User:Travis.Thurston/Naturopathic Medicine

This article is about Naturopathic Medicine, Naturopathic physicians and accredited schools of Naturopathic Medicine in the United States. For other uses of naturopathic medicine or naturopathy, see naturopathy.

Naturopathic medicine is a school of medical philosophy and practice that seeks to improve health and treat disease chiefly by assisting the body's innate capacity to recover from illness and injury. Naturopathic medicine may include a broad array of different modalities, including manual therapy,  homeopathy,  hydrotherapy,  herbalism,  acupuncture, counselling,  environmental medicine, wholefoods, holistic approach to patient care. Naturopathic medicine has its origins in the United States before the 20th century, and today is practiced in many countries around the world in one form or another. Naturopathic medicine and naturopathy is subject to different standards of regulation and levels of acceptance through-out the world.

Naturopathic physicians are trianed to provide minor surgery, and are taught and trained to understand most synthetic phramceutical drugs. Many patients who seek care from a Naturopathic physician are currently on these medications. They are also trained to use diagnostic tests such as imaging and  blood tests before deciding upon the full course of treatment.

History of naturopathic medicine
The term naturopathy was coined before 1900, by John Scheel, and used by Benedict Lust. Lust had been schooled in hydrotherapy and other natural health practices in  Germany by Father  Sebastian Kneipp, who sent Lust to the  United States to bring them Kneipp's methods. In 1905, Lust founded the American School of Naturopathy in  New York, the first naturopathic college in the United States. Lust took great strides in promoting the profession, culminating in passage of licensing laws in several states prior to 1935, including Arizona,  California,  Connecticut,  Hawaii,  Oregon, and  Washington and the founding of several naturopathic colleges.

Naturopathic medicine went into decline, along with most other natural health professions, after the 1930s, with the discovery of penicillin and advent of synthetic drugs such as antibiotics and  corticosteroids. In the post-war era, Lust's death, conflict between various schools of natural medicine ( homeopathy,  eclectics,  physio-medicalism,  herbalism, naturopathy, etc.), the rise of medical technology, and consolidation of political power in conventional medicine were all contributing factors. In 1910, when the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching published the  Flexner Report which criticized many aspects of medical education in various institutions (natural and conventional), it was mostly seen as an attack on low-quality natural medicine education. It caused many such programs to shut down and contributed to the popularity of conventional medicine.

Naturopathic medicine never completely ceased to exist, however, as there were always a few states in which licensing laws existed&mdash;though at one point there were virtually no schools. One of the most visible steps towards the profession's modern renewal was the opening in 1956 of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in  Portland, Oregon. This was the first of the modern naturopathic medical schools offering four-year naturopathic medical training with the intention of integrating mainstream science and naturopathic principles and practice.

Naturopathic physicians
Naturopathic physicians in the United States are independent providers with training in conventional medical sciences, diagnosis and treatment, and natural therapeutics with licenses or registration granted by an individual state Naturopathic Board of Medical Examiners. They graduate from four-year nationally accredited naturopathic medical graduate schools. Naturopathic physicians training with respect to modalities is different, with a focus on nutrition,  botanical medicine,  homeopathy,  hydrotherapy,  physical manipulation,  pharmacology, and  minor surgery. Some naturopathic physicians have additional training in the following: natural childbirth,  acupuncture, and  Chinese medicine. These subspecialties often involve additional years of study. Naturopathic physicians are required to attend continuing education yearly in order to maintain and renew their license.

Naturopathic physicians are licensed to diagnose and treat disease in Alaska,  Arizona,  California,  Connecticut,  District of Columbia,  Hawaii,  Idaho,  Kansas,  Maine,  Montana,  New Hampshire,  Oregon,  Utah,  Vermont,  Washington, US Territories:  Puerto Rico and  Virgin Islands.

Naturopathic Physicians are working in cooperation with both conventional and alternative practitioners to provide patients with complete medical care. Naturopathic physicians can bridge disparate fields with their training in both conventional and non-conventional treatment. Naturopathic physicians are able to identify and prescribe appropriate treatment including referral to conventional medical doctors.

For licensure as a naturopathic physician in one of those licensing U.S. states or Canadian provinces, candidates must have a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (abbreviated as N.D. or less commonly N.M.D.) /  Doctor of Naturopathy (abbreviated as N.D.) from an accredited institution in the U.S. or Canada and pass licensing board examinations. The abbreviation N.D. can also denote the professional title and status Naturopathic Doctor that is conferred by the licensing body in the state or province. In contrast, the "degree" Doctor of Natural Medicine (abbreviated D.N.M.) does not qualify for licensure as a naturopathic physician and carries no regulatory status in the U.S or Canada.

The Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathy is based on six tenets or principles :
 * 1) "The healing power of  nature"
 * 2) "Identify and treat the cause"
 * 3) "First do no harm"
 * 4) "Treat the whole person"
 * 5) "The physician as  teacher"
 * 6) " Prevention"

"The healing power of nature"
The healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae), has two aspects: first that the body has the ability to  heal itself and it is the naturopathic doctor's role to facilitate this natural process, and second that  nature heals. Following this principle includes getting enough sleep, exercising, feeding the body nutritional  food and, if needed, additional earth food, such as  herbs, or  algae, which is a living  organism. It is asserted, yet strongly refuted by critics, that plants can gently move the body into health without side effects posed by some synthetic chemicals in modern pharmaceuticals.

