Naturopathy

Naturopathy is a form of medicine, wherein natural substances and techniques are used to bring about healing. It can be called a system of medicine, which uses things present in nature, for their therapeutic benefits.

Before the advent of modern medicine systems as we know them today, the only form of medicine available to people was nature. Animal and plant foods, herbs, natural waters, bark of trees, natural techniques etc were used to heal all the ills of people. Whether a person was suffering from a simple cold, or was suffering from a grave disease, there seemed to be some natural medicine to cure all ailments.

But these methods and techniques were very time consuming and often not understood by all. Then came medical research and scientific studies, which brought along pharmaceutical giants with them, and the natural forms of healing took a back seat. Modern medicine could prove the effectiveness of drugs and explain the workings of surgical procedures; something that was not done in natural medicine. Thus, the use of early systems of medicine started decreasing steadily.

Re-emergence of Naturopathy

From the turn of the 20^th century, allopathic medicines and surgical procedures fast became the preferred form of healing. Such medicines were quick to act and could take away your suffering in a matter of minutes. Compare this to the slow action of natural medicines, which can sometimes take weeks to heal, and it is no wonder that allopathic drugs became so popular.

But where these drugs had their uses, one could not escape from their horrible side effects. Sometimes these side effects are so terrible that the medicines often make the patient feel sicker after taking them than they were to begin with. And surgical procedures have become so invasive that recovering from them can take months on end.

Because of these reasons, people once again started to turn towards natural methods of healing and natural medicines. With time, there were many studies conducted to prove the validity of natural medicine and techniques, and the results were very promising indeed. As a result, naturopathy has made a comeback of sorts in the last few years.

Principles of Naturopathy

Naturopathy is not a specific kind of healing method, but is an entire system which encompasses various alternative forms of healing such as herbs, homeopathy, massage and bodywork, acupressure, naturopathic nutrition, fasting and cleansing, hydrotherapy etc.

The main principles that naturopathy methods and techniques are based on are as under:

1) Self-healing Power of the Body
Perhaps the main foundation of naturopathy is that it believes that the human body is powerful enough to heal all its problems on its own. A body which is as close to nature as He intended, has all the powers required for healing. But, increasing pollution, stress, unhealthy diet etc; are all factors that take the body away from its natural environment. Thus, in naturopathy, the naturopath tries to educate the person about the self-healing power of the body, and aims to bring the body as close to its natural form as possible. When this happens, and the body is in a healthy setting, it will automatically mend itself and bring about healing.

2) Holistic Treatment
Naturopathy believes in a holistic approach to healing. Naturopathic methods do not aim to cure just the specific disease or illness that a person may be suffering from. But they aim to treat the person as a whole. The physical characteristics, psychological make up, emotional state, and social, environmental, and nutritional aspects of an individual are taken into consideration and then a healing plan is devised for the particular individual. Thus, naturopathy does not have a specific method of healing for all patients. Instead, naturopathy aims to understand each individual person and then create a health program that is specifically customized for that person.

3) Use of Herbs and Natural Remedies
Naturopathy does not believe in dispensing allopathic drugs and medicines to cure illnesses. It uses naturally occurring substances as herbal remedies, which are very effective and treat a person’s illness and not just the symptoms.

4) Prevention is Better Than Cure
No system of medicine understands this maxim better than naturopathy. Preventing illnesses as opposed to curing them afterwards, is also one of the basic fundamentals of naturopathy. Here too, the naturopath aims to educate people about things that can be incorporated into their daily lives so as to make them live a healthier existence. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, using relaxation techniques such as massage and meditation, understanding the importance of fasting, and having a positive attitude; these are the things that people can integrate into their lifestyle, which will help them to prevent many kinds of health problems.

5) Naturopathic Nutrition
It is possible to alleviate many health concerns, simply by paying better attention to the kind of food that you eat. Naturopathy believes in emphasizing the significance of naturally and organically grown foods and their amazing therapeutic benefits. By eating a perfectly balanced diet, and staying away from foods that can cause you harm, it is entirely within your means to make your body fitter and stronger. Naturopathic nutrition is thus a big part of naturopathy.

Does Naturopathy Really Work

That is certainly the 64 million dollar question!

There are those who will swear that naturopathy works wonders and then there are those who think of it as a totally worthless system of medicine. One can find innumerable people who do not feel the need to visit a modern doctor for any of their ailments, all of which can be taken care of through natural remedies.

On the other hand, one can even find millions of people who would not go to a naturopath even if their life depended on it. But the only thing that we can say here is that there is enough scientific proof available that shows the effectiveness of natural remedies and modalities used in naturopathy.

Naturopathy is an accredited form of medicine and naturopaths are also licensed practitioners as are allopathic doctors. Naturopathy is being embraced on a global scale and is very much the preferred form of healing in many a culture. And would that be possible if it did not work?