Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

Naturopathy is an alternative medicine preferring natural remedies over synthetic drugs and surgeries. The naturopathic medicine practice includes manual therapy, hydrotherapy, herbalism, acupuncture, environmental medicine, counseling, aroma therapy, orthomolecular medicine, homeopathy and other holistic approaches.

It has been one of the most common and widely practiced around the globe following different standards and public acceptance. Some said that the naturopathic treatments have not been tested for safety. This is relatively due to the utilization of unprocessed or whole medications such as herbs in curing a patient. Naturopathy is labeled as pseudoscience lacking scientific basis in justifying its modalities. Critics said that they are not subjected in detailed and vigorous health assessments. According to Stephen Barett:

Naturopaths assert that their “natural” methods, when properly used, rarely have adverse effects because they do not interfere with the individual’s inherent healing abilities. This claim is nonsense. Any medication (drug or herb) potent enough to produce a therapeutic effect is potent enough to cause adverse effects. Drugs should not be used (and would not merit FDA approval) unless the probable benefit is significantly greater than the probable risk. Moreover, medically used drugs rarely “interfere with the healing processes.” The claim that scientific medical care “merely eliminates or suppresses symptoms” is both absurd and pernicious. Medical Health Naturopathy Essay.

However, despite of the criticisms, this alternative medicine believes that the human body is self-healing. Due to this fact, it will repair the damages and can recover from illnesses in a healthy environment.

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The acceptance of naturopathy will be dependent on each individual. However, tracing the principles, it is quite unjustified to completely trash this kind of alternative medicine. Naturopathy is promoting the healing power of nature. There is always the innate way to heal our body. In order to do that, one must establish the underlying conditions; in this way harming the patient will be eliminated. Some other things that they carry are the fact that they need to treat a person as whole. A treatment plan will be made in accordance to the over-all status of the patient.

In this kind of practice, the naturopath is not the only physician. He should also teach his patient self-care. In this way, he included self-empowerment to the patient which in turn might be contributor to a positive lifestyle. Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

Considering the fact that naturopathy is not backed up by strong fundamental researches, creating a healthy environment is indeed advisable to a sick person. In a modern technology susceptible to environmental pollution, poor diet and stress, the ability of a Naturopath to utilize natural methods of healing is very necessary. The considerable importance of health failure due to the environmental aspects has been categorically encountered by the Naturopaths. Natural therapies are procured in order to treat acute and chronic ailments.

The only reason that naturopathy is not acceptable in some areas of the world specifically with medical doctors is the fact that science is the major foundation of our health practitioners. In naturopathy, nature and the holistic unity of body, mind and spirit is the main strength of this alternative kind of medication.

Science is the knowledge that we are all searching for. It is the basis of all living things. The acceptance of science to all things in nature is clearly the way of the society in dealing with their lives. However, naturopath might not be as science as our medical practitioners claim, the idea of self-healing is very appealing. There is nothing wrong in trying alternative medicines as long as specified principles will be applied. Naturopath is a great thing since it is promoting a clean and healthy lifestyle. In developing such, the probability of eliminating different health hazards is very big. Keep in mind that, nature has its own way of balancing things.  Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

Before the practice of the traditional medicine that is used today there was Homeopath and Naturopath medicine; there is evidence of a growing acceptance and use of these more historical medicine practices being used in modern times. Homeopathy and naturopathic medicine practices have a great deal in common; however, there are distinct differences. Over traditional medicine practice and treatment, homeopath and naturopath medicine tend to treat the whole person that try to address the root of the medical problem instead of just treating its symptoms.

Cranberry juice helps cure urinary tract infections, garlic is a natural antibiotic and has also been shown to help heart disease as well as other health issues; these two “cures” are just a sample of using a more holistic approach to treatment rather than prescribing a medication that can be purchased at the local pharmacy. Traditional physicians now prescribe natural based treatments like the garlic and another is fish oil. Knowing the difference between the homeopath and the naturopath practices when seeking medical help is advisable.  Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

As stated by Martin Hughes, in his article “Homeopath vs. Naturopath”: ‘The terms “homeopath” and “naturopath” mean different things in different states. In states that license naturopathic doctors as primary care physicians, a practitioner of naturopathic medicine is known as a naturopathic physician. A naturopathic physician may practice homeopathy; homeopathy is one of several treatment modalities used by naturopathic physicians to address your health complaints. In these states, a person who has not obtained the degree of naturopathic doctor from an accredited four-year naturopathic medical school may practice homeopathy but is not permitted to call herself a “naturopathic doctor.” In states that do not have a licensing process for naturopathic doctors, anybody—including lay homeopaths—can refer to themselves as a “naturopathic doctor.”’ Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

