"What's a Naturopath?"

Before I post the nitty gritty of my love for naturopathy, let's talk about what it is!

A Naturopath is a physician that practices Naturopathic medicine.  And according to the giant Random House dictionary that lives in my den, the definition is:

Naturopathy (nā-chə-ˈrä-pə-thē): a system or method of treating disease that employs no surgery or synthetic drugs but uses special diets, herbs, vitamins, massage, etc., to assist the natural healing process.

This is certainly different than Allopathy, which is the term generally used to define the practice of regular, western medicine to which most of us are accustomed in seeing our Medical Doctors - MDs.  Your typical GP is an "Allopath".  The big ole dictionary downstairs says that this is "the method of treating disease by the use of agents that produce effects different than those of the disease."

Um...excuse me, but I would like NO effects, thank you very much.  Why do I have to have "different" ones than what I've already got.  ?!

Let me play this out....say I have, for example, Seasonal Affective Disorder.  I get extra tired and sad when it's darker and colder outside.  So an allopath treats me with an SSRI (an "agent"), which is a class of drugs that includes Prozac and Lexapro.  Such meds happen to have the potential for side effects that include weight gain, nausea, headache, & nervousness, to name a few.

I'm not gonna feel more chipper if I am also fatter and have to puke.  Plus now don't I also need a painkiller and an anti-emetic?  I acknowledge that I am biased against pharmaceutical overuse, but this leads me handily back to What is a Naturopath Doctor (N.D.)...

ND's are many things, but my three favorite things are:

1. ND's are partners in your health.
2. ND's seek to treat the root cause of disease, thereby eliminating and/or substantially minimizing symptoms by supporting the body's ability to heal.
3. ND's don't resort to using prescriptions when a natural option exists.

I just love that my ND is as committed to my good health as I am, and that she uses natural means to steer my system back to its original balance.  ("She" is the fabulous Dr. Alicia Birr of Origins Natural Medicine in Port Townsend, WA.)

I sincerely hope and recommend that more people find and work with an ND!  You don't have to give up your regular doctor at all; there's nothing wrong with having more than one person on your health team - in fact, it's a good idea.  (One day I'll post on the exceptional allopath I see as an adjunct to my naturopathic care.)  To find your own ND, please check out the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians website.  http://www.naturopathic.org/index.asp.

I highly recommend reading their information on licensing.  There are only 16 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, & the US Virgin Islands that have licensing laws, which requires graduation from one of the seven accredited schools plus extensive postdoctoral exams. 

It's important to be sure your naturopath has had the training that will allow you to feel confident in their care, and that their education came from a credible institution.  And if you happen to live in a state with no licensing laws, don't worry!  There are excellent naturopaths practicing everywhere in many capacities & we'll talk more about that in the next post.  You can always "see" an ND very effectively by phone and Skype if there isn't one nearby; I've been doing that successfully and happily for two years. 

Finally, so that you have word straight from the source, here's a definition according to the AANP website:

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct method of primary health care - an art, science, philosophy and practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Naturopathic physicians seek to restore and maintain optimum health in their patients by emphasizing nature's inherent self-healing process, the vis medicatrix naturae. This is accomplished through education and the rational use of natural therapeutics.

Coming up on my next post: So what does a naturopath do?