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Introduction to Natural Healing

Naturopathy, also known as naturopathic medicine or natural healing, is an alternative natural medical approach and a system of natural healing and health beliefs which have slowly evolved over time in different cultures and areas of the world. Natural healing and naturopathy is based on health care approaches especially popular in Europe, Germany in particular and more so in the 19th century, but also includes natural therapies from both old and modern medicine and from other medical traditions. In natural healing the main emphasis is based on supporting and maintaining ongoing good health by following a natural path and using natural methods as opposed to mainly fighting disease with drugs and medications.

Five Key Points

People seek natural healing health care for a variety of health related issues, including primary doctors care, heath and wellness, and treatment of disease and medical conditions, especially serious health conditions and diseases.
Natural health focuses on treatments considered "natural," but it's not without health-risk.
Education and training in naturopathy vary widely. Ask about a natural health practitioner's education and training, as well as any licensing or certification.

Rigorous research on naturopathic medicine as a whole medical system. A complete system of theory and practice that has evolved over time in different cultures and apart from conventional medicine. Examples of whole medical systems include traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, homeopathy, and natural health is taking place but at an early stage of implementation.
Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative medicine practices you use. Give the health practitioner a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help well coordinated and safe health care.

A Description of Natural Healing Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a nature-based medical system with its roots in Germany. It was developed more in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the USA, where today it is part of complementary and alternative medicine.

A group of diverse medical and health-care systems, health practices, and health related products not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional health medicine. The word naturopathy comes from Greek and Latin origin and literally translates as "nature disease."

A central belief in natural health 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 natural health prefer to use treatment approaches that they consider to be the most natural and least invasive, instead of using drugs and more invasive procedures.

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. He gave it the name naturopathy, led the way in developing it as a medical system in the United States, and founded the first naturopathic college and professional association.

In natural health's early years, other therapies were added to its practice-for example, homeopathy. A whole medical system that originated in Europe. Homeopathy seeks to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances that in larger doses would produce illness or symptoms (an approach called "like cures like"). and manipulation. The application of controlled force to a joint, moving it beyond the normal range of motion in an effort to aid in restoring health. Manipulation may be performed as a part of other therapies or whole medical systems, including chiropractic medicine, massage, and natural health. (a hands-on therapy).

Naturopathy's popularity reached its peak in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. However, its use began to decline when drugs (such as antibiotics) and other developments in conventional medicine. Medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. moved to the forefront of health care. Naturopathy began to reemerge in the 1970s, with increased consumer interest in "holistic" health approaches and the founding of new naturopathic medical colleges. Today, natural health is practiced in a number of countries, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. Survey findings on the number of Americans who use natural health are shown below.

Americans' Use of Naturopathy

In a national survey on Americans' use of CAM, published in 2004, just under 1 percent of the 31,000 survey respondents had used natural health. These respondents reported that they used it because they:

Believed that natural health combined with conventional medicine would help (62 percent)
Believed that conventional medical treatments would not help (53 percent)
Thought natural health would be interesting to try (44 percent)
Thought that conventional medicine was too expensive (28 percent)
Were referred to natural health by a conventional medical professional (17 percent).

CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Some health care providers practice both CAM and conventional medicine.

Iridology Eye Chart

One more area of natural health involves the study of the human eye and iris, which is known as iridology:

Iridology is an alternative medicine method whose supporters believe colors, patterns and other features of the eye's iris can be examined to evaluate a patient's health. Iridology practitioners compare observations to "iridology eye charts" which divide the iris into zones which correspond to parts of the body. Iridologists consider the eyes as 'windows' into the body's overall health.

Iridologists use the iridology eye chart to compare healthy bodily systems and healthy organs vs ones which are inflamed, distressed or overactive. Iridology natural health practitioners believe this information may be used to demonstrate a patient's susceptibility towards certain illnesses, to reflect past medical problems, or to predict later consequences of health issues which may be in early development stage or well underway.

The iridology eye chart correlates the left-eye iris (as viewed in a mirror), with portions of the left-side of the body. The right eye iris corresponds to the bodies right-side. Changes with eye colorization and appearance of the iris indicates to the holistic health practitioner likely changes to body health in the correlated area of the human body.

Six Key Principles

The practice of natural health is based on six key practitioner principles:

Promote the healing power of nature and promote using natural hormones instead of drugs.
First do no harm. Natural Health practitioners choose natural healing therapies with the intent to keep harmful side effects to a minimum and not disguise the symptoms.
Treat the whole person. Natural Health 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 tailor treatment to each patient.
Treat the cause. Practitioners seek to identify and treat the causes of a disease or condition, rather than its symptoms. They believe that symptoms are signs that the body is trying to fight disease, 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 patients in taking responsibility for their own health.

Who Provides Natural Healing Therapy and Treatment?

In the United States, professionals who practice natural health generally fall into one of several groups. (The terms used by some practitioners vary and may depend on the legal situation in the states where they practice.)

