What Does a Naturopathic Physician Do?

 Naturopathic Services

Increased globalization has helped to bring greater awareness of eastern-style and alternative medicine. Many naturopathic treatments have initially been viewed with suspicion by the established medical community. In times past, naturopathic physicians were also viewed as dangerous quacks. In many places there were even laws passed to prevent them from practicing. However, as scientific knowledge and modern medicine increased, physicians started realizing the credibility and value of a naturopathic approach. This has resulted in natural medicine being incorporated in with conventional medical practice.

Naturopathy over the last couple of decades is evolving once again into its distinct and unique type of medical practice. Despite growing acceptance, some traditional medical community members still are resistant. Evidence-based research is in the process of being conducted to work towards validating alternative medicine and herbal remedies as well as increase the credibility of various naturopathic practices.

When it comes to naturopathic medicine, the primary health care provider is the naturopathic physician. The doctors uses alternative and complementary therapies in addition to mainstream medical practices. The goal is to treat the disease's underlying causes while at the same time stimulating the healing abilities of the body. Natural remedies are usually chosen over pharmaceuticals. There is a holistic approach that is used and numerous doctors advocate using conventional treatments in addition to naturopathic ones. Patients will be referred to other practitioners by a naturopathic doctor if treatment lies outside of the scope of naturopathic practice.

The following are some of the major naturopathy philosophies:

1. The concept that individual responsibility should be taken by a patient for his or her own health.
2. Having a holistic focus in terms of how lifestyle, environmental, spiritual, social, psychological, physiological and structure factors contribute to a person's overall health.
3. Diagnoses performed using a natural perspective, and disease being viewed as being caused by environmental influences, stress, lifestyle deficiencies or a physiological imbalance.
4. A broad selection of natural therapies used for treatment.
5. An emphasis on promoting good health and disease prevention.
6. That some underlying causes of diseases include being exposed to toxic substances or chemicals; lifestyle factors; poor nutrition; psychological and physical stress; and impurities of food, water or air.

An individualized treatment plan is designed by a naturopathic physicians and natural treatments like the following are prescribed:

• Diet and nutrition
• Colon therapy, hydrotherapy, massage therapy, etc.
• Lifestyle counseling
• Acupuncture and other eastern remedies
• Botanical or homeopathic medicine