Naturopathic Techniques: Principles, Benefits, Treatment Method, Criticisms

Naturopathic techniques or remedies mostly include solutions for problems that can be easily achieved from the equipment available at one’s own home. Such solutions comprise hair brushing or skin massaging as a method to eliminate body’s toxicity and waste. Excretion of body waste is indispensable for healthy body functioning without which no healthy functions can take place smoothly. Signs of malfunction can be both varied and many in number. Symptoms of disturbance in our body usually include: body ache or pain, lethargy, cold and cough, skin problems like acne or rashes, increased levels of urination and disturbed bowel movements. Toxicity is usually removed from the body by a variety of natural and home remedies that relieve the body from accumulating such amounts of waste that could later prove hazardous or deleterious. Proper dietary solutions also help in restoring the normal balance of the body and getting it rid of toxins and waste.

Naturopathic techniques or medicine is thus nothing but the employment of products verified clinically that takes care of certain aspects of well-being by using non-toxic substances to retain the body’s normal structure and balance. Naturopathic medicine is a belief that is empowered by an ancient tradition of linking of physical and mental well-being. Naturopathy believes that a person’s disease deserves a proper insight into the cores of the problem and delves holistically into the underlying causes rather than focusing just on the superficial symptoms. Naturopathic physicians and practitioners are well versed in dealing with a plethora of both common place and chronic disorders. They do so by using such naturopathic techniques that trigger the self-healing mechanism of the body. A disease is treated thus not as an entity of its own, but an entire process with a cause that brought about several undesired ramifications. The task of a naturopath is to engage himself or herself in that specific portion that has brought about the change. It does so by employing a number of naturopathic techniques that have even till date been heavily mistrusted. Given below is an extensive and detailed account of all the processes that naturopathy employs and the safety measures of using each one of them.

A naturopath believes in the power of natural treatments. These natural treatments mostly employ acupuncture, dietary changes as well as changes in lifestyle and the complete avoidances of such practices such as surgery, drugs and chemical synthesizers. A qualified naturopath has completed his or her diploma in Naturopathy or Health Science and has accordingly registered as a professional physician or joined an acclaimed institution for the same. A naturopath in all cases should have cleared off the Bachelor’s level degree. Naturopaths are usually contacted through referral from friends and such contacts. They could be also looked up for online and contact can be accordingly established.

Naturopathic techniques or medicines are driven by the mantra of following the curative power of nature. Naturopathic practitioners believe in natural and home remedies to restore the body of its inherent balance. These practitioners concentrate on the causes that brought about the imbalance rather than focusing on the external symptoms that come about as a manifestation of the imbalance. Naturopathy understands that disregarding the underlying causes can prove to be extremely harmful for the body and its mechanisms. Naturopathic techniques also sport the uniqueness of having no side effects and are extremely beneficial for the body. These techniques do not eclipse the symptoms that show, but remove the underlying cause to a massive extent. The important thing to remember here is that naturopathic techniques focus its remedy on a specific part or portion of the victim’s body instead of treating the entire patient. In addition to this it is also important to remember that naturopathic techniques maximise prevention of further outbreaks of the disease by ensuring that the patient receives a complete alteration of his or her lifestyle and habits. They do so by refurbishing almost entirely dietary charts and drafting a common course of action that inculcates healthy practices like exercise, meditation and exposure to clean water and sunlight.

Naturopathic techniques have mostly proved to be beneficial against diseases like headache, cough and cold, migraines, exhaustion, disturbance in sleeping patterns and the digestive system by absolutely common place techniques and supplements. A naturopathic physician also takes the time to go through the patient’s personal profile and agendas to understand the trouble in its latent state. They do so by setting up an interview based counselling system and reviewing the patient’s answers to specific questions put forward to them. An effective naturopathic remedy includes a lot of patience and good communication on both sides. A good naturopath would accordingly to the needful to ensure that there is complete understanding between the practitioner and the patient.

