Naturopathic medicines or naturopathy are a gift to humans that use natural remedies to prevent the body from diseases. And, a naturopath is a practitioner who applies therapies to help people get rid of diseases. Nowadays, people are getting affected by modern technology, poor diet, environmental pollution, stress, and depression. At the same time, the ability of naturopath to use natural methods to heal has been gaining importance.
What is Naturopathy?
Naturopathy helps in treating health problems while combining modern treatment with conventional/traditional methods. Naturopath uses natural therapies as an alternative option to modern medicines. The main key concerning areas of naturopathy:
- The ability of the body to cure itself
- Healing health problems
- Individual’s responsibility to optimize health
Naturopathic treatment plans solely focus on prevention and education. They mostly focus on diet, stress management, and exercise.
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Naturopathy uses a wide range of principles and beliefs to make an individual treatment plan:
- Power of self-healing
Recognizing and eliminating hurdles that come in the way of recovery and allowing natural healing.
- Identifying & treating the cause
Instead of stopping the symptoms of the problems, naturopathic doctors identify and treat them completely.
- No harm
Treatment that is used by naturopath will not cause any side-effect or other conditions.
- Complete treatment
A naturopathic doctor must consider each aspect to treat a person completely and effectively.
- Teach self-care
Naturopath doctors teach self-care tips to the patient to help them to fight against illness.
- Prevention
A naturopath may eliminate the toxic substance from the patient’s lifestyle to prevent causing more problems.
What is a Naturopath?
A naturopath is a kind of naturopath practitioner who uses natural therapies to treat a person. The spectrum of naturopath may comprise more than nutrition, exercise, fasting, and water. It comprises approved natural treating practices such as Acupuncture, herbal medicines, homeopathy, and the use of modern approaches like Ozone-therapy, Bio-Resonance, and Colon Hydrotherapy.
If we talk about naturopath, then they may contain different types of licenses. Not all licenses will possess the same requirements. Therefore, it is recommended to check the detail before taking consultation from a naturopath.
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Different types of naturopath:
- Naturopathic Doctors
A naturopathic doctor possesses a license, and they earn the degree by attending 4 years of naturopathy medical school.
- Traditional Naturopath
They don’t contain any license, so they are not accepted broadly.
- Other Healthcare Professionals
Other healthcare advisers also use naturopathic methods to treat a patient.
Methods can vary from one naturopathic practitioner to another, but consultation uses the same overall practice. The practitioner often starts with a diagnosis. In this phase, they get personal detail, including diet, habits, and stress level.
Naturopathic doctors often use physical assessment, medical imaging, medical history examination, and laboratory tests to identify health problems. Once the diagnosis is done, they establish a way to treat and prevent the health problem while working with a natural healing system inside the body.
Working of the Whole Process
The main concerning factor of naturopathic medicine is to heal and treat the patient, including his/her mind, spirit, and body. It also works to treat the main root of the problem, not just stopping the symptoms that arise.
Mostly, naturopath doctors take 1 to 2 hours examining you. They’ll get all the required information from you, including your stress levels, lifestyle habits, and health history. If necessary, they’ll recommend you for some lab tests.
After that, they’ll ask you about your personal health plan. No matter, whether you are taking consultation from an Adelaide naturopath or naturopath who lives in another state or country, but they will diagnose you properly. After diagnosis, they’ll move further for a treatment plan.
Adelaide naturopaths say that naturopathic medicine alongside modern medicine can allow the body to activate the mechanism of self-healing.
Naturopathic medicines more focus on prevention and education, so your doctor will suggest exercise, diet, or stress management tips. They can use alternative medicines like herbal medicines, homeopathy, and acupuncture.
They might also use touch like massage or pressure therapy to maintain balance in your body. It is known as manipulative therapy.
What Type of Health Issues Can Treat Naturopathic Medicines?
Several health issues can be resolved with the help of naturopathic medicines. Some of the common health issues are listed below:
- Fertility issue
- Headache
- Obesity
- Chronic pain
- Digestive problems
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Allergies
- Hormonal imbalance
However, make sure not to use naturopathic medicines in case of serious health problems. If you need to go to the hospital to treat your problem like cancer or heart problem, then don’t go for naturopathic medicines. This is because it can only boost your overall health, but you can’t depend on it completely.
Risk and Side Effects
Some naturopathic treatment options come with risks and side effects:
- Spinal Adjustments
Being a part of naturopathic manipulative treatment, your naturopath practitioner will apply pressure to your spine. But it can cause damage to your arteries, bones, nerves, and spinal disc. In some cases, it can lead to stroke.
- Supplements
Overdose of vitamins can lead to the risk of diseases like cancer.
These treatments involve reducing the intake of certain foods or fasting, which means you have to stay hungry for a longer time. It can be risky for those people who are diabetic patients. If you stick to a strict diet, you may not get proper nutrients.
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Conclusion
Naturopathy blends modern treatment with conventional methods to boost your well-being. A doctor uses naturopathic methods to support surgeries and modern treatments. Make sure to get a consultation from a doctor before changing or adding naturopathic treatment because it can overlap with your existing treatment.