special subjects
Naturopathy
Introduction
Naturopathy, which draws on practices from many cultures, began as a formal health care system in the United States in the early 1900s. Founded on the notion of the healing power of nature, naturopathy emphasizes the following: Prevention and treatment of disease through a healthy lifestyle Treatment of the whole person Use of the body’s innate healing abilities Naturopathy also focuses on finding the cause of the disease rather than merely treating symptoms. Some of this system’s principles are not that different from those of traditional healing systems such as Ayurveda and Naturopathy uses a combination of therapies, including the following: Diet Nutritional supplementation, often through infusion Overview of Dietary Supplements None Acupuncture None Physical Therapy (PT) (such as heat or cold therapy, ultrasonography, and massage) Mind-Body Medicine None Exercise therapy Hydrotherapy (agitated warm water or cold water applications) Some naturopathic practitioners advocate practices that are not supported by scientific evidence. Hydrotherapy is an example. Also, some practitioners discourage childhood vaccinations despite studies having proven that Childhood Vaccinations prevent disorders and death and that benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh risks. However, the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) encourages using vaccinations according to guidelines from authoritative sources (including the United States Public Health Service), including the Few well-designed studies of naturopathic therapies have been done. (See also Overview of Integrative, Complementary, and Alternative Medicine .) 