Naturopathy is refers to the treatment of disease using natural methods. Hipprocates, the Greek physician known as the father of medicine was probably the first naturopath. Using all the healing elements available him, he incorporated light, touch, temperature, water, food, and herbs in his treatment of disease.

Naturopathy is based on the belief that the body is self-healing. The body will repair itself and recover from illness spontaneously if it is in a healthy environment. Naturopaths have many remedies and recommendations for creating a healthy environment so the body can spontaneously heal itself.

Treatment

The fundamental principle of naturopathy is do not harm, endorses all form of noninvasive therapy including regular exercise, massage, manipulation, hydrotherapy, diet therapy, and herbal prescriptions.

When treating the whole person, certain disease states often require a therapeutic fast to help rid the body of the toxic overload.

Visiting a Naturopath

It is strongly advised that you look for qualified and experience practitioner before undergoing any form of naturopathic treatment program. The initial consultation is not unlike that of any medical practitioner.  A Detailed a medical history and physical examination will be taken. It is essential for naturopath to asses if your health problem would be suitable for naturopathic approach.

Recommended Book To Read

Combining Old and New : Naturopathy for the 21st Century (Paperback)
by Robert J. Thiel

What makes this book unique is the effective and thorough "round-up" of early writings on a variety of naturopathic modalities such as heliotherapy, hydrotherapy, herbalism, homeopathy, massage, exercise, rest and sleep, fasting, etc. Thiel has done an outstanding job of finding and organizing assorted excerpts from the profession's founders to define what those modalities are and what their possibilities are in helping others. Thiel then makes conclusions as to how these modalities are still effective today, often reporting on recent studies or research that validate naturopathic techniques.

Most striking, however, is Thiel's stance on synthetic and natural vitamins and minerals. Citing the Golden Jubilee's Standards of 1947, Thiel argues that synthetic supplements have no place in naturopathic practice and devotes considerable space in the book to demonstrating that natural, food-complexed nutrients are superior to synthetic ones. Several of Thiel's published papers on fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other subjects fill out the book's appendices.

Thiel concludes the book with a warning to the naturopathic profession: "If naturopaths embrace allopathic medications as part of their modalities, not only will they betray their naturopathic foundation, they will cease to be naturopaths. Naturopaths who prescribe medications are telling their clients that they do not feel they can be helped through naturopathic methods. Naturopaths who routinely prescribe medicines are not, in my opinion, being true to this profession." In these days where some naturopaths feel that they should have the legal right to dispense drugs as allopaths do, Thiel's words are quite pertinent and should be heeded.

Naturopathy for the 21st Century should be required reading of all present and future Nds, as well as the lay public who are interested in natural health. In its masterful combining of old and current writings and research on the art and science of naturopathy, the book offers readers invaluable insights into the healing power of nature.