Introduction
Some see the ancient Greek "Father of Medicine", Hippocrates, as the first advocate of naturopathic medicine.
Naturopathic medicine (also known as naturopathy) is a complementary and alternative medicine which emphasizes the ability of the body to heal and maintain itself, which practitioners believe is innate. Naturopathic practice may include different modalities such as abstinence, acupuncture, colonic irrigation, counseling, chiropractic, diet, exercise, herbalism, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, environmental medicine, manual therapy, orthomolecular medicine and relaxation. Practitioners emphasize a holistic approach to patient care, and may recommend patients use conventional medicine alongside their treatments. Naturopathy has its origins in the Nature Cure movement of Europe[1]. It is practiced in many countries but subject to different standards of regulation and levels of acceptance.
Naturopathic practitioners prefer not to use invasive surgery, or most synthetic drugs, preferring natural remedies, for instance relatively unprocessed or whole medications, such as herbs and foods.
Naturopathy deals with the healing power of nature since it believes that all healing powers are within your body. This means that within every human organism there is a healing energy, which includes our immune system in the fuller sense of both the physical and the psyche, which is responsible for our wellness and our ability to heal and maintain health. Since we fall ill only when we go against Nature, the cause of diseases (toxins) is expelled from the body to cure it. Fasting has been described as Nature's way to recover. A thorough rest, which includes fasting, is the most favorable condition in which an ailing body can purify and recoup itself.
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Following this first premise is the second, that the therapies used to support and stimulate this healing power of nature must be in "the gentlest, least invasive, most efficient manner possible".
The third Naturopathic premise is "to diagnose and treat the cause". Naturopaths do not simply treat the manifestation of the disease but rather search for the cause and treat it. To accomplish these goals, Naturopathic medicine incorporates many therapeutic modalities: herbal medicine, homeopathy, nutrition, hydrotherapy, food, exercise therapy, physical therapy, manipulation of the bony and soft tissues, lifestyle and counseling. Additionally, some Naturopaths elect to continue their education to receive a license to practice natural childbirth.
Naturopathic medicine treats the patient from the preventive stage through to serious, chronic and debilitating disease. Therefore, people can go to Naturopaths for colds, bronchitis, allergies, as well as for heart disease, diabetes, and malignant diseases.
Naturopathy is fast gaining popularity around the world for its safe and effective healing. In Indian homes, home remedies come before the trip to the doctor. All ailments are believed to be caused by what you eat and what you don't eat. Hence, a traditional Indian doctor will first make slight adjustments to your diet before he prescribes a medicine, which is the last resort.
As of this writing, virtually no research studies on naturopathy as a complete system of medicine have been published. A limited number of studies on botanicals in the context of use as naturopathic treatments have been published. For example, in a study of 524 children, echinacea did not prove effective in treating colds. In contrast, a smaller, double-blind trial of an herbal extract solution containing echinacea, propolis (a resinous product collected from beehives), and vitamin C for ear pain in 171 children concluded that the extract may be beneficial for ear pain associated with acute otitis media. A naturopathic extract known as Otikon Otic Solution (containing Allium sativum, Verbascum thapsus, Calendula flores, and Hypericum perforatum in olive oil) was found as effective as anesthetic ear drops and was proven appropriate for the management of acute otitis media-associated ear pain. Another study looked at the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of naturopathic cranberry tablets--versus cranberry juice and versus a placebo--as prophylaxis against urinary tract infections (UTIs). Compared with the placebo, both cranberry juice and cranberry tablets decreased the number of UTIs. Cranberry tablets proved to be the most cost-effective prevention for UTIs.
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