Naturopathy is a system
of healing that aims to provide holistic or
whole body healthcare by drawing on
treatment methods from several traditional
systems of medicine. Naturopathy seeks to
use the natural healing powers of the body
to cure itself. It focuses on treating the
cause of a disease rather than the symptoms
themselves.
Naturopathy maintains that the body can heal
itself if given the right circumstances and
conditions. It uses a range of treatments to
stimulate the body’s own healing powers
(‘vital force’). Treatments include
nutrition, dietetics, herbal medicine,
homoeopathy and tactile therapies like
massage, acupressure and Bowen technique.
Many of the foundations of naturopathy –
such as the importance of diet, clean fresh
water, sunlight, exercise and stress
management – have been adopted by
conventional medicine.
Naturopathy has evolved out of the ancient
healing traditions of Europe, with its roots
firmly grounded in early Greek medical
philosophy but with an expanded and
scientific understanding from more modern
sources. It is now recognised by mainstream
medicine as a valuable and effective
treatment for a variety of disorders.
The origins of Naturopathy
The principles of Naturopathy were
first used by the Hippocratic School of
Medicine in about 400B.C. The Greek
philosopher Hippocrates believed in viewing
the whole person in regards to finding a
cause of disease, and using the laws of
nature to induce cure. It was from this
original school of thought that Naturopathy
takes its principles:
- The healing power
of nature- nature has the innate ability
to heal
- Identify and treat
the cause - there is always an
underlying cause, be it physical or
emotional
- Do no harm- a
Naturopath will never use treatments
that may create other conditions
- Treat the whole
person- when preparing a treatment plan,
all aspects of a person’s being are
taken into consideration
- The physician as
teacher- a Naturopath empowers the
patient to take responsibility for
his/her own health by teaching self-care
- Prevention is
better than cure - a Naturopath may
remove toxic substances and situations
from a patient’s lifestyle to prevent
the onset of further disease
What does naturopathy do?
Good health and wellness is what
naturopathic treatment is all about. The
main emphasis of naturopathic practice is
the belief that the body has an inbuilt
ability to strive for health. The role of a
naturopath is to work with a person to
promote the natural healing of the body.
Naturopathy is rooted in the belief that
health is more than just the absence of
disease and works on strengthening the
body’s natural defences.
How do naturopaths work?
Naturopaths see the symptoms of a disease as
the body’s defence mechanism attempting to
move the person back to a state of health. A
naturopath will work with this process
rather than suppress the symptoms, such as
fever, diarrhoea, or loss of appetite.
A naturopath will design a treatment path
that me ets
your body’s needs. They may at first advise
you on how to remove the underlying causes
of the stress that is causing problems in
the body. This could involve recommending
dietary changes, and encouraging ways of
achieving a deeper level of relaxation.
The naturopath may then suggest ways to
nourish and cleanse the body, by suggesting
dietary changes that might involve avoiding
certain foods, eating certain foods, taking
various vitamin, mineral or food
supplements, or drinking fruit and vegetable
juices. Often, the naturopath will recommend
a diet high in fresh, raw fruits,
vegetables, wholegrains, seeds and nuts.
The naturopath will also be concerned with
ridding the body of accumulated toxins. The
naturopath may suggest that the person
eliminates tea, coffee, tobacco and alcohol.
The naturopath may also suggest that the
person undertakes a cleansing fast,
diet, or specific
cleansing session such as colon cleanse,
liver cleanse and so on.
Early detection and prevention
Naturopathy has a strong focus on
the prevention of health problems and the
early detection of a person’s likelihood of
developing a health disorder
(predisposition). Naturopathy is also very
effective at treating acute and chronic
health issues.
Naturopathy aims to:
- Minimise acute
symptoms
- Support the
body’s vital force (capacity to self-heal)
- Re-balance the
system so that illness is less likely to
occur in the future
- Educate the
patient to look after their own health and
the health of their family.
What therapies do naturopaths
use?
The naturopath employs a range of
non-invasive techniques and these include
(but are not limited to):
- Nutrition and dietary advice – this
is one of naturopathy’s foundations. A
poor diet stops the body from
functioning well and a build-up of
toxins can contr
 ibute
to a range of illnesses. Whole, fresh
and unprocessed foods are recommended.
- Herbal medicine – herbs are as
potent as pharmaceutical drugs and can
be used to great effect.
- Homeopathy – homeopathic treatments
are used to stimulate the immune system.
- Hydrotherapy (water therapy) –
another foundation of naturopathy. For
instance, the use of hot and cold
compresses might be used for certain
disorders to influence the flow of blood
and body heat.
- Physical therapies – such as
massage, bowen, acupressure,
bio-puncture or mechanotherapy.
- Kinesiology and integrated
bio-dynamics (IBD).
- Counselling techniques – emotional
problems and stress can interfere with
the healing process. Counselling
techniques can include stress management
strategies and life coaching.
What is a healing crisis?
Naturopaths often talk about the concept of
the 'healing crisis'. When a person
undertakes changes in their diet, or
undertakes fasting or cleansing diets, a
healing crisis may be triggered. This is
actually a worsening of their symptoms and
people who have accumulated a large amount
of toxins in the body are considered most
susceptible. It is thought that when the
dietary changes are made, the toxins are
forced out of the body's organs such as the
kidneys, liver, lungs and skin and these can
become overloaded which leads to an initial
worsening of the original condition plus
such symptoms as headaches, skin eruptions,
bad breath and seemingly unrelated aches and
pains. These extra symptoms are generally
short-lived and subside within a number of
days and are considered by naturopaths as a
sign that the healing process has begun.
What do naturopaths treat?
Common ailments that naturopaths seek to
treat or relieve the underlying causes of
include:
- allergies,
including food allergies;
- arthritic
conditions;
- asthma;
- back pain and
problems;
- chronic fatigue
syndrome;
- constipation;
- depression;
- digestive
complaints such as irritable bowel
syndrome and ulcers;
- hypertension (high
blood pressure);
- menstrual and
menopausal problems;
- migraine; and
- skin conditions,
such as eczema.
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