Naturopathic medicine blends centuries-old natural, non-toxic therapies with current advances in the study of health and human systems, covering all aspects of family health from prenatal to geriatric care.

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are the nation's leading experts in natural medicine and natural health care. In states where naturopathic medicine is regulated, naturopathic doctors serve both as family doctors and specialists in natural medicine.  They are recognized as primary care providers by insurance companies and general practitioners for families.

Naturopathic medicine concentrates on whole-patient wellness --- the medicine is tailored to the patient and emphasizes prevention and self-care. Naturopathic medicine focuses on finding ways to stimulate the healing capacity of the body to restore balance and normal function. It does this in many ways. One way is to identify and treat the underlying cause of the illness rather than focusing solely on symptomatic treatment. For example, sinus congestion might be caused by a food allergy, an infection or an environmental factor --- a naturopathic doctor would focus diagnosis and treatment on these causal factors.

Naturopathic doctors are trained in modern science and cooperate responsibly with medical doctors to insure the best care for their patients by referring them to specialists for diagnosis or treatment when appropriate.

  Naturopathic Doctors are Guided by Six Principles

This set of principles, emphasized throughout a naturopathic doctor's training, outlines the philosophy guiding the naturopathic approach to health and healing and forms the foundation of this distinct health care profession.

First Do No Harm

The fear of dangerous side effects from medical treatment is as real today as it was in ancient Greece when Hippocrates first formulated his oath for physicians. NDs take this concept seriously and choose remedies and therapies that are safe and effective, to increase overall health and decrease harmful side effects.

 

Harness the Healing Power of Nature

NDs believe that nature heals, not the doctor or the drug, and the focus of naturopathic medicine is to restore and support the powerful and inherent healing abilities of the body, mind and spirit. Naturopathic medicine harnesses the vast potential of the natural world to stimulate the process of healing and prevent further disease from occurring.

 

Identify and Treat the Cause

Naturopathic doctors realize that a person will rarely get better unless the underlying cause of the illness is removed. The naturopathic doctor attempts to determine and treat the underlying causes of illness, rather than simply managing the symptoms.

 

Treat the Whole Person

Each person is unique and requires individualized care. In treating the cause of any condition, the naturopathic doctor takes into account not only a person's physical symptoms, but also the person who has the symptoms. Disease affects the entire person, not just a specific organ or system. Thoughts, feelings, lifestyle, family history, environmental stresses, nutritional status and general physical state are all carefully evaluated and addressed.

Educate

Naturopathic doctors focus on education, helping people understand health and illness.  It is a doctor's responsibility to give their patients the tools to live in balance and become responsible for their own health.

 

Maintain Health and Wellness

Health is more than just the absence of disease. The naturopathic doctor applies all of the above principles in a proactive form of prevention against the development of more serious chronic or degenerative diseases. Optimum health entails daily functioning at the highest possible levels, and is characterized by positive emotions, thoughts and actions. The capacity for wellness is inherent in everyone.

 

Natural Therapies

Clinical Nutrition

Naturopathic doctors use food, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other natural substances to stimulate a healing response.

 

Botanical Medicine

Medicinal plants and plant extracts from all over the world, used according to traditional and modern scientific principles. Naturopathic doctors are the only health care providers fully trained in the use of botanical medicine.

Homeopathy

This powerful system of medicine is based on the "law of similars." Specially prepared dilutions of diluted substances are carefully matched with the patient's symptoms in order to stimulate the body's innate healing capacity.

Physical Medicine

Naturopathic doctors use the practices of hydrotherapy, exercise therapy, massage, and manipulation of the bones, joints, muscles, and soft tissues to restore function and health.

Lifestyle Counseling

Naturopathic doctors work with their patients to examine all aspects of a their life, including attitude, diet, exercise, and coping with and avoiding occupational stress and environmental hazards, understanding that health depends on many things.

 

Acupuncture

Some naturopaths practice acupuncture and have received additional training in order to do so. They meet all legal requirements and hold licenses in Colorado as acupuncturists

 

A Typical Visit

Naturopathic doctors take the time to listen and understand what the patient is saying:

1. Time

Expect to spend time talking with your naturopathic doctor. A typical initial naturopathic visit runs between an hour and an hour and a half. The doctor will listen and ask questions as you describe your symptoms, your usual day, the foods you eat, the kind of work you do, the stresses you are dealing with, and your physical and emotional background. Follow-up visits run approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

2. Focus

Naturopathic doctor are trained to treat you, not just your symptoms. Instead of prescribing an antihistamine to you if you come in with a runny nose, a naturopathic doctor will work to find out why your nose is running in the first place. You may have allergies, a viral or bacterial or even fungal infection. A naturopathic doctor will work with you to identify and remove the allergy-causing substance, boos your immune system, or attack the infection.

3. Comprehensive Care

A Naturopathic doctor is trained to treat the whole person. A digestive disorder can lead to dermatological symptoms, fatigue, even depression. In conventional medicine, you would often be referred to three or four different doctors for treatment. In naturopathic medicine, the doctor assesses your symptoms as a whole, often finding they are inter-related. When the cause of the symptoms is treated, ALL of the symptoms improve.