Both types of practitioners are unique, however still complement the other. Both believe that the human body is able to heal itself from many illnesses and treatment of ailments should be in a natural form that enables the body to work properly and heal naturally. Homeopaths and Naturopaths do not always go for the quick fix that a traditional doctor may use. An example is that a traditional doctor may prescribe a chemically based cream for a sever rash, the homeopath and naturopath might advise a cream made from gold seal. Both natural and traditional creams do work. The chemical based is more expensive and may work somewhat faster. A choice comes down to whether the patient would rather use chemicals or something natural to treat an ailment. Before the treatment even begins, there are major differences between naturopathic and homeopathic medical diagnosing that the patient should be aware of. Homeopaths use a detailed question and answering session that may take hours to go through; a naturopath may use a question format along with x-rays and blood work to find the root cause to health problems.

A naturopath may work alongside a formally trained medical doctor in an office or within a hospital format, homeopaths typically do not. (Hughes, 2011) Patients need to be aware of how their choice of practitioner works, have confidence in their ability and a willingness to follow any treatment plan given. The treatment that both Homeopaths and Naturopath practitioners use can have differences, both treat the whole body. Many homeopaths use herbalists for help in creating a mixture or formula that treat an ailment. The mixtures are normally made from plants, herbs and juices that are developed in a refined manner and often grown by the herbalist. A naturopath may use botanical and/or chemically based medication. An interesting fact is that women that created the concoctions that healed and treated the sick hundreds of years ago were once considered witches. The practice of burning witches at the stake began in Europe.  Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

An ironic fact is that men who practiced “modern” medicine and often used treatments such as blood-letting found the “witches” potions to be more effective treatment which then men did not like. (Ehrenreich and English, 1972) Historically effective naturopathic medicine is being brought back into many remedies used today by traditional, naturopathic and holistic practitioners. There is a weaving of practices that is being integrated in a positive way that allows patients today to look at their own health as a whole body treatment. Yoga, vitamin therapy, exercising, following a healthy eating plan is as important as taking medications prescribed by a physician. The weaving begins with the historical use of the naturopath and homeopathic knowledge we’ve had for generations. The naturopath uses a more whole body approach which may include exercise, diet, regular medicine, herbal or natural types of medicine, hydrotherapy, acupuncture and lifestyle coaching. (Hughes, 2011) Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

Both homeopaths and naturopaths believe that the human spirit has a great deal to do with how well a person may do when the holistic approach is used. Cancer Treatment Centers of America advertise use of a more naturopathic and holistic approach to treating cancer patients. Caretakers that use a holistic approach and are competent to help treat homeopathic and naturopathic patients are used as a form of support and re-enforcing the treatment plans. ( http://www.cancercenter.com/integrative-treatment.cfm) In some societies spiritual blessings are given or offerings are made, what once was seen as voodoo and witchcraft is now seen in a more spiritually accepted point of healing the inner body. All treatments should be done following the guidelines that are given by the practitioners. Some of the treatments may sound farfetched and even weird, but have proof of their use and positive effect for thousands of years before today.

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Social media sites such as Facebook are full of people who will swear by some crazy sounding cures, which in fact actually do have medical merit. (One should always check with someone that has proper knowledge before trying anything that may sound dangerous.) It is wise any time a patient is uncomfortable with a diagnosis or treatment plan, they have the right to refuse. Once the treatment is given and completed, there is another difference in how homeopath and naturopath practitioners review the patient’s success. The naturopath will go through many of the same questions that were used in diagnosing a problem. Along the same lines is the checking of symptoms and reactions to the remedies used. If a problem still exists, a naturopath will add another nature formulated item to the treatment and there will be another follow-up a week or two later. Medical Health Naturopathy Essay

A homeopath may use further x-rays and blood work to ensure the treatment is being effective. (Hughes, 2011) There is an ability in gaining knowledge that allows one to know that many forms of natural and homeopathic treatments are being used rather than filling the human body with chemicals that may become toxic, thus poisoning the body. Toxic medications and treatments have been known to cause death, birth defects and cancers.

Drug recalls are constantly in the news, most people know at least one person that has been impacted by a dangerous side effect of a chemical-based medication. Natural medicines or treatments are not without danger; therefore it is imperative to talk to someone who has studied homeopathy, naturopathy or are an herbalist before treating a health problem. Empowering knowledge comes from studying holistic medicine, learning there are ways that are cheaper and better for the body than dangerous, more traditional medicine. The human body is an incredible machine that needs to be treated in the best way possible, using naturopathic and homeopathic medicine is a step in the right direction. Medical Health Naturopathy Essay.