Naturopathic Physicians

Naturopathic physicians are educated and trained in a 4-year, graduate-level program at one of the four U.S. naturopathic medical schools accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education. Admission requirements include a bachelor's degree and standard premedical courses. The study program includes basic sciences, naturopathic therapies and techniques, diagnostic techniques and tests, specialty courses, clinical sciences, and clinical training. Graduates receive the degree of N.D. (Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine). Postdoctoral training is not required, but graduates may pursue it.

Depending on where they wish to practice, naturopathic physicians may also need to be licensed. A number of states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories have such licensing requirements (see the box below), most often consisting of graduation from a 4-year naturopathic medical college and passing the national standardized board examination (known as the NPLEX). The scope of practice varies by state and jurisdiction. For example, some states allow naturopathic physicians with special training to prescribe drugs, perform minor surgery, practice acupuncture.

A family of procedures that originated in traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles though the skin. It is intended to remove blockages in the flow of qi and restore and maintain health, and/or assist in childbirth.

Traditional Naturopaths

The second major group of practitioners are traditional naturopaths, or simply naturopaths. They emphasize education in naturopathic approaches to a healthy lifestyle, strengthening and cleansing the body, and noninvasive treatments. Prescription drugs, x-rays, and surgery are several of the practices that traditional naturopaths do not use. Education and training for these practitioners typically consists of correspondence courses, an apprenticeship, and/or self-teaching. Admission requirements for schools can range from none, to a high school diploma, to specific degrees and coursework. Programs vary in length and content. They are not accredited by agencies recognized for accreditation purposes by the U.S. Department of Education. Traditional naturopaths are not subject to licensing.

Conventional Providers With Naturopathic Training

This group consists of licensed conventional medical providers (such as doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, dentists, and nurses) who pursue additional training in naturopathic treatments, and possibly other holistic therapies. Education and training programs for this purpose also vary.

What Practitioners Do in Treating Patients

A first visit to a naturopathic practitioner is usually an extended appointment. The practitioner will interview the patient at length about his health history, reasons for the visit, and lifestyle (such as diet, stress, alcohol and tobacco use, sleep, and exercise). The practitioner may perform examinations and, if in her scope of practice, order diagnostic and screening tests. Toward the end of the appointment, a management plan is set up to address the patient's general health and problems with illness. Referrals to other health care providers may be made, if appropriate. Practitioners may deliver some naturopathic treatments in their offices, such as hydrotherapy or manipulation. Examples of additional treatments are

Dietary changes (for example, eating more whole and unprocessed foods)
Vitamins, minerals, and other dietary supplements
Herbal medicine
Counseling and education on lifestyle changes
Homeopathy
Hydrotherapy (for example, applying hot water, then cold water)
Manual and body-based therapies such as manipulation and mobilization
Exercise therapy
Mind-body therapies such as yoga and meditation, a conscious mental process using certain techniques — such as focusing attention or maintaining a specific posture — to suspend the stream of thoughts and relax the body and mind.

Some practitioners use other treatments as well.

Side Effects and Risks

Naturopathy appears to be a generally safe health care approach, especially if used as complementary (rather than alternative) medicine, but several qualifying points are important:

Naturopathy is not a complete substitute for conventional medical care.
Some therapies used in natural health have the potential to be harmful if not used properly or under the direction of a trained practitioner. For example, herbs can cause side effects on their own and interact with prescription or over-the-counter medicines. Restrictive or other unconventional diets can be unsafe for some people.
Some practitioners of natural health do not recommend using all or some of the childhood vaccinations that are standard practice in conventional medicine.
The education and training of practitioners of natural health vary widely.

Naturopathy as a whole medical system is challenging to study. Rigorous research on this whole medical system is taking place but is at an early stage. Resources for seeking findings from studies (including studies on many individual therapies used in natural health) are at the end of this Backgrounder.

Some Other Points To Consider

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. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
Naturopathic physicians are trained to know that herbs and some dietary supplements can potentially interact with drugs, and to avoid those combinations. To do so, they need to be informed of all drugs (whether prescription or over-the-counter) and supplements that you are taking.
Talk to the practitioner about:
- His education and training, and any licensing or certification
- Any special medical conditions you have and whether the practitioner has had any specialized training or experience in them
- Costs, and whether the services are covered by your medical insurance plan.

Some Points of Controversy

As in other fields of CAM, there are some controversies in natural health therapy, for example:

Practitioners of natural health do not always agree on educational requirements or how natural health should be practiced and regulated.
A number of beliefs and practices in natural health do not follow the scientific approach of conventional medicine.
Practitioners are divided on whether this natural system of medicine should be studied using conventional medical research approaches.

NCCAM-Funded Research in Naturopathy

Some recent NCCAM-supported projects have been studying:

CAM approaches, including naturopathic treatments, for women with temporomandibular disorder, a condition in which the joints connecting the skull to the lower jaw become inflamed
A naturopathic dietary approach including natural health supplements are good treatments for Type-2 diabetes
The mushroom Trametes versicolor, for its effects as a complementary immune therapy in women with breast cancer
The costs and effects of naturopathic care, compared with conventional care, for low-back pain
Herbal and dietary approaches can work well for menopausal symptoms.