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Naturopathic Medicine and Naturopathic Physicians

  • Naturopathic medicine had been into existence since the ancient times. It had been a form of ancient healing arts for various cultures. A formal system of healing and medicine was developed by Benjamin Lust in America nearly one hundred years ago.

    Naturopathic medicine refers to the underlying principle where the natural functions of the body heal in harmony with the naturopathic system of medicine. Its purpose is to support the potential of natural healing in the human body as verified by the modern scientific research. Today, the naturopathic medicine is now considered as an important system of medicine when it comes to health care because of its combination of scientific methods and healing power of nature.

    The basic principles of naturopathic medicine include the utilization of nature’s healing power, doing no harm, finding the cause, treating the completely human body, and preventative medicine.

    Over the years, naturopathic medicine had gained the respect of the state and federal government bodies, the media, celebrities, educators, members of the modern medical communities, and the rapidly increasing quantity of health care consumers most particularly in the United States. What makes naturopathic medicine very popular is because of its tremendously effective natural treatments. The treatments include clinical nutrition and hydrotherapy.

    Since the beginning of naturopathic medicine, the treatment of clinical nutrition had been one of its major foundations. Plenty of studies around the world have proved the benefits of this treatment. Vast cases of physical problems such as diabetes and heart diseases have been treated by clinical nutrition without any unpleasant complications or side effects.

    Hydrotherapy is the second major foundation of naturopathic medicine since the very beginning. It functions by improving the digestive cycle of the human body by bringing additional blood into the inner organs. Constitutional is the most common form of hydrotherapy. With this form, two towels are dipped into the hot water and squeezed. The towels are then placed on the patient’s front body for about five minutes. Afterwards, the hot towels are replaced with cold towels for about ten minutes.
    Even the founder of naturopathic medicine, Bernard Lust had been cured of tuberculosis through the treatment of hydrotherapy. Nowadays, hydrotherapy is often used to treat terminal diseases such as cancer and other simple illnesses like colds and infections.

    Of course, naturopathic medicine will never be implemented without the naturopathic physicians or doctors. Plenty of naturopathic physicians have been presenting themselves as primary care providers however; they still undergo strict trainings when it comes to the use of basic medical diagnostic procedures and tests. Procedures and tests must include blood tests, minor surgery, and medical imaging. It may also include intravenous therapy and natural childbirth.

    Similar to naturopathic physicians, traditional naturopaths are also guided by the same naturopathic principles and philosophies. However, traditional naturopaths are not considered as primary care providers compared to naturopathic physicians who are graduates of accredited naturopathic medicine schools.

    Naturopathic physicians are usually referred as doctors who understand much more of the health rather than the disease. They usually interpret based on the philosophy of treating and not by the collection of treatment strategies. They often prescribed medicines to patients that will help restore the patient’s sense of balance to be able to achieve a higher level of health.

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