What is Naturopathic Medicine?

What is Naturopathic Medicine?
Underlying Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
What Type of Training do Naturopathic Doctors Receive?
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Modern Naturopathic medicine is a science and art that combines the best of natural therapies and conventional medicine. The core goal of naturopathic medicine is to encourage the natural ability of the body to heal itself using the most curative and least invasive therapies possible.

To accomplish this goal, licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) employ a wide array of safe and effective therapies such as: mind/body medicine, nutrition, exercise education, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, intravenous nutrient therapy to list but a few. Recently there has been a tremendous burst of research illuminating the effectiveness of the therapies used by naturopathic doctors. The National Institute of Health now has a branch that funds research in complementary and alternative medicine.

How did naturopathic medicine develop?
Naturopathic medicine has a rich and multifaceted history. It has been cross-pollinated by multiple streams of natural healing. Some of the many schools of thought that have influenced its development include: the European-based "Nature Cure" and "Water Cure" movements, chiropractic and osteopathic medicine, homeopathy, the early American "eclectic physicians" and conventional allopathic medicine. This eclectic nature still remains in modern naturopathic medicine and adds beauty, creativity and individuality to the treatment plans recommended by its practitioners.

Naturopathic approach to modern ills
Naturopathic medicine is especially suited for the treatment of modern ills which usually have multifactorial causes. Naturopathic doctors strive to treat each patient as an individual and to find the root cause of the disease. In my opinion there is great value in the individualization of medical treatment. True healing can not happen using a "cookie cutter" approach to disease.

Naturopathy and the treatment of depression
To give a specific example, depression is often treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs lengthen the amount of time that serotonin (a chemical that transmits nervous impulses) remains in the spaces (synapses) between neurons in the brain. These drugs help many people get over the symptoms of depression in the short term. However these drugs often do not correct the underlying imbalance that caused the depression. In addition to the obvious situational stressors that would cause depression in most people, there are a host of neurotransmitters (other than serotonin), hormone imbalances, and nutrient deficiencies that can cause depression. The naturopathic approach to depression would be to examine these other factors and tailor the treatment plan to the specific patient.