What is naturopathy?
Naturopathy encompasses a wide variety of alternative medicine techniques. The aim of the therapy is to stimulate the body’s innate healing capacity, and to facilitate its balancing mechanisms to reach a good state of health.
Some of the types of naturopathy are:
- Homeopathy
- Naturopathic medicine
- Traditional Chinese medicine
- Acupuncture
- Ayurveda
- Phytotherapy
- Chiromassage
- Trace elements
- Bach flowers
- Aromatherapy
- Foot Reflexology
- Reiki
- Iridology
- Botanical medicine
- Hydrotherapy
- Ozone therapy
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
It involves the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of health disorders through the use of natural therapies, methods and materials, which can be: clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, homeopathy or ancient medical systems such as those used in China or India.
The scientific evidence for these techniques is very scarce. Some patients claim to notice some improvement in the symptoms of their discomfort, but in most cases there are no studies to determine if the improvement is due to the effect of the treatment or if it is really a placebo effect.
Naturopathy lacks sufficient scientific studies to demonstrate its efficacy.
Why is it performed?
Naturopathy is usually applied whenever there is a previous medical diagnosis, and it is applied to complement traditional medicine. It is used to help in a great variety of illnesses. By considering the disease as a set of imbalances in the patient’s energy field, it seeks not only to alleviate the symptoms but also to achieve an emotional and organic balance for healing. It is based on the body’s ability to regenerate itself, looking for the cause of the problem and stimulating the self-healing and recovery capacities by taking care of nutrition, elimination of toxins, stimulation of the immune system…
What does it consist of?
Naturopathy is based on changing lifestyles and nutrition. It uses a variety of natural products, techniques and procedures: nutritional supplements, herbal therapy, manipulation, gentle physical exercises and joint massage.
What types of treatment do naturopathic physicians offer?
There are 6 basic principles that a naturopath follows in treating patients:
- Identify and treat the cause
- Use the healing power of nature
- Do no harm
- Treat the whole person
- Prevention and health promotion
- Being a qualified professional
Naturopaths perform physical examinations, laboratory tests, gynecological examinations, nutritional and dietary evaluations, allergy tests, x-rays and other diagnostic tests. Through these tests and examinations, treatments are combined and tailored to the individual’s needs.
Preparation for naturopathy
Naturopathic therapies are usually harmless, so no special preparation is required prior to the sessions.
What conditions does naturopathy treat?
There is a wide range of conditions that naturopathic physicians treat, either alone or in conjunction with conventional medical treatments. These include:
- Acute conditions: headaches, sore throats, ear infections, colds and flus.
- Chronic conditions: migraines, musculoskeletal pain, gastrointestinal, gynecological and fertility problems, arthritis and heart disease.
- Mental and emotional problems: stress, anger, depression or anxiety
- Physical injury and trauma
Care after the intervention
No specific care is necessary after the sessions, but it will always depend on the type of natural therapy used, as diet, daily habits, etc. may be modified.