4. Referrals

Naturopathic doctors are trained to recognize when seemingly simple symptoms may portend a serious underlying problem. They are trained and encouraged to refer patients whom they feel may need further diagnostic work-ups or treatments that are outside the scope of their training.

A Little History

 

Naturopathic medicine in the United States came into existence just over 100 years ago. Its origin was rooted in the Nature Cure movement in Europe that developed in the 1800s, a movement that encouraged the use of natural therapies to treat disease. These ideas were brought to the United States by a German immigrant named Benedict Lust. While the art of using natural therapies was long established and centuries old, Benedict Lust incorporated their use into a medical profession, modeling naturopathic medical training after that of medical doctors at that time. He combined the study of modern medical science with the study of natural therapies and philosophy that have been effectively used to treat diseases since ancient times. The uses of herbal remedies, dietary interventions, hydrotherapy, and lifestyle changes have been used throughout history and in nearly every culture. Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived 2400 years ago, first formulated the concept of vis medicatrix naturae -- "the healing power of nature." This concept has long been at the core of medicine in many cultures around the world and remains one of the central themes of naturopathic medicine and practice today.

 

Naturopathic medicine was popular and widely available throughout the United States and Europe well into the early part of the 20th century. Conventional medicine and naturopathy were at one time quite similar in their use of medicinal plants, diet therapies, and hydrotherapy treatments. Only within the last 40 to 50 years has conventional medicine diverged from this path.

 

In 1920, there were many naturopathic medical schools, thousands of naturopathic doctors, and thousands of patients using naturopathic therapies around the country. There was even a naturopathic school in Denver that operated from about 1920 to the 1960's. But by mid-century the rise of "technological medicine" and the discovery and increased use of "miracle drugs" like antibiotics caused the decline of naturopathic medicine and most other methods of natural healing.

 

By the 1970s,  many were becoming disenchanted with what had become "conventional medicine." The profound clinical limitations and out-of-control costs were becoming problematic and the side effects of prescription drugs often outweighed their benefits. As a result, millions of Americans choose to look for options and alternatives. Naturopathy, and all of complementary and alternative medicine, began an era of rejuvenation.

 

Naturopathic Medicine Today

Today, more people than ever are seeking naturopathic medical care, and naturopathic medical schools are growing at rapid rates to accommodate the increased demand for naturopathic education. All naturopathic medical college programs in the United States are four-year, full-time, post-graduate academic, residential programs.  Students attend classes in person on campus and preform laboratories in person. The United States Department of Education recognizes the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) as the only programmatic accrediting agency for the naturopathic medical colleges. The CNME requires four years of graduate level study in medical sciences and naturopathic therapeutics to obtain a degree as a naturopathic doctor.

Presently, there are three naturopathic medical programs in the United States fully accredited by the CNME:

Bastyr University, Seattle, Washington (link)

National College of Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, Oregon (link)

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, Scottsdale, Arizona (link)

One college is currently considered a candidate for accreditation by the CNME:

University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, Connecticut (link)

A chiropractic college added a naturopathic program and although already regionally accredited is seeking recognition and approval of their program from the CNME:

National University of Health Sciences, Lombard, Illinois (link)

The CNME also accredits one program in Canada:

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, Ontario (link)

A nationally standardized Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam (NPLEX) has been established which is used in nearly all of the states that currently regulate NDs. Successful passage of this test is a basic requirement for licensing.  Currently, fourteen states license NDs: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. In addition, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and four Canadian provinces also license naturopathic doctors. In all of these jurisdictions, NDs practice as independent general practitioners with state oversight. Licensed NDs are required to complete annual continuing education, practice responsibly and meet all of the individual state requirements in order to maintain their license. A licensed ND has unique expertise in natural medicine while also possessing the ability to diagnose and treat medical conditions, perform physical exams and order laboratory testing. In many of the states that license naturopathic doctors, health care consumers may specifically choose NDs as their primary health care providers.

The national organization representing naturopathic doctors, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) is the driving force for the profession. The AANP is instrumental in the development of the profession's educational and practice standards, and in expanding awareness of the vital role naturopathic medicine has to play in the future of the health care system in the United States.

During the 1990's four states passed new regulations defining the scope and practice of naturopathic medicine. Enrollment in naturopathic medical programs more than doubled, two new naturopathic medical programs were started, the first publicly funded natural health care clinic was initiated, a naturopathic institution was designated as a National Institute of Health (NIH) office of Alternative Medicine research center, and two naturopathic doctors were appointed by the federal Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to the NIH's Alternative Medicine Program Advisory Council (AMPAC).

As we enter the twenty-first century, the naturopathic profession finds itself well positioned for a new era in health care. With more and more research supporting the therapies used by naturopathic doctors, and the public demand for greater choice and increased access to more natural approaches to their health care, naturopathic medicine is poised to make the transition from “alternative” medicine to truly “mainstream” medicine.

Links

Organizations
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians
American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges
Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
Homeopathic Academy of Naturopathic Physicians
Alliance for State Licensing
Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians

Training and Education of Naturopathic Doctors
Naturopathic Medical Training
Naturopathic Treatment
Accredited Schools of Naturopathic Medicine
A Typical Visit