"Identify and treat the cause"
The underlying root causes of disease must be removed for complete healing to take place (tolle causam). These root causes can exist at many levels: physical,  mental,  emotional, and  spiritual. It is the naturopathic doctor's ostensible role to identify this root cause, in addition to alleviate suffering by treating symptoms.

"First do no harm"
The process of healing includes the manifestations of symptoms, so that any therapy that interferes with this natural healing process by masking symptoms is considered suppressive and should be avoided (primum non nocere). The natural life force of the individual should be supported to facilitate healing.

"Treat the whole person"
A core tenet of naturopathy is the belief that health must go beyond treatment of immediate symptoms (as with  medicine), and instead treat the entire person's well being. That means treating the entire body, as well as the  spirit/  soul and  mind. This approach is usually called the wholistic or holistic method.

"The physician as teacher"
It is the role of the naturopath to educate an individual in their practices and encourage that individual to "take responsibility for their own health" (docere). This cooperative relationship between doctor and patient is essential to healing.

"Prevention"
The ultimate goal of the naturopathic physician is prevention. The emphasis is on building health, not fighting illness. This is done by fostering healthy lifestyles, healthy  beliefs, and healthy relationships.

Regulation
In some countries naturopathy is unregulated and the term "naturopath" is not clearly defined. This may lead to difficulty in ensuring that a practitioner is trained to a particular standard or has adequate liability insurance. The term Naturopathic medicine and Naturopathic physician are used to define those practices in the United States that are accredited, licensed and insured.

Regulation in North America
Jurisdictions that currently regulate naturopathic medicine include:
 * U.S. jurisdictions with full licensure: Alaska,  Arizona,  California,  Connecticut,  District of Columbia,  Hawaii,  Idaho,  Maine,  Montana,  Vermont,  New Hampshire,  Oregon,  U.S. Virgin Islands,  Utah,  Washington
 * U.S. state with registration for naturopathic physicians: Kansas
 * U.S. jurisdictions with two-tier licensure: Puerto Rico
 * U.S. states with legal basis for practice: Minnesota,  Rhode Island
 * U.S. states which specifically prohibit the practice of naturopathy: South Carolina,  Tennessee
 * Canadian provinces with full licensure: British Columbia,  Manitoba,  Ontario,  Saskatchewan

Scope of practice
In the United States naturopathic physicians use the degree designation of N.D. (doctor of naturopathic medicine). In the United Kingdom, N.D. stands for Diploma in Naturopathy.

Challenges
Naturopathic medicine and Traditional Naturopathy

Naturopathic modalities may be controversial (eg homeopathy), or have proven effectiveness only for very specific conditions (eg  acupuncture,  aromatherapy)

There are reports of evidence based medicine trials published for naturopathy.

Advocacy

 * Profile of Profession: Naturopathic Practice (312 Kb PDF file) Center for the Health Professions, UCSF


 * Naturopathic physicians:


 * American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
 * Canadian Association of Naturopathic doctors
 * Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association
 * California Naturopathic Doctors Association
 * Connecticut Naturopathic Association
 * Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians
 * Washington Association of Naturopathic Physicians
 * Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians
 * American College of Naturopathic Obstetricians
 * Naturopathic Academy of Therapeutic Injection
 * Naturopathyworks - What is Naturopathic Medicine Link to research on naturopathy.
 * What is Naturopathic Medicine? by Gary Piscopo, ND, LAc and Eric Yarnell, ND, RH


 * Certifying Organizations:
 * American Naturopathic Certification Board
 * UK General Council and Register of Naturopaths

Criticism

 * Index to Information about Naturopathy – Quackwatch
 * Naturopathy by Robert T. Carroll – The Skeptic's Dictionary
 * The National Council Against Health Fraud
 * Naturopathy: A Critical Analysis by Barry L. Beyerstein, PhD, and Susan Downie

Current events and News

 * Can Naturopathic Remedies Fight Cancer, Hot Flashes? -Forbes.com

Naturopathic educational institutions

 * Ireland schools
 * The College of Naturopathic Medicine Ireland Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick


 * North American schools
 * National College of Natural Medicine - Portland, Oregon
 * Bastyr University - Seattle, Washington
 * Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine - Tempe, Arizona
 * Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine - Toronto, Ontario
 * College of Naturopathic Medicine of University of Bridgeport - Bridgeport, Connecticut
 * Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine - New Westminster, British Columbia
 * Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges - Association of the six above schools


 * UK schools
 * College of Osteopaths
 * British College of Osteopathic Medicine
 * The College of Naturopathic Medicine UK London, Bristol, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast
 * The College of Natural Nutrition

Category:Alternative medicine Category:Alternative medical systems Category:Healthcare Category:Simple living

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