Naturopathic doctors use natural means to treat the cause and cure disease.
One popular definition of Naturopathic medicine is that it provides holistic, or whole body healthcare by taking advantage of resources drawn from numerous traditional healing systems. Dating back to the early part of the 20th century, 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).
A naturopathic doctor, or ND, may pay considerable attention to a patient's lifestyle, since naturopathic theory holds that physical, psychological, and even spiritual elements can all contribute to disease. 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.
Doctors of naturopathy train at accredited four year naturopathic medical schools. The first two years include many of the same core science classes as regular medical schools, while the final two years focus on training in natural healing techniques. At present, naturopathic doctors are licensed to practice in nine states; most other states allow them to practice in limited ways. Many private insurance plans cover naturopathic care.
The Medical Advisor: The complete guide to alternative and conventional treatments by the editors of time life books, Alexandria, Virginia 1996, p. 28
Since this was published in 1996, more states have been licensed including:
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