Naturopathic Medicine

What is Naturopathic Medicine?

Unique in its holistic, natural approach to health and healing, naturopathic medicine offers tailored treatments to help patients feel optimally well on all levels – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Wellness means more than the absence of pain and disease. It’s having the energy to work and enjoy life to its fullest potential. Naturopathic practitioners help restore health by supporting the body’s inherent healing mechanisms using natural and conventional methods.

Education

MDs and NDs have some areas of common ground, namely their education. MDs are trained in basic sciences and clinical sciences to prepare them for the various illnesses and emergencies they will face during their practice. NDs are also trained in all these sciences in their education. As with all physicians today, Naturopathic Doctors are trained at accredited, four to five-year, post-graduate, medical institutions. But unlike MDs, they are also trained in a variety of traditional natural therapeutics, including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, hydrotherapy and naturopathic manipulative therapies. ND’s are required a minimum of fifteen hundred hours of clinical education under the supervision of licensed naturopathic doctors in order to graduate. NDs learn how to integrate this diverse knowledge by weaving their conventional medical knowledge with the principles of naturopathic medicine and its treatments to create a natural health care program tailored for each individual patient. Medical educators and legislators alike have been impressed with the high standard of education required of naturopathic physicians.

Licensing

A naturopathic physician is required to take rigorous professional board exams in order to be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician. Naturopathic medicine has an independent accrediting agency, the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME), which is the recognized authority for establishing and maintaining the educational standards for profession. A nationally standardized licensing exam (NPLEX) has been established, which is used in nearly all of the states which currently license NDs. Currently, 14 states license NDs (as does Puerto Rico and four Canadian provinces). In these states, NDs practice as independent primary care general practitioners with the ability to diagnose and treat medical conditions, perform physical exams and order laboratory testing. In these states, many health care consumers specifically choose NDs as their primary care providers. In states such as South Dakota, which do not yet have licensure laws regulating naturopaths, there are ample services that can be provided.

Naturopathic Therapies

Clinical Nutrition and Dietary Therapy

Hippocrates wrote, "Let your food be your medicine, and medicine be your food." Food is the best medicine and is a cornerstone of our naturopathic practice. Many medical conditions can be treated more effectively with foods and nutritional supplements than they can by other means, with fewer complications and side effects. Examination of the diet for sensitivities, allergies, and/or deficiencies is the basis for restoring health. Clinical nutrition is the use of both dietary therapy as well as the careful recommendation of researched vitamins, minerals and other nutriceuticals.

Herbal Medicine
Most European countries recognize the effectiveness of medicinal plants, include them in their official pharmacopoeias and regulate them as drugs or over-the-counter remedies. Naturopathic physicians are trained in drug-herb interactions to insure safety with the use of herbal medicines. Naturopathic physicians fuse centuries’ worth of traditional knowledge about herbal medicine with the enormous amount of ongoing scientific research on botanical medicine to treat many health conditions.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a system of medicine more than two hundred years old with more than one hundred homeopathic medical colleges worldwide. Often mistakenly equated to naturopathic medicine by orthodox medicine and lay persons alike, homeopathy is a single therapy within the larger scope of naturopathic medicine. When utilized by a skillful practitioner, homeopathy is a powerful and effective type of medicine based on the ancient medical philosophy, “Like Cures Like”.

Hydrotherapy
The value of water treatments, fasting and rest in treatment for chronic disease is recognized throughout the world. About half a million French citizens and nearly all employed German citizens each year receive insurance reimbursement for medically prescribed spa therapy. Naturopathic physicians utilize unique hydrotherapy treatments which are very effective against illness. Many hydrotherapy treatments can be used at home to restore health and vitality.

Behavioral Medicine
Naturopathic physicians are trained in various psychological techniques, including basic counseling, stress management, biofeedback, mind-body medicine and methods of lifestyle modification. A large body of scientific literature points to the importance of treating psychological factors and coping mechanisms in many illnesses and complaints.

Acupuncture Medicine

What is Acupuncture/Chinese Medicine?

Acupuncture works via the immune, endocrine and nervous systems. It is based on Chinese Medicine which was developed before 2500 B.C. It has local peripheral nervous system and central nervous system effects. It affects neurons, electrolytes, neuro-transmitters and neuropeptides. Acupuncture involves inserting sterile hair-thin needles into specific points to produce desired local and systemic affect. According to Chinese Medicine, the health benefits are a result of the movement of “chi”. Western Science is continuing to understand acupuncture, as for now, the traditional system of meridians and patterns are used to diagnosis and treat.

Education

If you are considering acupuncture, ask about the prospective practitioner’s certification. Acupuncture is a licensed and regulated health care profession in more than 40 states in the US. In addition, the National Certification Commission of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine certify both acupuncturists and Chinese herbal practitioners.

Acupuncturists who have passed the NCCAOM exams are entitled to add Dipl. Ac (Diplomate of Acupuncture) or Dipl. C.H. (Diplomate of Chinese Herbs) after their name. Acupuncturists and herbalists with additional hours of western biomedical training may use Dipl. OM (Diplomate Oriental Medicine).

You might also want to know how long the practitioner has been in practice. Perhaps most important, find out how experienced the practitioner is in treating your health concern.

What Acupuncture Treats

The following conditions are recognized as treatable with Acupuncture by the World Health Organization or by the National Institute of Health:
Allergic conjunctivitis, Tonsillitis, Tooth Pain, Tinnitus, GERD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Constipations, Diarrhea, PMS, Menopause Symptoms, Irregular Menstruation, Joint Pain, Muscle Pain, Tendonitis, Sprains, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, All Headaches, Meniere's Syndrome, Sciatica, Disk Problems, Stoke Sequelae, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Insomnia, Sinusitis, Asthma, Bronchitis, Common Cold and many others.