Naturopathic Medicine - What is Alternative Medicine?
The term “naturopathic” was first coined in 1895 by Dr. John Scheel to describe a combination of natural therapies which included nutritional therapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, spinal manipulation, exercise therapy, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, stress reduction, and natural cures. Naturopathy was subsequently popularized by a German-born healer named Benedict Lust, who in 1902 founded the American School of Naturopathy. Lust defined naturopathy as the use of nontoxic healing methods derived from Greek, Asian, and European medical traditions. Naturopathy shares with these systems a belief in an underlying life force and views disease as the result of a healing effort of nature.
Consulting a Naturopath
Naturopath Michael Murray, coauthor of the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, and a member of the faculty of Bastyr College in Seattle, Washington, describes how naturopaths counsel patients:
- During the first visit, which normally lasts an hour, a naturopath uses history taking, physical examination, laboratory tests, and other standard diagnostic procedures to learn as much as possible about the patient.
- Diet, environment, exercise, stress, and other aspects of lifestyle are also evaluated.
- Once a good understanding of the patient's health and disease are established (making a diagnosis of a disease is only one part of this process), the doctor and patient work together to establish a treatment and health-promoting program.
Naturopathic medicine begins by assuming that the body is always striving for health. If an illness develops, the symptoms accompanying it are the result of the organism's intrinsic attempt to defend and heal itself. A naturopathic physician thus focuses on aiding the body in its effort to regain its natural health, rather than initiating a treatment that might interfere with this process.
Naturopathic doctors prefer nontoxic and noninvasive treatments which minimize the risks of harmful side effects. They are trained to distinguish which patients they can treat safely and which need referral to other health care practitioners. Naturopaths are currently licensed to practice in all but seven states in the U.S. Naturopathic physicians who have attended an accredited four-year program are trained in most of the same scientific disciplines taught in conventional medical schools. Consequently, most naturopaths use medical tests, such as blood and urine analysis, for diagnosis. Many naturopaths may use modern medicine, including drugs and surgery in certain extreme crisis situations, although they remain committed to using nontoxic and noninvasive methods. Currently, licensing for naturopathic physicians is available in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. There are two accredited colleges in the United States that offer degrees in naturopathic medicine: Bastyr College in Seattle, Washington, and Southwest College in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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