Naturopathic treatments include a range of products and techniques that help in achieving steady and efficacious recuperation. These techniques have physicians who have specialized in individual fields and thus achieved success in their work. Below is a list of naturopathic treatment techniques that have proved effective against diseases:

Nutrition Based Diet: Naturopathic medicine focuses largely on dietary supplements. These include herbs and vitamins that help the body achieve its normal state. Dietary recommendations have most often proved to be effective while battling against diseases. Usually these naturopathic practitioners suggest an entire refurbishing of diet and lifestyle habits so that the body can opt for the natural healing process faster.

Medicines Prescribed by Naturopathic Physicians: There are a number of naturopathic techniques that are prescribed by naturopaths that help in the healing process. These include: exercising, meditation, hydrotherapy, chiropractic techniques, naturopathic manipulation of the body, diathermy, ultrasound, heat or light therapy and electric stimulation.

Homeopathy: Although it is mostly confused with the broad genre of naturopathic treatments, homeopathy is usually segregated into a wholly different branch. This like its parent branch focuses on the body’s healing process and revitalising system instead of employing techniques, such as surgery, vaccinations, allopath and the like. Although homeopathy is mostly challenged even to this day, it is a widely funded field which deserves special mention.

Medicines of Botanical Origin: Naturopathic techniques minimalize the use of chemical and synthetic products and rely completely on naturally occurring substances. Herbs and naturally occurring plants with medicinal properties are generally trusted to do the job in naturopathy. It is probably for this reason that naturopathic treatments usually come with little or no side effects.

Ayurveda: Ayurveda is an ancient branch of medicine that originated in India and has stayed in circulation ever since. Although considered to be archaic by many medical practitioners it still stays in practice and has its fair share of followers and investors who believe in its anciently developed science.

Psychological Insights and Therapy: Naturopaths usually take help of interview based confrontations to have a deeper insight into the patient’s problem. Naturopaths believe in an in-depth encounter with the patient’s disease which often involves a psychological insight into the patient’s personal troubles. Although it has seldom proved to be efficacious, naturopaths often resort to this practice for treatment of the disease.

Naturopathic techniques or treatment usually bases its ground on a trial based evidence system, which evaluates the treatment and its range of effectiveness for individual disease. This system, often referred to as Evidence Based Medicine (EBM), has proved to be valuable in vindicating the system of naturopathy. In almost all the cases which include severities like migraine, depression, asthma, hypertension, and type II diabetes; naturopathic treatments like medicines of botanical origin, meditation, exercise, dietary supplements and even acupuncture have proved to be vastly effective. However, for patients with multiple ailments, the entire basis of naturopathy fails miserably. This has exposed naturopathy to a number of criticisms where it has been even called unscientific and largely faux. The ineffectiveness of naturopathy while dealing with multiple disorders is surely one of the negatives of naturopathy causing dissension amongst believers of this field to entrust in them. A recent survey by the British Medical Journey discovered that only a meagre 13% of the cases have been successful in battling against diseases by employing naturopathic techniques.

Naturopathic medicinal techniques have been subjected to a lot of criticisms in the past for its lack of evidence based treatment. Naturopaths have been staunchly against the use of modern contraptions for treatments of the diseases. The American Cancer Society has gone so far off as to call them “charlatans” and “false practitioners of medicine.” Needless to say, the branch of naturopathy and its belief in the self-healing power of the body that revitalises itself and reverts back to its natural and innate state is a theory that has been poorly justified for lack of evidence. Naturopaths seek natural methods of healing, which proves to be a failure when a body suffers from multiple ailments. They also completely eschew the employment of prevalent medical practices like surgery, drugs and other conventional techniques. Instead naturopathy resorts to psychological counselling and botanical products. The branch of naturopathy has been exposed to varied levels of dissension from medical practitioners from everywhere who have had poor belief in this method of approach.

Acupuncture: As mentioned earlier, naturopathy wholly focuses on initiating the revitalising power of the body so that it employs its mechanism of self-healing and ultimately reverts back to its original state. One of the widely employed naturopathic techniques is the use of acupuncture. This comprises of puncturing the body in specific parts by a number of needles that help manipulate the body’s functions. Acupuncture has proved to be effective and causes relaxation in a number of occasions. The technique of acupuncture has proved to be effective in easing pain, treatment of infertility, and improvement of the general body health.

