|
Naturopathic medicine is a distinct profession of primary
health care, emphasizing prevention, treatment and the promotion
of optimal health through the use of therapeutic methods
and modalities, which encourage the self-healing process,
the vis medicatrix naturae.
The U.S. Department of Labor defines the Naturopathic Physician
as one who “diagnoses, treats, and cares for patients,
using a system of practice that bases its treatment of all
physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural
laws governing the body, utilizes physiological, psychological
and mechanical methods, such as air, water, heat, earth,
phytotherapy (treatment by use of plants), electrotherapy,
physiotherapy, minor or orificial surgery, mechanotherapy,
naturopathic corrections and manipulation, and all natural
methods or modalities, together with natural medicines,
natural processed foods, herbs, and natural remedies. Excludes
major surgery, therapeutic use of x-ray and radium, and
use of drugs, except those assimilable substances containing
elements or compounds which are compounds of body tissues
and are physiologically compatible to body processes for
maintenance of life.” Most Naturopathic Physicians
provide primary care natural medicine through office-based,
private practice. Many receive additional training in disciplines
or modalities such as midwifery, acupuncture and Oriental
medicine.
Naturopathic diagnosis and therapeutics are supported by
scientific research drawn from peer-reviewed journals from
many disciplines, including naturopathic medicine, conventional
medicine, European complementary medicine, clinical nutrition,
phytotherapy, pharmacognosy, homeopathy, psychology and
spirituality. Information technology and new concepts in
clinical outcomes assessment are particularly well-suited
to evaluating the effectiveness of naturopathic treatment
protocols and are being used in research, both at naturopathic
medical schools and in the offices of practicing physicians.
Clinical research into natural therapies has become an increasingly
important focus for Naturopathic Physicians.
Naturopathic Medicine provides holistic (whole body) healthcare
by taking advantage of resources drawn from numerous traditional
healing systems dating back to the 20th Century. Naturopathy
is organized around three fundamental principles: The physician
should strive to aid the body’s natural healing abilities;
the root cause of an illness should be addressed rather
than the symptoms; and only therapies that cause no harm
should be used (which means that toxic drugs and surgery
are avoided whenever possible. A naturopathic doctor (ND),
takes into account the patient’s lifestyle. Naturopathic
theory holds that physical, psychological, and even spiritual
elements can all contribute to disease. In treating patients,
the naturopathic practitioner may use a number of alternative
therapies, including homeopathy, herbal remedies, traditional
Chinese medicine, spinal manipulation, nutrition, hydrotherapy,
massage and exercise.
Training
Doctors of Naturopathy
train at accredited four-year naturopathic medical schools.
The first 2 years include many of the same core science
classes as regular medical schools, while the final 2 years
focus on natural healing techniques. At present, naturopathic
doctors are licensed to practice in many states, most others
allow them to practice in limited ways. Many private insurance
plans cover naturopathic care.
History of Naturopathic Medicine by Peter Barry
Chowka
Naturopathic medicine, sometimes called "naturopathy,"
is as old as healing itself and as new as the latest discoveries
in biochemical sciences. In the United States, the naturopathic
medical profession's infrastructure is based on accredited
educational institutions, professional licensing by a growing
number of states, national standards of practice and care,
peer review, and an ongoing commitment to state-of-the-art
scientific research. Modern American Naturopathic Physicians
(NDs) receive extensive training in and use therapies that
are primarily natural (hence the name naturopathic) and
nontoxic, including clinical nutrition, homeopathy, botanical
medicine, hydrotherapy, physical medicine, and counseling.
Many NDs have additional training and certification in acupuncture
and home birthing. These contemporary NDs, who have attended
naturopathic medical colleges recognized by the U.S. Department
of Education, practice medicine as primary health care providers
and are increasingly acknowledged as leaders in bringing
about progressive changes in the nation's medical system.
