NATUROPATHY
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct system of healing -
a philosophy, science, art and
practice which seeks to promote health by stimulating and
supporting the body's
inherent power to regain harmony and balance. Although the
term naturopathy was
first used at the turn of the century, the philosophical
basis and many of the
methods of naturopathic medicine are ancient, some dating
back at least to 400
B.C., when Hippocrates became famous for his treatment of
disease in accordance
with natural laws.
The philosophy of naturopathic medicine is based upon three
basic principles.
The first principle is that the individual possesses the
power to heal itself through its
internal vitality and intelligence. This vital force is
the foundation of naturopathic
philosophy and all the naturopathic practitioner does is
to create the favourable
conditions to stimulate and enhance this healing power of
nature.
The second principle is that disease is a manifestation
of the vital force applying
itself to the removal of obstructions to the normal functioning
of organs and tissues.
The naturopathic practitioner always seeks to discover and
remove the basic causes
of disease whether they be:
- Chemical; i.e. an imbalance in the chemistry of the
body fluids due to dietary deficiency or dietary excess,
retention of waste products due to inefficient functioning
of the lungs, kidneys and bowels, or poor circulation
of body fluids.
- Mechanical; i.e. muscular tensions, strained ligaments,
stiff joints,
poor posture due to occupational factors, as well as spinal
misalignments , leading to an interference in the functioning
of the
nervous system and the musculo-skeletal system generally.
- Psychological; i.e. impaired function induced by stress,
which may be due to worries and upsets in personal and
domestic life and/or
anxieties and pressures at work.
The third principle is that naturopathic medicine is a holistic
approach to health.
In other words, disease affects the whole person - body,
mind and spirit, and not
simply an isolated organ or system. Each person responds
in unique ways to his
her environment, each has individual strengths, weaknesses
and needs. Their
body's reactions to the same stress may be very different
depending on their level
of health, inherited tendencies, previous medical history,
etc. In treating the whole
person the naturopathic practitioner searches for causes
at many levels, and
attempts to eliminate the fundamental cause of illness,
not simply to remove
symptoms.
The task of naturopathic practitioners is twofold. First,
to educate their patients to
take more responsibility for their health and to assist
them to understand the
fundamental laws of health relating to rest, exercise, nutrition
and life-style.
Second, using natural therapies, to increase the vitality
of the individual and to
remove any obstructions, chemical, physical or psychological
which may be
interfering with the normal functioning and internal harmony
of the organs and
tissues.
The following therapies are considered to be of primary
importance in the
naturopathic treatment of disease:
1. Nutrition and Dietetics
This includes the prescription of a balanced wholesome,
natural diet, based on the principles advocated by naturopathic
practitioners for nearly 100 years and only now accepted
as correct by the medical profession. Also specific, controlled
diets
may be given at the discretion of the practitioner to patients
requiring
a more rigid regime.
2. Fasting
The controlled abstinence from food has been use therapeutically
for over 2,000 years. It was advocated by Hippocrates as
a treatment for many diseases, because it allowed the body
to concentrate its resources on dealing with the disease
rather than the processes of digestion. Although largely
ridiculed by orthodoxy for many years, fasting has recently
begun to gain a reputation as an excellent and safe treatment
for conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, arthritis
and rheumatism, various allergies and some psychiatric disorders.
3. Structural Adjustment
By such methods as osteopathy, chiropractic, neuromuscular
technique, postural re-education and remedial exercises,
the naturopathic practitioner seeks to balance and integrate
the spine, muscles, ligaments and joints of the whole body.
4. Hydrotherapy
This is the use of water, both internally and externally
in the form of baths, packs, compresses, sprays and douches.
Hydrotherapy is of value in most conditions and rightly
applied can give remarkable results in the treatment of
both acute and long-standing conditions.
5. Healthy Lifestyle
This includes the general care of one's body, the use of
moderate physical exercise, the cultivation of a positive
approach to life and health, relaxation techniques, etc.
6. Education
In naturopathic philosophy it is just as important, if not
more so, to explain to the patient why disease occurs and
what the patient can do for him or herself to maintain the
new, improved level of health given to them by naturopathic
treatment. In this way the patient is given responsibility
for his or her health.
It is also accepted that specialised therapies which are
naturopathic in principle
and practised by those qualified to do so may be considered
complementary to
the above methods. The therapies generally considered acceptable
are osteopathy,
chiropractic, relaxation techniques, herbalism, nutritional
biochemistry and
homeopathy.
Any naturopathic therapy should at all times assist the
inherent tendency present
in all living organisms, which is striving to restore biological
integrity and balance.
Observation of the effects of naturopathic treatment in
establishments all over
the world for a period of 100 years or more have established
that a therapy that is
truly naturopathic in its application gives rise to the
following phenomena:
There is a progressive raising of the general level of
health attended during the
process by healing crises (which are signs that the body
is dealing with the
disease); There is a return of old symptoms usually in reverse
order of their
appearance. This is especially true of those symptoms which
have been previously
suppressed;
There is a movement of the disease process from the deeper
tissues to the
more superficial, and from the more vital organs to the
less vital.
Professional help should be aimed at restoring a patient
to a point where he
or she becomes independent of treatment and is able to maintain
normal
health by such means as whole food, fresh air, exercise,
positive thinking,
etc. It is necessary to bear in mind that the terminally
ill, the elderly, those
overwhelmed by the stresses of modern life and those of
congenitally
physique may well require continuing naturopathic treatment.
Information Courtesy of:
General Council & Register of Naturopaths (GCRN)
Goswell House
2 Goswell Road
Street
Somerset
B1A6 OJG
Tel: 01458 840 072
Email: admin@naturopathy.org.uk
For Further information visit the website
www.naturopathy.org.uk
To obtain the latest copy of the Register of Naturopaths,
send a cheque or
postal order for £ 2.50, payable to GCRN, to the above
address.
