What is Naturopathy?
The philosophy that the body can heal from within using natural methods.
1. Pure Water
2. Sunshine Therapy
3. Whole Food Supplements/Herbal Supplements
4. Proper Diet
5. Prayer/Meditation
6. Exercise
7. Detoxification of the body
Key Principles
The practice of naturopathy is based on six key principles:
- Promote the healing power of nature.
- First do no harm. Naturopathic practitioners choose therapies with the intent to keep harmful side effects to a minimum and not suppress symptoms.
- Treat the whole person. Practitioners believe a person's health is affected by many factors, such as physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social ones. Practitioners consider all these factors when choosing therapies and use a clinically designed program for each client.
- Remove the cause. Practitioners seek to identify and remove the causes of a condition, rather than its symptoms. They believe that symptoms are signs that the body is trying to fight illness, adapt to it, or recover from it.
- Prevention is the best cure. Practitioners teach ways of living that they consider most healthy and most likely to prevent illness.
- The physician is a teacher. Practitioners consider it important to educate their clients in taking responsibility for their own health.
The practitioner does not treat nor diagnosis any disease...rather do an analysis and recommendation of natural products for inner healing of the body.
Naturopathy—is one of the systems of healing and beliefs that have evolved over time in different cultures and parts of the world. Naturopathy is rooted in health care approaches that were popular in Europe, especially in Germany, in the 19th century. The emphasis is on supporting health rather than combating disease.
Key Points
- People seek naturopathic care for various health-related purposes, including detoxification and support of wellness.
- Naturopathy focuses upon programs considered "natural,".
- Education and training in naturopathy vary widely. Ask about a practitioner's education and training, as well as any licensing or certification.
- Rigorous research on naturopathic medicine as a whole complete system of theory and practice that has evolved over time in different cultures.
- Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health.
A Brief Description of Naturopathy The word naturopathy comes from Greek and Latin and literally translates as "nature disease."
A central belief in naturopathy is that nature has a healing power (a principle called vis medicatrix naturae). Another belief is that living organisms (including the human body) have the power to maintain (or return to) a state of balance and health, and to heal themselves. Practitioners of naturopathy prefer to use an approach that they consider to be the most natural and least invasive.
Naturopathy was named and popularized in the United States by Benedict Lust, who was born in Germany in the late 1800s. When Lust became seriously ill with what he believed was tuberculosis, he was treated by a priest and healer in Germany named Sebastian Kneipp. Kneipp's treatment was based on various healing approaches and philosophies that were popular in Europe, including:
- Hydrotherapy (water treatments).
- The "nature cure" movement, which focused on restoring health through a return to nature. This movement advocated therapies such as gentle exercise, herbal medications, wholesome dietary approaches, and exposure to sun and air.
Lust found his health much improved from Kneipp's treatment, and when he immigrated to the United States at the turn of the 20th century, he was dedicated to popularizing it. Naturopathy's popularity reached its peak in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, naturopathy is practiced in a number of countries, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.