The word "naturopathy" was first used in the U.S.
exactly 100 years ago. But the natural therapies and the
philosophy on which naturopathy is based have been effectively
used to treat diseases since ancient times. As Rene Dubos
noted in The Mirage of Health (1959), the word "physician"
is from the Greek root meaning "nature." Hippocrates,
a physician who lived 2400 years ago, is often considered
the earliest predecessor of Naturopathic Physicians, particularly
in terms of his teaching that "nature is healer of
all diseases" and his formulation of the concept vis
medicatrix naturae -- "the healing power of nature."
This concept has long been at the core of indigenous medicine
in many cultures around the world and remains one of the
central themes of naturopathic philosophy to this day.
The earliest doctors and healers worked with herbs, foods,
water, fasting, and tissue manipulation -- gentle treatments
that do not obscure the body's own healing powers. Today's
Naturopathic Physicians continue to use these therapies
as their main tools and to advocate a healthy dose of primary
prevention. In addition, modern NDs conduct and make practical
use of the latest biochemical research involving nutrition,
botanicals, homeopathy, and other natural treatments.
For many diseases and conditions (a few examples are ulcerative
colitis, asthma, menopause, flu, obesity, and chronic fatigue),
treatments used by Naturopathic Physicians can be primary
and even curative. Naturopathic physicians also function
within an integrated framework, for example referring patients
to an appropriate medical specialist such as an oncologist
or a surgeon. Naturopathic therapies can be employed within
that context to complement the treatments used by conventionally
trained medical doctors. The result is a team-care approach
that recognizes the needs of the patient to receive the
best overall treatment most appropriate to his or her specific
medical condition.
Recent History
Naturopathic medicine was popular and widely available throughout
the U.S. well into the early part of the 20th century. Around
1920, from coast to coast, there were a number of naturopathic
medical schools, thousands of Naturopathic Physicians, and
scores of thousands of patients using naturopathic therapies.
But the rise of "scientific medicine," the discovery
and increasing use of "miracle drugs" like antibiotics,
the institutionalization of a large medical system primarily
based (both clinically and economically) on high-tech and
pharmaceutical treatments -- all of these were associated
by mid-century with the temporary decline of naturopathic
medicine and most other methods of natural healing.
By the 1970s, however, the American public was becoming
increasingly disenchanted with conventional medicine. The
profound clinical limitations of conventional medicine and
its out-of-control costs were becoming obvious, and millions
of Americans were inspired to look for "new" options
and alternatives. Naturopathy and all of complementary alternative
medicine began to enter a new era of rejuvenation.
Looking to the Future
Today, licensed Naturopathic Physicians are experiencing
noteworthy clinical successes, providing leadership in innovative
natural medical research, enjoying increasing political
influence, and looking forward to an unlimited future potential.
Both the American public and policy makers are recognizing
and contributing to the resurgence of the comprehensive
system of health care practiced by NDs. In 1992, the NIH's
Office of Alternative Medicine, created by an act of Congress,
invited leading Naturopathic Physicians (educators, researchers,
and clinical practitioners) to serve on key federal advisory
panels and to help define priorities and design protocols
for state-of-the-art alternative medical research. In 1994,
the NIH selected Bastyr University as the national center
for research on alternative treatments for HIV/AIDS. At
a one-million-dollar level of funding, this action represented
the formal recognition by the federal government of the
legitimacy and significance of naturopathic medicine.
Meanwhile, the number of new NDs is steadily increasing,
and licensure of Naturopathic Physicians is expanding into
new states. By April of 1996, eleven of fifty states had
naturopathic licensing laws (Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut,
Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont,
and Washington). A number of other states are likely to
enact naturopathic licensing in the near future.
In October 1996, in a major development for both public
health and Naturopathic medicine, the Natural Medicine Clinic
opened in Kent, Washington. Funded by the King County (Seattle)
Department of Public Health, the clinic is the first medical
facility in the nation to offer natural medical treatments
to people in the community, paid for by tax dollars. Bastyr
University, one of the three U.S. naturopathic colleges,
was selected over several leading Seattle-area hospitals
to operate the clinic.
