturopathy, it is not just about treating the specific disease that has affected a part of the body. Any illness occurs because of the complex interaction of physical, mental, emotional, environmental and various other factors, and naturopathy ensures a harmonic interaction of all these aspects to ensure the good health of an individual by considering all the factors.Prevention
Prevention of disease and attainment of optimal health are two main principles that naturopathic doctors abide by, and naturopathic doctors ensure that they prevent and stop a particular health condition from evolving further. During the treatment process, naturopathic doctors assess the risk factors, heredity, and the individual’s susceptibility to the disease and make appropriate interventions to prevent this illness in the patient.How does Naturopathy help?
Naturopathy is considered a holistic approach to treating a medical condition as it stimulates the body’s self-healing mechanism. Naturopathy treatment combines therapies, herbal medications, and dietary and lifestyle changes. Naturopathy helps treat the person as a whole while ensuring their overall well-being. These are some ways how naturopathy can help you:- Prevents Diseases – Using the most effective treatment, naturopathy helps cure your body of the disease and prevent its emergence in future.
- Treats Disorders – Naturopathy is a form of treatment that can holistically treat some common disorders like digestive disorders, allergies, skin conditions, etc.
- Aids with Sleep – The herbal infusions prescribed by Naturopathic experts help in treating insomnia and other sleep disorders.
- Increases Self-awareness – Naturopathy is a form of treatment that helps the individual connect with their inner self, and this helps them understand their body better and decipher what the body is trying to communicate through various symptoms.
- Safe and Effective Treatment – Naturopathy aims to treat the underlying condition and restore the natural body functions by encouraging natural healing techniques. Naturopathy focuses on individualised treatment as it helps to restore the natural body functions effectively. Apart from that, it stimulates positive thinking and lowers your stress, anxiety and depression levels.
Ailments that Naturopathy can cure
Naturopathic doctors use natural methods to promote healing and treat patients through therapies, herbal medicines, acupuncture and promoting holistic nutrition and lifestyle. There are various ailments that naturopathy can heal, but the treatment process may vary depending on the individual and the severity of the condition. These are some of the health conditions that naturopathy helps in healing:Allergies
The causes of allergies are poor immunity and digestive activity. But, in naturopathy, medical experts help you prevent these allergies by relying on nutrition. Naturopathic doctors look into a patient’s overall nutrition and diet scale to understand which food causes the condition. After identifying the cause, naturopathic doctors prepare a customised treatment plan to treat the patient.Infertility
Infertility is a condition that can be draining for people of all genders because it affects their everyday lives. Treatment for this ailment can be costly, and the process is highly complicated since it focuses on concepts like IVF. But in naturopathy, the doctors work on improving fertility by using natural methods in both men and women.Digestive Problems
Naturopathy focuses on different aspects of health and diseases, and while treating the patient, naturopathy doctors consider various factors like physical, mental, emotional, genetic and others. They have a comprehensive understanding of digestive health and are well aware of the various digestive issues – whether it is IBS, Ulcers, GERD or digestive conditions like auto-immune disorders.Obesity
Obesity is a health condition that affects a majority of people today. One of the main reasons for obesity is the diet and lifestyle of the population. In Naturopathy, there is a treatment for Obesity as well. Naturopathic doctors provide natural and safe diet and nutrition plans that will help you reduce weight effectively rather than fast weight loss plans that may have side effects.Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones are chemicals in the body that help carry out functions like growth, immunity and metabolism. But, at times, these hormones may go out of control and can affect the brain, heart and various other parts of the body immensely. But naturopathic doctors help treat this condition naturally by providing them with necessary supplements and herbs and encouraging a change in diet that helps them regulate the release and production of hormones in the body.Diabetes
Diabetes is a critical health condition that eventually starts affecting all the vital organs. In modern medical practices, some medicines and tablets help you control your blood sugar level. However, in naturopathy, doctors aid patients in regulating their blood sugar levels by adopting changes in their lifestyle and nutrition. These are the various factors that naturopathic doctors consider while treating a diabetic patient:- Regulating diet
- Preventing Over-eating
- Treating their deficiencies
- Promoting Exercise
- Maintaining weight
Mental Health conditions
Naturopathic treatments are not just limited to physical ailments; these doctors can also help treat mental health conditions like anxiety or depression. They identify the underlying cause of that particular health condition and prescribe the nutrition to help them change their mood. They also suggest exercises and therapies that will help them manage this condition.The Science Behind Naturopathy Medicine
In the field of Naturopathy, naturopathic medicine is as much of a philosophy as it is a medical practice and uses various natural therapies to treat different diseases. Science describes Naturopathic medicine as a drugless, non-invasive, rational and evidence-based system of imparting treatments with natural elements based on the theories of vitality, toxaemia and self-healing capacity of the body. While treating patients, Naturopathic doctors highly regard the patient’s mental and emotional health. But a question prevails – are the treatments offered by Naturopathy science-based? The science behind naturopathy is the evidence-based practices and principles from various fields of study, and some of these evidence are:- To become certified and licensed naturopathic doctors, candidates undergo rigorous training in medical sciences, similar to conventional medical doctors. Also, they receive specialised education in natural therapies, herbal medicine, nutrition, homoeopathy, acupuncture and lifestyle counselling.
- Naturopathic doctors understand the body’s physiology, biochemistry and interaction between the various systems of the body.
- Nutrition also plays a crucial role in the field of naturopathy as it focuses on the diet to ensure the overall well-being of the individual, and there is scientific research that supports the connection between nutrition and various health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or obesity.
- Acupuncture is an ancient practice used in naturopathy, and scientific research and studies suggest that acupuncture can stimulate the release of endorphins, modulate the neurotransmitters and affect the autonomic nervous system.
