What is Naturopathic Medicine?
by Ruth Galbraith, ND
Everywhere I go, I am asked, “What do you do?” When I say, “I’m a naturopathic doctor,” people generally smile, nod and look puzzled. “A nature-what? What is that, exactly?”
In the United States, licensed naturopathic doctors attend one of four 4-year post-graduate institutions and emerge with a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. What makes us different from medical doctors? Treatment philosophy. We are trained in the same basic sciences as medical doctors (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, immunology, embryology, etc), and we must pass an equivalent basic sciences board exam. We are taught to diagnose disease using standard laboratory tests, imaging, and recognition of physical disease processes.
During our training, however, we learn to approach treatment from the most natural, holistic perspective possible. Though we must take courses in pharmacology, since many of our patients will be taking prescription drugs and we need to understand how these drugs work, their side effects, and how they may interact with each other and with natural treatment therapies, our real focus when it comes to treatment is on the least invasive, most natural treatments possible, treatments that attempt to discover the cause of a patient’s suffering, not just treat symptoms. Though by law we do have prescription rights, most naturopathic doctors prefer to use natural treatments, and we are specialists in these therapies.
We are trained to recognize when to refer a patient, should they require surgery, or the care of another type of specialist – for example an oncologist, endocrinologist, or obstetrician. We work closely with our colleagues in the medical professions, and collaborate with medical, osteopathic and chiropractic doctors as well as with mental health professionals and bodywork specialists to provide our patients the best health care possible.
Here is a sample of the most prevalent therapies used by naturopathic doctors in the United States.
Nutritional Supplementationby Ruth Galbraith, ND
Because the food we eat is often processed and preserved, which removes or damages many nutrients, or has been grown in nutrient-poor, depleted soils, it doesn’t deliver all the nutrients we need. In addition, our busy, stress-filled lifestyles often contribute to poor diet, leaving us further depleted. Stress puts a greater demand on our bodies, and nutrients are used up more quickly when we are stressed. Add to this the extra nutrients needed to detoxify bodies living in the industrialized world, and we discover that most of us require some supplemental vitamins, minerals, enzymes and oils. Hydrotherapy
This includes the use of hot and cold water therapies, saunas, and sometimes added electrical stimulation. As simple an approach as this may seem, hot and cold contrast has been clinically shown to divert colds and flus, prevent a cold from traveling into the chest and settling in the form of bronchitis or pneumonia, aid in reversing diabetic pathologies of the limbs, help control symptoms of PMS, and much more. Naturopathic doctors are trained in this age-old therapy, and can show patients how to perform simple, in-home procedures that will boost the immune system and speed healing. Lifestyle/nutritional counseling
Naturopathic doctors see nutrition as the foundation of optimal health. We are extensively trained in diet and nutrient therapies, and in counseling techniques that help us discover underlying psychological roadblocks to a patient’s healthy eating and lifestyle. We are able to identify what prevents a patient from eating as healthily as she or he might, and we are trained to work with patients to help them modify those behaviors and get back on track to optimal health. Because we look at the whole person, we take into consideration any mental, emotional, and spiritual impediments to health. We work with each individual to overcome these roadblocks, and uncover the healthiest person they can be. Homeopathy
Over 200 years ago, this unique system of medicine was developed in Germany. Though science is only beginning to understand how this medicine might work, clinical observation has shown that homeopathy is one of the deepest-acting and effective, yet most gentle of the therapies employed by naturopathic doctors. This medicine, which uses very dilute doses of natural substances, assists the patient’s own body to return to a state of balance, and thus heal itself. Herbal Medicine
Many pharmaceutical drugs were ‘borrowed’ from nature. Aspirin, for instance, was originally made from the bark of the white willow (Salix spp.). Penicillin was derived from a mold, the Latin name of which is Penicillium. For centuries, healers have known that nature provided many superb means to healing. In the 21st century, naturopathic doctors know that scientific proof of nature’s efficacy is highly prized, so more and more clinical trials are being done, and more and more often we are discovering proof of what natural healers have known for centuries: Mother Nature really does have a lot to offer as we search for the best ways to achieve and maintain health. Physical Medicine
This includes naturopathic spinal & joint manipulation, stretching techniques, hydrotherapy, massage, and numerous other forms of gentle bodywork, like CranioSacral Therapy, Bowen Technique, Reiki and the like. Though all naturopathic doctors are trained in physical medicine therapies, some specialize in this area of treatment. Physical medicine is most effective for pain management, but contributes to overall health in many ways. The ways in which a naturopathic doctor may practice are many and varied. I have not attempted to define the profession as a whole, but only to give examples of therapies we may employ. Some NDs may specialize in botanical medicine, and others in counseling; some focus on nutrition and exercise, while others prefer naturopathic pediatrics. As with any health care provider, you will find you heal most effectively if you match your practitioner to your own individual needs.