In the last half of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s,
exactly one century after it put down roots in North America,
naturopathic medicine is finally enjoying a well-deserved
renaissance—people are beginning to recognize the
value of natural healing compared to the synthetic prescription
drug alternative.
Training/Licensing
A licensed Naturopathic Physician (ND) attends a four-year graduate level naturopathic
medical school and is educated in all of the same basic
sciences as an MD but also studies holistic and nontoxic
approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease
prevention and optimizing wellness. In addition to a standard
medical curriculum, the ND is required to complete four
years of training in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic
medicine, botanical medicine, psychology and counseling
(to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support
of their personal health).
A Naturopathic Physician takes rigorous professional board exams so that
he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as
a primary care general practice physician. Twelve states
and four provinces allow the practice of naturopathic medicine:
Alaska, Arizona, British Columbia, Connecticut, Hawaii,
Kansas, Maine, Manitoba, Montana, New Hampshire, Ontario,
Oregon, Saskatchewan, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands also have licensing laws
for naturopathic doctors. Many states have realized that
having physicians trained in preventive medicine and health
promotion is a wise choice, and are now considering Naturopathic
legislation.
The American
Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) strongly believes
in and advocates for state licensing of Naturopathic Physicians
in all 50 states. The AANP believe that other programs,
such as certification and registration, do not go far enough.
With the cost of healthcare slowly spiraling out of control
there is a renewed interest in the development of a patient-centered
system of health care delivery focused on restoring individual
and community health while preventing illness. The drive
for licensure of NDs is a sign of the times. Licensure creates
accountability supported by law, affirming that people who
are licensed are under the scrutiny of a board of examiners
whose purpose is to protect the public by maintaining professional
standards.
Certification, on the other hand, does not carry with it
the scrutiny of a licensing board nor regulation of any
sort, save that of the certifying organization itself. Unlike
licensing boards, certifying organizations usually does
not have members other than those they have certified. They
also do not carry the weight of law should the need arise.
Certification, at its best, merely indicates that the person
certified has completed a course of study. It says nothing
about the quality of that course of study. And there is
no ongoing system to make certain of adherence to standards
of practice.
Registration offers a little more control, but does not
imply conformity to standards and guidelines, other than
those required for registration. Anything can be registered:
hotels register their guests in order to keep track of how
many rooms are available; firearms are registered to keep
track of who purchases them; and automobiles are registered
and assessed a fee in order to maintain the road ways they
use.
While anyone can educate themselves in the general knowledge
of health and illness, a physician must be educated to be
able to recognize, differentiate and diagnose serious illness;
develop the social insight necessary to understand and utilize
technical advances in the healing arts; and cooperate fully
and legally with voluntary and public agencies in the pursuit
of social conditions which make it possible for better health
in the community.
The modern ND is trained in basic medical science and conventional
diagnostics, and is qualified through licensing to scientifically
apply natural therapeutics in the treatment of disease and
restoration of health. The public has the right to know
that those offering such services are competent as physicians,
duly licensed as such, and are willing to be held accountable
for their actions and results.
Does CNME recognize home-study schools or external-degree
programs?
The Council on Naturopathic Medical Education is aware of
several correspondence schools that offer an "N.D."
degree. Some are exempt from state regulations because they
claim a religious purpose or they do not recruit students
from their home states. Correspondence programs do not prepare
students for practice as licensed Naturopathic Physicians,
and the programs are not eligible for affiliation with CNME.
In states without licensing laws, it is not illegal for
graduates of N.D. correspondence schools to use the N.D.
initials after their names; they may not, however, legally
represent themselves as physicians or engage in the practice
of medicine unless they are otherwise licensed as medical
practitioners.
Although correspondence
courses can be effective in many disciplines, we do not
believe they are in any way adequate for preparing students
to become physicians, and we do not consider the graduates
to be part of the naturopathic medical profession. The accrediting
agencies listed by N.D. correspondence schools are not in
turn recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or the
Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Back
to Treatments and Therapies
|
