Naturopathy |
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Are Naturopathic Doctors Licensed?
What Is Naturopathy?
Naturopathic medicine is a primary health care practice which emphasizes preventing and treating disease, maintaining optimal health, and promoting a person’s self-healing process through "vis medicatrix naturae" (the healing power of nature).
It blends centuries-old natural, nontoxic therapies with current advances in the study of health and human systems, covering all aspects of family health from prenatal through to geriatric care. Naturopathic medicine has been shown to be effective for treating most health problems, both acute and chronic. Some of the therapies most commonly utilized by NDs include clinical nutrition, homeopathy, botanical medicine, physical medicine (such as myotherapy and hydrotherapy – muscle and water treatment), natural childbirth, counseling and stress management.
Naturopathic doctors emphasize effective conservative treatment first, leaving drugs and surgery as a last resort. They often serve people dissatisfied with conventional medicine.
Naturopathic Practice
Naturopathic philosophy serves as the basis for naturopathic practice. The current scope of naturopathic practice includes, but is not limited to:
- Clinical Nutrition is a cornerstone of naturopathic practice based on the premise that food is often the best medicine. Foods and nutritional supplements successfully treat many conditions with fewer complications and side effects. Naturopathic doctors use specific diets, and supplements, natural hygiene, and fasting in their practices.
Botanical
Medicine involves the use of powerful plant medicines,
from which many drugs are derived. Their organic nature
makes them much closer in nature to the chemistry of the
human body, decreasing the potential for toxic side effects.
Their safety, availability and affordability make them
particularly appealing for care of chronic conditions. - Homeopathic Medicine is based on the principle of "like cures like." It works on a subtle yet powerful electromagnetic level, gently acting to strengthen the body's healing and immune response. It is very effective and safe, even for new-born babies.
- Physical Medicine involves methods of therapeutic manipulation of muscles, bones, and the spine (similar to Chiropractic adjustment). Ultrasound, diathermy, exercise, massage, water, heat and cold, air, and gentle electrical pulses are used to treat acute or chronic physical injury. Note: in California, spinal manipulation is not part of the scope of practice, as it is in other states.
- Oriental Medicine is a complementary philosophy of natural healing which offers a different understanding of the unity of the body and mind. Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda provide ancient theories and methods of treatment. These help harmonize the imbalances of disease conditions and restore the dynamic balance of health.
- Psychological Medicine - Mental attitudes and emotional states influence, and often cause, physical illness. Counseling, nutritional balancing, stress management and other therapies are used to help patients heal on levels other than the physical.
- Minor Surgery involves in-office minor surgery, including repair of superficial wounds, removal of foreign bodies, cysts, and other superficial masses. We refer to surgeons when their skills are needed for our patient's wellbeing. Note: in California, Minor Surgery is not part of the scope of practice, as it is in other states.
- Naturopathic Obstetrics (natural childbirth care) occurs in either an out-of-hospital setting, or in a hospital. Naturopathic doctors offer prenatal and postnatal care using modern diagnostic techniques. The naturopathic approach strengthens healthy body functions so that complications associated with pregnancy can be prevented or minimized. Note: In California, Naturopathic obstetrics are closely monitored, where they are available.
Principles of Naturopathic Medicine
Naturopathic doctors follow six key principles which are
the basis of their practice:
- First Do No Harm. Naturopathic Doctors avoid harming their patients by:
- Using methods and therapeutic
materials with minimal side effects, and the least interference
necessary to diagnose and treat.
- Avoiding, whenever possible, the harmful suppression
of symptoms.
- Acknowledging, respecting and working with the person’s
self healing process.
- Referring elsewhere for appropriate treatment when naturopathic
therapies are inappropriate, or ineffective
- The Healing Power of Nature (Vis Medicatrix naturae).
Naturopathic medicine recognizes an inherent self-healing
process in each of us which is both ordered and intelligent. It acts
to establish, maintain, and restore health. Naturopathic
Doctors identify and remove obstacles to healing and recovery, and
facilitate and augment this self-healing ability.
- Identify and Treat the Cause. NDs seek to identify and
remove the underlying causes of illness, be they physical,
mental, emotional or spiritual, rather than to merely eliminate
or suppress symptoms.
- Treat the Whole Person. NDs treat each patient using
a comprehensive approach to diagnose and treat the total
person.
- Doctor as Teacher. NDs educate their patients and encourage
self-responsibility for health. They act as catalysts for
healthful change, empowering and motivating the patient to move toward
that self-responsibility. A doctor-patient relationship has
the potential to be therapeutic in and of itself.
- Prevention. The ultimate goal of any
health care system should be prevention of disease. NDs emphasize
the prevention of disease—assessing risk factors, heredity
and susceptibility to disease and taking appropriate steps,
in partnership with their patients, to prevent illness. Naturopathic
medicine is committed to the creation of a healthy world
in which all of humanity may thrive.
What kind of training do Chiropractic and Naturopathic Doctors
receive?
Both Chiropractic and Naturopathic doctors first earn a bachelor's
degree which emphasizes basic pre-medical sciences. They
then complete a rigorous four-year residential doctoral medical
program at an accredited college or university (see links
page). Both include 2 years of basic medical sciences—anatomy,
physiology, pathology, diagnosis, biochemistry-- followed
by completion of a national basic science board exam. Other
coursework includes clinical sciences, disease, diagnosis,
and treatment.
Chiropractic training emphasizes the musculoskeletal
and nervous systems, while Naturopathic medicine is concerned
with therapeutics and naturopathic principles. Clinical work
involves 1500 supervised hours, with 250 hours of outside
observational training (preceptorship). Upon graduation,
completion of rigorous national (for both) and individual
state board exams (for Naturopathic doctors) is necessary
for licensure.
NDs are extensively trained in physical examination, laboratory
testing, gynecological examinations, nutritional and dietary
assessments, metabolic analysis, allergy testing, X-ray examinations
and other diagnostic tests. NDs are the only primary care physicians
trained in the use of a wide variety of natural therapies including
nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, and lifestyle counseling
to restore and maintain good health. NDs can perform complete
physical examinations including women's health exams and can
order laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging.
Are Naturopathic Doctors Licensed?
N.D.s are currently licensed in 15 states: Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Kansas, Vermont, the District of Columbia and Minnesota (which just passed their licensing law). However, there are naturopathic doctors in every state in the US.
In
states where naturopathic medicine is not recognized, NDs
most commonly obtain other licenses and work within the scope
of their practices while offering naturopathic care. There
are active licensing efforts going on in many states.
In California, the Naturopathic Doctors Act, was signed into law and went into effect in January, 2004. The first naturopathic doctors were licensed in California in January 2005 after the establishment of a state bureau to implement the new law.
