What is a Naturopathic Doctor?
Natural healthcare involves many natural and drug-free treatment options to maximize your health and well-being, including diet and exercise, natural remedies, herbs, vitamins, and supplements.
In naturopathy, diet is a foundation of health and healing. The foods you eat have tremendous power to enhance your health and prevent disease. Eating a well-balanced diet filled with whole, unprocessed foods, including a variety of fruits all and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to fight and prevent illness. Exercise is also an important component of natural healthcare. It boosts cardiovascular health, builds lean muscle, and keeps your organs running smoothly.
Naturopathic practitioners use many different treatment approaches. Examples include:
- Dietary and lifestyle changes
- Stress reduction
- Ayurveda
- Herbs and other dietary supplements
- Homeopathy
- Manipulative therapies
- Exercise therapy
- Practitioner-guided detoxification
- Psychotherapy and counseling.
Some practitioners use other methods as well or, if appropriate, may refer patients to conventional health care providers.
Naturopathic medicine can be used to treat a wide range of health conditions. Naturopathy believes in the body’s ability to heal itself through various natural treatment methods. Rather than prescribing drugs used in western medicine, naturopathic doctors prescribe a variety of natural remedies to promote optimal health, healing, and prevent disease.
Naturopathic medicine may consist of herbal remedies, vitamins, and supplements, and may also include acupuncture and injections. Dietary and lifestyle changes are another widely-used naturopathic treatment, and can be a highly effective natural treatment option for many health conditions.
Botanical medicine uses plants and their extracts to create herbal remedies. Naturopathic doctors may incorporate botanical medicine into their treatment plans.
Acupuncture/acupressure and Traditional Chinese Medicine are also powerful medical tools for the naturopathic doctor, and are often used in treatment.
Homeopathic medicine is a different medical discipline from naturopathy; however, many naturopathic doctors incorporate homeopathy into their practice. Homeopathic medicine focuses on homeopathic remedies, and may be part of a naturopathic treatment plan.