Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic medicine is based on the innate power of the body to heal itself. The role of the naturopathic physician (ND) is to teach how diet, exercise, lifestyle and natural therapies can enhance the natural ability to heal. Naturopathic physicians take all aspects of health into account and work to find the root cause of illness. Naturopathic recommendations are highly individualized and blend the best of modern techniques and traditional healing methods. Herbal medicine, dietary supplements, homeopathy, diet counseling, exercise plans, physical medicine, and stress reduction are a few of the techniques used in naturopathic medicine.
The Education of Naturopathic Physicians
A naturopathic physician attends a four-year graduate-level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as a medical doctor. Naturopathic physicians also study natural and nontoxic approaches, emphasizing disease prevention and overall wellness. Their training includes clinical and physical diagnosis, laboratory and radiographic interpretation, clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, and health counseling. Naturopathic physicians take rigorous professional board exams in order to be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care, general practice physician.
Additional Information
www.bastyr.edu
www.naturopathic.org
www.wanp.org
www.nccam.nih.gov
Informative Article by Beth Allen, ND
Is Your Naturopath the Real Deal?
Naturopathy is the study and practice of healing disease by natural methods. It is not a new field. Technically, it has been around since the dawn of mankind, since natural therapies were the only therapies available up until the mid-late 1800’s. Naturopathy nearly died out in the last century but has been making a strong comeback. Unfortunately, renewed interest has created a demand that unqualified but well-intentioned practitioners are seeking to fill.
Until the early 1900’s, the field of medicine in the United States was very eclectic with many different types of philosophies: allopathic, chiropractic, homeopathic, naturopathic, osteopathic and others. Medical education was substantially less formal than it is today. Anyone could open up a school and begin teaching. There were generally no educational requirements for entry. And very few schools had clinical training where medical students saw patients under supervision before graduation. In 1910, these problems came to light in a published report and resulted in the adoption of standards for all medical schools regardless of philosophy.
Between 1910 and 1950, interest in allopathic medicine grew and other philosophies declined. The Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918 created a demand for research into developing vaccines and prescription medicines. World War II prompted significant innovations in surgery. By 1950, prescription drugs and surgery had become the primary focus of medicine. Great hope existed that science could wipe out all disease by the end of the century. For a span of 30 years, natural medicines were more or less considered obsolete by the general public.
But events surfaced that began to change people’s perceptions about modern medicine and renew interest in natural medicine. Since the 1970’s, concern has grown over increased health care costs, the long term effects of drugs and the limits of science in curing illnesses such as cancer, HIV and chronic illness. Living in an age of international travel and 24-hour internet expanded people’s awareness that other medical philosophies exist. This renewed interest in natural medicine generated new educational programs. In the early 1970’s only one naturopathic medical school still remained in the USA. Today there are four nationally accredited schools in the USA, a fifth one in development and two in Canada.
Informal programs have also proliferated, and the same issues that were problematic in 1910 have resurfaced. Particularly with the development of online education, virtually (no pun intended) anyone can claim to offer a degree in naturopathy. Clayton College, one such online school in Arkansas, was shut down this past year for not being a properly accredited institution. For the most part, amateur naturopaths have no formal education in medicine and only limited education in natural therapies. The informal, amateur naturopathy programs also have no clinically-supervised, hands-on training with real patients.
All people who call themselves Naturopaths have an interest in helping others heal by using natural therapies. The important point to clarify is whether they actually have the credentials to make safe, effective and medically appropriate recommendations. In states that license Naturopathic Doctors, the terms Naturopath, Naturopathic Doctor and Naturopathic Physician are reserved for someone who has completed a nationally accredited, 4 year, graduate level naturopathic medical school. But in unlicensed states, legally anyone can use the term Naturopath whether they’ve gone to an accredited school or read a few books from the library.
It is important to verify the credentials of someone claiming to be a Naturopath, especially in an unlicensed state. Often people who have gotten an online degree may have a professional license or degree in a field other than medicine, making them appear authentic. Only Naturopathic Doctors are physicians specializing in natural therapies. It’s important to understand the distinction when choosing a holistic healer.