Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a method of healing wherein diseases are treated by using natural remedies like diet, exercise, heat, air, water, light, and other physiological means. This method of healing can be traced back to Hippocrates, regarded as the father of medicine, who said: ‘Nature cures; not the physicians’. Hippocrates and his fellow physicians were of the opinion that diseases were caused by an imbalance in various natural factors like water, air, and food.

Naturopathy is known by various names such as: Healing from Within; The New Science of Healing; The Natural Methods; and Nature Cure. Some of the examples of Naturopathy are: relieving the symptoms of a stomach upset by fasting; consuming a balanced diet for maintaining good health; the utilization of water as a method of healing. Dr. Scheel of the city of New York was the one who coined the term ‘Naturopathy’.

As a matter of fact, Naturopathy has its roots in various traditional medicinal practices in the world, including the Nature Cure of Europe and Ayurveda of India. These days it is practiced in a number of countries all over the world, in one form or another, wherein various acceptance levels and regulation standards are applied.

The modern form of Naturopathy dates back to the early years of the 20th century, and is a way of providing a whole body, or holistic, health care. Naturopathy is formulated around three basic principles:

• The physician striving to aid the natural healing capabilities of the body.
• Instead of addressing merely the symptoms, the root cause of the ailment should be dealt with.
• And most of all, using only those therapies that do not cause any harm, which basically implies that toxic drugs and invasive methods are to be avoided as far as possible.

Since the theory of Naturopathy propounds that psychological, physical and even spiritual factors can be contributory elements of diseases, a doctor of Naturopathy will usually pay particular attention to the lifestyle of a patient. In order to treat his/her patients, the practitioner of Naturopathy may utilize various forms of alternative therapies such as, herbal remedies, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, traditional medicine, spinal manipulation, exercise and massage.

The naturopathic healing method involves treating the patient right from the stage of the prevention of disease occurring to debilitating, chronic and serious disease. Hence, people can opt for Naturopathy for allergies, bronchitis, and colds, as well as for cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.

Naturopathy nowadays is gaining in popularity all over the world because of its effective and safe healing. For example, in many traditional Indian homes people first try out home remedies before resorting to consulting a doctor. What food is eaten or not eaten are thought to be the cause of all kinds of ailments. Therefore, a traditional Indian physician will make small adjustments to the diet of a patient first before prescribing any medicine, which is usually based on herbs. There are accredited Naturopathy medical schools, which involves a four year study period in order to become a doctor of Naturopathy.

However, modern medical and scientific communities express concern about Naturopathy replacing well-tested and studied procedures of medicine, which they think can endanger the patient’s health.