Naturopathic medicine: An ancient tradition

Naturopathy is a method of healing that approaches illness and health in many ways. It comprises many different systems in evaluating, diagnosing and treating illness, discomfort and disease. Its aim is to promote health rather than confront disease, and whenever possible, to educate people toward living a healthier lifestyle that could help prevent illness. The individual symptoms by which an illness, virus or bacterial infection are classified, are less important to a naturopath than the cause of the problem, be it physical, emotional, biochemical or otherwise. A person’s lifestyle has an enormous effect on their body’s environment and its resistance to illness. If it is burdened with too many impurities, invading microorganisms may find a good place in which to multiply.

Naturopathic medicine is therefore directed toward restoration of many different functions like overcoming negative emotions, dealing with stress, correcting obstacles that interfere with good health and providing the body with quality nutrition to sustain its chemistry. By these means, the body can fight off invading organisms and even heal itself.

Naturopathy has evolved empirically, by observation and application. Many of its principles developed through attentiveness to nature. Its origins can be observed in the instinctive behavior of many animals—they stop eating when unwell, try to cool inflamed parts or seek warmth when chilled. Hippocrates (the father of medicine), was one of the first to realize the importance of nature’s healing power. He described the basic rules of natural hygiene and also recognized the value of fevers as a manifestation of healing at work. The Romans made bathing for health into a science, establishing spas which, even now, serve a practical purpose in physical disorders such as arthritis.

Nearly 2,000 years later, in the 19th century, a number of people began re-investigating these natural treatments and began developing other simple measures to promote healing. A German farmer named Johannes Schroth noticed that his cart-horse ate only dry bran when it had strained a joint. This led him to develop the Schroth Cure, a dry diet treatment still much used by naturopaths today for the relief of rheumatoid arthritis and other joint inflammations.

Iridology, the method of diagnosing physical or mental disorders from signs in the eye, was inaugurated by Ignatz von Peczely, a Prussian surgeon who observed changes in a particular part of his pet owl’s iris when he accidentally fractured his leg. Also in the 19th century, in Germany, Vincent Priessnitz and Pastor Kneipp developed a more systematic approach to hydrotherapy.

In the mid and late 1800s in the United States, medical schools taught herbal, homeopathic, and nutritional medicine along with surgery and other more “heroic” types of treatment.

Gradually, the pharmaceutical direction to isolate components of the herbs created more potent (but potentially more toxic) drugs. Further, with the advent of antibiotics, the long-term adverse consequences of drugs were not understood and the slower, more gradual effects of naturopathic medicine almost pushed it into disuse.

The work of those early pioneers was consolidated in the 20th century by Henry Lindlahr (U.S.), James C. Thompson and Stanley Lief (U.K.), and Dr. Max Bircher-Benner, the creator of muesli and the founder of a famous clinic in Zurich (Switzerland). It was Lindlahr who laid down the ground rules of naturopathic practice. He described as “healing crises” those aggravations of symptoms, such as fevers, colds and discharges, which the body often undergoes in its natural sequence of recovery from ill health, distinguishing them from “disease crises” which occur when the body’s vital reserve is no longer capable of overcoming disease. The resurgence is due to recognition of both the accomplishments and the limitations of the current medical system and the efficacy of naturopathic medicine.

Internationally, naturopathic medicine has both popularity and acceptance, with conventional and naturopathic doctors working in a more integrative manner. Much of our research comes from countries that will fund studies in which there will not be a patentable product. Hopefully that situation will change in the United States and individuals will be able to chose the type of medical care that’s best for them, (and have it covered by their insurance).

Naturopaths have long advocated an adequate nutritional intake for the maintenance of not only physical health but also mental and emotional well-being. It is established that both a deprivation of essential nutrients, such as certain proteins, and an excess of inappropriate foods, such as sugar, can create biochemical changes and imbalances in the metabolism which may result in a wide variety of symptoms, both mental and physical.

The first visit to a naturopath will include a detailed case history in the form of questions. Flavor cravings, response to climatic changes and major crises in your life will all be noted since they may be important factors in your unique health profile. To this pattern will be added information gained from a careful physical examination and other special tests, such as examination of the spine for restrictions of mobility, or iridology. In addition, tests to determine your sensitivity to, or intolerance of, certain foods and environmental chemicals may form a part of the diagnostic procedure. As well as the usual blood or urine tests, a small amount of your hair may be sent away for an analysis of the mineral levels which, in conjunction with other clinical findings, helps to assess your individual nutritional requirements.

We are all unique in our biological needs. The variation in our physique, organ structure and nutritional requirements mean that two people with the same illness may need quite different types of treatment. In the case of a cold, for instance, the inflammation and catarrhal discharge may be indicative of the body’s attempt to rid itself of impurities, such as food chemicals or environmental toxins. In another case, the cold may be due primarily to lack of resistance, through lowered vitality as a result of nutritional deficiencies, poor breathing habits and lack of exercise. The first case would require “catabolic” treatment, designed to assist the body’s eliminative efforts and stimulate the breakdown of toxic deposits. The devitalized person, on the other hand, would need “anabolic” treatment to build up strength, including better nutrition, supplements of particular vitamins, advice on correct breathing, gentle exercise and sufficient rest and relaxation.

Having built up a picture of your own constitution, vital reserves, hereditary tendencies, nutritional status and mental state, the practitioner is able to decide whether anabolic or catabolic treatment should be given and to advise you on what you can do to help yourself. In most cases, some basic advice on healthy eating will be given. Dietary analysis may lead to specific recommendations: special vitamin or mineral requirements may be revealed and supplements prescribed. You may also be advised to carry out hydrotherapy at home—using compresses, sprays, packs or special baths. The naturopath may recommend simple exercises and relaxation techniques, among other gentle introductions to a healthier lifestyle. Psychological counseling too is an important part of naturopathic practice, a vital ingredient in the triad of health: structural, biochemical and emotional well being.

Naturopaths prescribe a large variety of home treatments that can be used both to restore your health and enhance it. Some examples include nutritional supplements, fasting, raw food diet, light diet for sensitive digestions and fruitarianism.

Dis-ease affects the whole person—body, mind and spirit, and not simply an isolated organ or system. Each person responds in unique ways to his or her environment, each has individual strengths, weaknesses and needs. Their body’s reactions to the same stress may be very different depending on their level of health, inherited tendencies, previous medical history, etc. In treating the whole person, the naturopathic practitioner searches for causes at many levels and attempts to eliminate the fundamental cause of illness, not simply to remove or alleviate symptoms.

One word of caution: appealing as the idea may be, nature doesn’t have the cure for all our medical problems. Although naturopathic physicians have considerable medical training, they are not necessarily qualified to diagnose and treat urgent or potentially life-threatening conditions. (Responsible naturopathic physicians refer such cases to more appropriate medical specialists.) If you have symptoms that may indicate a serious disease, consult a regular physician as well as a naturopathic practitioner.

Health is Wealth