Applied Kinesiology: Another method for battling against ailments is applied kinesiology. This medicine is usually used as a substitute to maintain proper functioning of the body. Applied kinesiology is generally used as a diagnostic procedure for checking against a disease that is harming the body. A lot of plants come with medicinal properties.

Plant Extracts: Utilizing the essential extracts of these plants is also another technique that naturopathy employs. Even the shells and certain animal parts are also tested to be useful products for the same.

Light Therapy: Light therapy has proved to be useful for healing seasonal affective disorders-popularly referred to as SAD.

Eye Examination: In some cases, a person’s iris is examined to determine the physical and mental health. The iris is hugely responsive in determining the damaged and healthy parts of a person’s body and this method is thus a trusted yardstick in measuring the ailments hindering someone.

Albeit stress is one of the most prevalent reasons a person visits a physician, it is mostly ignored and seldom given treatment for. Battling stress is largely misapprehended as an added luxury rather than an actual ailment paralyzing someone’s bodily functions. When subjected to stress, our body secretes the hormone cortisol that helps us in battling against it. However, prolonged excretions of cortisol usually lead to bodily disruptions like an effected immunity, stress, fatigue, anxiety attacks, disturbed digestive function and growth in bones. It is here that naturopathy does the maximum benefit. Naturopathic techniques are largely effective in battling against these ailments and have proved to work almost all the time and some of the naturopathic techniques that help in dealing stress are:

• A balanced and well drafted diet usually helps cut off half the stress. Naturopaths usually call for an entire alteration of diets to one which would suit our changed lifestyle better.
• While battling with stress, it is important that we follow the guidelines that have been given to us and do the necessary for a fast and easy recovery. A cut down on high sugar diets and choosing healthier alternatives is a good start to this process. Eating copious amounts of protein and fibre rich food and minimising levels of carbohydrates and fats in our diet is an effective way to begin.
• Preservatives and junk food should be avoided and a constant check should be maintained in diets and supplements. Skipping meals is strictly forbidden as is relying on doses of caffeine and other aerated beverages for our fuel of energy.
• Meat is a bad alternative source of energy during this time. Processed food should be not consumed at all. A few changes in one’s daily habits and the lifestyle at large are also a great way to ensure recuperation.
• Meditation and proper breathing exercises help a lot in dealing with stress.
• Priorities also need to be straightened out and one should do the necessary for cutting down on tasks requiring a heavy taxation of our energy and mental peace.
• Exercising regularly is a great way to cut down on stress. All of this is mandated in the guidelines of following naturopathic healing process.
• As naturopathic techniques mostly employ natural remedies with no use of synthetic and chemical products, these are never accompanied with undesired side effects.
• Heavy exercises can be avoided and gentler alternatives like yoga for instance can be opted for. It is important that the patient sticks to organic products as much as is possible. A healthy source would not only be the more salubrious option, but it completely cuts down on any chance of side effects thereby maximising good and desired results.

Our mellowing population has time and again corroborated to ominous facts such as patients suffering from stress and other ailments fill up about 30% of hospital seats and 20% of the sufferers do not survive the first year after a surgery. The facts repeatedly authenticate the need for better medical services in the field of stress and depression relief. Naturopathic products and techniques come with no side effects, which substantiate the need for it in our bodily functions. The aim of this article was to illuminate the necessities of this branch, naturopathy, the requisite things we need and why to invest in this specific field of naturopathy.

In all situations, consultation with a physician is mandatory and imperative before taking any steps personally. Maintaining a healthy diet and consuming munificent amounts of clean packaged water is very helpful during the process. Maintaining an impeccable hygiene and exercising regularly are other examples of personal steps that could be undertaken during the recuperation period to help ease the illness process and bring about a faster recovery. During this period, one should abstain from eating junk and unhealthy food as much as possible to have a healthy and fast recovery.

Although many of us are duly notified of the importance of healthy functioning in our body, a few hardly ever realize its significance. The rampant negligence has engendered a profusion of bone and mental diseases. It is of cardinal importance that we soon realize the deficiency of lack of proper nutrients, not only in our diet, but in our lifestyle at large and reconstitute it accordingly. Only then can we aim to have a stronger and healthier generation of active, salubrious people.

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