NATUROPATHY

Although there is often confusion between Naturopaths and Homeopaths, the Naturopath is best described as the GP of Natural Therapies.  They know Herbalism, Massage, Accupuncture... the list goes on.  The aim of the Naturopath is to educate people to look after themselves, and get a person to a state of wellbeing.  This is where the difference between doctors and naturopaths lie. 

When a doctor takes a test on someone, the result will be low, high, or "normal".  Unfortunately, the condition of "normal" today is a much lower state of health than what "normal" was a half a century ago.  The Naturopath acknowledges that health is not merely the abscence of symptoms or disease.  It is an act of physical, spiritual and emotional wellbeing.  If a person is deficient in one or more of these areas, they are not healthy.  The abscence of symptoms does not mean the abscence of illness.

CELL DESTRUCTION               AWARENESS, EDUCATION
<--------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------->

ABSCENCE OF SYMPTOMS

HIGH LEVEL OF WELLNESS

DEATH

Essentially, the aim of the Naturopath is to educate the public to the extenct where they have worked themselves out of a job.  It is a sad thing that people today think that sickness is normal.  It is normal to have a cold in winter, hayfever in spring, to get headlice in primary school, acne as a teenager... the list is endless.  It is normal for the average person to get these things, but it is not healthy.  When a person reaches a high level of wellness, their body has the ability to cast off sickness and maintain that health on its own, provided that body is treated correctly.

A balance of the following things will strengthen the body over time to achieve a high level of wellness.

Clean air
Fresh water
Excercise
Good diet
Moderation of toxins

Stray from this balance, and dis-harmony arises, creating dis-ease within the system.  The modalities of naturopathy help the body to maintain the homeostasis of health.

TREATMENT MODALITIES THE NATUROPATH

PHYSICAL

Massage
Kinesiology
Bowen Therapy
Excercise
Hydrotherapy

BIOCHEMICAL

Herbal Medicine
Diet and Nutrition
Mineral Therapy
Nutritional Supplements
Aromatherapy

EMOTIONAL/SPIRITUAL

Flower Essences
Counselling
Lifestyle Management
Relaxation
Meditation

As with all health practitioners, there are certain guiding principles that Naturopathy acknowledges and uses to treat the individual.

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1.  All have the vital force to keep us healthy
2.  Live by the Laws of Nature
3.  Natural health products support a healthy lifestyle - don't substitute or synthesise these products, as their energetic qualities also take effect in our systems (substitution of health products instead of a healthy lifestyle will not bring about a state of health either)
4.  When sickness threatens, the body should be assisted to get well
5.  Supplements must be given in safe doses (overdosing on a substance is just as toxic to the body (particularly in biochemical treatments) as not giving the body enough supplements

TREATMENT OUTLINE

- Treat the whole person (address all aspects of the problem)
- Treat the underlying cause (given first priority - for this reason counselling skills are necessary for the Naturopath)
- Treat the perceived problem (a patient will not be happy if you solve their family problems but don't give them anything for their cough)
- Use specifics to treat specifics (the less amount of vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc. required to fix the immediate problem, the more likely the patient is to take them... and they will work more efficiently)

Sometimes a patient will develop a healing crisis.  Although test have been done, it has not yet been made certain why such a crisis would occur.  It is possible that the patient's sickness moves through layers of the disease (when people get worse before they get better in order for their body to throw off the whole problem in one hit rather than tackle the problem slowly).  Another theory is that the Naturopath can push the patient too far, too fast (when the treatment given to strengthen the patient requires too much energy to process, taking focus away from healing the problem first, and draining the body of energy rather than restoring it).

Precautions taken to prevent such a crisis from occuring are shown in the Methods of Diagnosis.

METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS

1.  Case History - it is important here that the patient inform the Naturopath of ALL problems, explaining in as much detail as possible in order to determine the cause of the problem
2.  Physical Characteristics - the Naturopath will be looking for indications in the face (which shows genetic makeup) and skin to show further indications of possible weakness in the system
3.  Movement and Body Language - the most obvious point to look for here is signs of discomfort or past injury such as limping, but the client's posture is also noted, as it shows signs of chakra deficiencies
4.  Body Analysis - this is an examination of the tongue, eye and nails - all of which will indicate organ or mineral deficiencies, tract infections, etc
5.  Dowsing and Kinesiology - sometimes it is necessary for the Naturopath to check the patient's energetical components (especially when treating an animal) and therefore use muscle testing (Kinesiology) or a pendulum and a piece of hair or nail (to determine the energetical components of the patient)

While the modalities utilised are all natural, it is important to note that placed in the wrong hands, Naturopathy is potentially dangerous.  When visiting a Naturopath for the first time, check their credentials and background.  If they have none, see another practitioner.  Also, things change and knowledge increases constantly, so while checking the credentials, take note of the date at which the degree was attained.  If it was more than five years ago, the practitioner is not up to date and cannot give you the best treatment possible.  People must be careful and know what to look for, as Naturopathy is not yet a government-recognised form of practice, and because of this, there is no law that says a person must have these credentials in order to say they are a health practitioner.  With a little caution, you can't go wrong.

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