A system of therapy based on
preventative care, and on the use of heat, water, light,
air, and massage as primary therapies for disease. Some
naturopaths use no medications, either pharmaceutical or
herbal. Some recommend herbal remedies only. A few who are
licensed to prescribe may recommend pharmaceuticals in
those cases where they feel their use is warranted.
Naturopathy is an American healthcare profession. It was founded in the US as a formal healthcare system at the turn of the 20th century by medical practitioners from various natural therapeutic disciplines. By the early 1900s, more than 20 naturopathic medical schools existed, and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most States. Today there are more than 1,000 licensed naturopathic
doctors in the US.
As practiced today, naturopathic medicine integrates
traditional natural therapeutics -- including botanical
medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture,
traditional oriental medicine, hydrotherapy, and
naturopathic manipulative therapy -- with modern scientific
medical diagnostic science and standards of care. The
medical research base of naturopathic practice consists of
empirical documentation of treatments using case history
observations, medical records, and summaries of
practitioners' clinical experiences.
At present, the two accredited naturopathic medical
schools in the US have active research
departments. Naturopathic researchers have investigated the
pharmacology and physiological effects of nutritional and
natural therapeutic agents, and naturopathic physicians
have been active in the investigation of new homeopathic
remedies and in the natural treatment of women's health
problems. The most recently completed naturopathic study in
women's health tested the clinical and endocrine effects of
a botanical formula as an alternative to estrogen
replacement therapy.
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