Naturopathy is the technique of treatment of human disease which emphasizes assisting nature. It can embrace minor surgery and the use of nature's agencies, forces, processes, and products, introducing them to the human body by any means that will produce health-yielding results. Naturopathy is based upon the tendency of the body to maintain a balance and to heal itself. The purpose of naturopathic medicine is to further this process by using natural remedies. It is a holistic approach to health care based on a belief in the healing power of nature. It is a system of therapy and treatment which relies exclusively on natural remedies, such as sunlight, air, water, supplemented with diet and therapies such as massage. Naturopaths work closely with you to improve your health by making lifestyle such as improving your diet and reducing stress. They also employ alternative therapies, including herbal remedies, homeopathy, and hands-on techniques such as massage to stimulate your body's ability to heal itself. Naturopathy is organized around three fundamental principles:
- The physician should strive to aid the body's natural healing abilities;
- The root cause of an illness should be addressed rather than its symptoms;
- And above all, only therapies that cause no harm should be used (which means that toxic drugs and surgery are avoided whenever possible).
Naturopathy is based on the belief that the body is self-healing. The body will repair itself and recover from illness spontaneously if it is in a healthy environment. Naturopaths have many remedies and recommendations for creating a healthy environment so the body can spontaneously heal itself. In treating patients, the naturopathic practitioner may use a number of alternative therapies, including homeopathy, herbal remedies, traditional Chinese medicine, spinal manipulation, nutrition, hydrotherapy, massage and exercise.
With the discovery of penicillin and synthetic drugs, suddenly we found that there could be a faster way to cure illness. Hence, naturopathy went into a decline - not because it is ineffective, but rather because synthetic drugs give a much faster relief. But today, naturopathy is revived, and many people are turning back to it.
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