Naturopathy is deeply rooted in the ancient practices of Hippocrates – Father of Medicine, followed by Galen, from where the first split between Naturopathy and Clinical medicine begins…
A move towards Naturopathy was strengthened with Paracelcus, regarded as the first systematic botanist, who pioneered the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine. His views were that sickness and health relied on the harmony of Man and Nature, an approach different from those before him, in that humans must have certain balances of minerals, and that certain illnesses had chemical remedies that could cure them.
Modern Naturopathy began in the 19th century with pioneers such as Samuel Hahnemann, the Father of Homeopathy, and Sebastian Kneipp, a Bavarian priest, who created the “Kneipp Cure” – hydrotherapy or water cure, Vincenz Priessnitz, Johann Schroth, who used cold wraps, steam and diet, as a means of purifying body and mind. Followed by Dr. Lorenz Gleich, Dr. John Scheel, and Dr. Benedict Lust, “Father of Naturopathy” in America, founding the first American Naturopathic medical school and professional association, along with national publications.
During the 20th century, many attempts to integrate the two medical systems were successful in number of areas such as Balneotherapy, Physiotherapy, and Dietetics which attained acceptance as part of orthodox medicine. Yet, the two approaches were not completely integrated based on differing fundamental philosophies – the physical and biological principles of Naturopathy opposed to the chemical/pharmacological/toxicological principles of orthodox medicine. Their efforts were continued by physicians who could not fully agree with orthodox medicine as taught and practiced at the time, and were convinced that it urgently required complement from other sources. This next generation included H. Brehmer, F.W. Beneke, W. Winternitz, H. Halten, and Maximilian Bircher-Benner.
Naturopathy focuses on the human Bio-System (see Biological Medicine) and differs from prescription drug therapy, which principally attempts to affect symptoms of disease. Naturopathy is concerned with therapies of substitution and regulation that support the body and restore optimal health and prevent disease. In regulation therapy, natural substances are used as substitution remedies to rectify deficiencies, based on physical and psychic/intellectual/spiritual methods.
Naturopathic Principles
“The guiding principle of Naturopathy is preserving or restoring balance through natural healing and lifestyle methods.”
“Primum non nocere. Tolle causam, vis medicatrix naturae. Docere e evitare.”
First, do no harm. find the cause, heal the whole person with nature, from within and around, while teaching and preventing.
Naturopathic Modalities
“The relationship between nutrition and wellness, or between inadequate nutrition and disease, is a cornerstone of Naturopathy.”
These modalities include: Botanicals, since their earliest traditional use to modern-day medicine for the treatment of illnesses, Traditional Oriental/Asian Medicine and Acupuncture, in use for over 5,000 years and still applied today for diagnosis and treatment with its unique method of evaluating energy flow and balance, and Homeopathy which uses substances from many sources that are prepared, and prescribed, according to the homeopathic principles. Lifestyle modification has the most significant impact, reducing contaminated of food and water and other toxins and practicing healthy daily living and eating habits.
“All these ageless medicines are used to create an energetic physiological and psychological response that is intrinsically tied to the illness, in which emotional and physical health are inter-dependent.”
The physical medicines play equally an important role in healing: from manipulation and mobilization of the joints and soft tissues with Chiropractic, Osteopathy, and Massage Therapy, to applications of heat/cold in dry and wet forms, sound and light therapies (ultraviolet and infrared), electrical and magnetic therapies, therapeutic ultrasound, traction, and exercise.
“These therapies have been part of naturopathic medicine since the turn of the century and are used in conjunction with Naturopathic modalities.”