Naturopathy?
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Naturopathic medicine is a system of primary health care. What makes naturopathy different is the principals on which the practice is based. NDs are licensed professionals with 4 years of post-graduate doctoral education in medical diagnosis and treatment.
Historical background
Naturopathic medicine is a form of medicine that has been in the United States for more 100 years. It's actually an American tradition!
In the early 1900s there were more than 10,000 practitioners and over 20 naturopathic medical colleges.
Principles:-
The Healing Power of Nature - Vis Medicatrix Naturae. NDs work to facilitate and augment the inherent, intelligent self-healing process in every person.
Identify and treat the Causes - Tolle Causam. Naturopathic physicians seek to identify and remove the underlying causes of illness, rather than to merely eliminate or suppress symptoms.
First Do No Harm - Primum Non Nocere. Naturopathic doctors follow three guidelines to avoid harming the patient
Using the least invasive or harmful methods necessary to diagnose and treat patients.
Avoid when possible the harmful suppression of symptoms
Acknowledge, respect and work with the individual's self-healing process
Doctor as Teacher - Docere. NDs emphasize education of all options and encourage self-responsibility for health.
Treat the Whole Person - Naturopathic physicians treat each patient by taking into account individual physical, mental, genetic, environmental and social factors. Encouraging patients to pursue their own spiritual development is another facet of total health.
Prevention - NDs recognize the importance of disease prevention through exploring heredity, risk factors and susceptibility to disease. Appropriate interventions are the key to creating and maintaining optimal health.
Hippocrates became famous for his treatment of disease in accordance with natural laws. In fact, although Hippocrates is called the Father of Medicine, modern medical science completely ignores the self-evident laws of health laid down by him, which state:
Only nature heals, providing it is given the opportunity.
Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food.
Disease is an expression of purification.
All disease is one.
Do no harm
Naturopaths do not use harmful, artificial substances such as drugs and pharmaceuticals; nor do they use invasive and dangerous procedures such as surgery.
Work with the healing power of nature
Naturopaths understand the body's innate capacity for self-healing. They educate clients in creating external and internal environments conducive to healing.
Find and eliminate the cause of poor health
Naturopaths help clients evaluate their lifestyle choices in order to identify both the cause of a problem and how it is best corrected.
Teach health
Naturopaths teach clients how to achieve and maintain good health. They empower their clients, enabling them to participate fully in the process of staying well.
Honor the total person
Naturopaths understand that people are interconnected physical, mental, and spiritual beings, and that one disease affects all areas of life.
Dis-ease Prevention
By teaching patients how to create and maintain a healthy balance, naturopaths help others achieve future health.
I hope this answers the doctor's comments.
naturopathy has not been shown to be of benefit in large trials. It may benefit some individuals. the 'cause' of most modern ills is lifestyle -doctors have been telling people to change their lifestyle for generations to no effect, most people just pressure the doctor for symptom control. it is stupid and outrageous to claim that doctors are 'tools of the pharmaceutical companies' - i hope you remember that when one day you need a real doctor and not a quack.
I believe that if you look online you will find a number of online schools that offer degree programs for becoming a naturopathic physician. My first suggestions is to work your way thru their program.I have listed the websites of some of the schools that might be helpful.The website www.naturopathic.org and this website is for the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. You might want to check to see if your state licensing naturopathic physicians. If your state does licenses naturopaths, you should contact them to verify what the requirements are. Each state will have different requirements and you find that not all states license naturopaths.
I would suggest that before you start doing anything, to actually go and have a few sessions with a Naturopath yourself. Go for the initial then a followup session. Ask questions of the Naturopath you see about what they think about the profession and see if there is something in there that you can relate to. If not, then start with a simpler course such as massage, aromatherapy, natural medicines etc, and then if you like those, you will know what branch of natural medicine best suits you, and take it from there
SKINCANCERDOCTOR-- And yet we still have no official cure for cancer. Hmmm. If we did, you'd be out of a job, right? Looks like you're an "expert" on many things, or so says your profile. Maybe your "artistic" side needs to open up and say "AHHH."
I'm in awe just to be in your cyber-presence.
Cheers.
I don't have much to add to what others have said, other than the ND degree is rooted not only in the naturopathic philosophy, but also in basic natural science. The first year of studies are very similar to what people studying to be MDs or DOs take: biochemistry, anatomy & physiology, etc.
Here are some links:
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