Naturopathy: Whole-body healing
By Wendy Underhill
There
are two kinds of people who visit naturopathic physicians: those who
have a commitment to all things natural, and those who have a chronic
ailment that M.D.s haven’t been able to help. The first group—people
who use cloth diapers, eat organic foods, read Nexus and make yoga or
other physical movement a part of everyday life—probably believe
in the healing power of nature. It makes sense that they seek out a
medical practitioner who believes similarly and looks first to nature’s
gentle solutions before using the big guns of the pharmaceutically-based
medical model.
The second group? These people live life in the mainstream without
any philosophical gripes about the prevailing medical culture. But they
have incessant back pain, arthritis, colitis or some other condition
that persists over years and even decades. Medical doctors have offered
prescriptions that either haven’t worked or have had side effects
so pronounced that the medicines were rejected. Maybe surgery has been
suggested as a last resort. They’re ready to try anything—even
a so-called “alternative” practitioner, as long as it is
still science-based.
If you fit the second category, don’t expect a quick fix. Naturopathic
physicians say that for each year you’ve experienced a symptom,
you can expect to spend a month finding a regimen that works to alleviate
it. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself going for a series
of five, 10 or more visits to deal with an ongong problem—though
once you are under the care of a naturopath, clearing up an acute problem—say,
an earache—can be a one-time fix.
So what is naturopathy? It’s a field of medical care, just as
Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine or what we call “conventional
medicine” are. Naturopathy is firmly rooted in the western world,
and its background is much the same as conventional medicine’s.
Naturopathic doctors study the same pre-med classes (biology, chemistry,
physics, anatomy, physiology, etc.) and many of the same graduate classes
as medical doctors. They speak the same language, too: for instance,
“liver” means the same bile-secreting organ to a N.D. as
it does to a M.D., and both will be interested in and skillful in reading
the results of laboratory tests such as blood screenings.
If the cultural background and the scientific background of N.D.s
and M.D.s aren’t so different, it’s fair to say that the
outlook is. One Colorado naturopath says her field is based on the idea
that, given the right conditions, the body has the ability to heal itself.
Hence, there is a strong emphasis on healthy living as illness prevention.
When a problem does arise, the natural therapeutics that the naturopathic
doctor prescribes simply boost the natural healing response. That means
that the therapies, remedies, and herbs that may be used aren’t
simply a green substitute for conventional medicine; they represent
a different perspective, one that involves the whole body, indeed the
whole person, as the subject, not just the ailing head or lungs or leg.
Naturopaths put a strong emphasis on rooting out causes, not just
alleviating symptoms, and they’re conscious of proceeding by doing
the least harm along the way. Therefore, they use non-toxic natural
therapies, whether they are of long standing use or the outcome of current
science. (And, N.D.s are very happy to refer to M.D.s as needed.)
Historically, naturopathy has existed as such for more than 100 years.
By mid-century, with the rise of technologically based medicine and
pharmaceuticals, naturopathy had faded, until it wasn’t much more
than a mere asterisk in medical texts. While it’s still a tiny
field compared with all of medicine, in the last 30 years, naturopathy
has developed and changed along with science, and more people have been
returning to this least-invasive form of health care.
While still considered an alternative medical practice, it’s
edging closer to the mainstream, at least in some regions of the country.
Colorado has N.D.s in many nooks and crannies: the front range, of course,
but also in Carbondale, Montrose, Frisco, Vail, Gunnison and Grand Junction.
I had my first naturopathic experience thanks to persistent migraines.
While this is a decade in the past, the overwhelming memory I hold from
that first visit was how well cared for I felt: I was fully heard. The
doctor inquired into all phases of my life and health: diet, digestion,
elimination, sleep, my reactions to heat, cold and stress. It was soothing,
and probably healing, to have such attention lavished on me—and
quite different than the 10-minute exams I was used to that usually
led to a new prescription. In fact, that first intake interview felt
so good, I liken it to a massage.
An extensive intake is the norm in naturopathy; it makes sense, since
the idea is to find a unique therapy or solution that fits a unique
person. Beyond that, how a naturopath goes about working with clients
varies a great deal. A physical exam is likely, and then some doctors
may want to review a wide range of lab tests; the usual hematocrits
and pap smears are not uncommon, but many will order more extensive
gastrointestinal, hormonal or other tests.
As for treatment, N.D.s are trained to work with homeopathy, hydrotherapy
and herbs; with diets, cleanses and fasts; and with natural childbirth,
physical manipulation and Chinese medicine (though additional training
to make these areas a specialty are required). It’s as if naturopathic
medical school provides the practitioner with a toolbox of options,
and some graduates are more expert with some of the tools than others.
It’s not uncommon to find a doctor who is particularly skilled
with homeopathy or with herbs, and naturally the doctor turns first
to that modality to begin a treatment plan.
Having so many tools in the toolbox is both a blessing and a curse.
The upside is that a naturopath won’t run out of options quickly.
On the downside, it’s difficult, even with four years of in-residence
training, to be expert in anything—and trial and error (or intuition)
can lead to a lengthy search before the most effective therapy for a
patient is found.
A typical visit to a naturopath might result in a three-part plan:
say, a homeopathic remedy, a recommendation to sleep more (sleep is
a routinely undervalued source of good health, according to many naturopaths)
and altering the diet for a couple of weeks until a follow-up visit.
Some real life case studies? Without naming names, a woman experiencing
significant post-partum depression was able to give up her Prozac-like
anti-depressant by using a daily dose of a homeopathic remedy. With
time, she became happy and energetic again, and, as an added bonus,
no longer suffers from premenstrual syndrome. A man wanting to stop
a nicotine addiction received acupuncture, herbs and a healthy dose
of lifestyle counseling from his naturopath. He had tried to quit before,
but this time, with naturopathic support, he succeeded. Another woman,
this one with a hyperthyroid condition, was able to return her thyroid
functions to normal with a daily homeopathic remedy. The result was
a surprise to her M.D. but not to her N.D. And lots of women facing
menopausal hot flashes get help regulating their bodies with a personally-designed
combination of herbal products, diet regulation, and homeopathic remedies.
As menopause progresses, the regimen may begin to fail, indicating that
it’s time for another office visit and an altered plan.
And then there was me with my headaches; I was treated with a homeopathic
remedy and given instruction for palliative foot baths (the water was
to be as hot as I could stand it, with powdered mustard added to boost
the heat component). I gave the plan a good go, taking my doses as directed
and enjoying the footbaths as a break from my busy life. But in the
end, I was back at square one: relying on Excedrin and endurance to
get through a bad day. But that’s certainly no damnation of the
naturopathic approach; I simply wasn’t patient enough to stick
out a year’s worth of visits to fix a decade’s worth of
headaches.
Details to know:
-
In Colorado, naturopathic physicians are not regulated by the
state. That means anyone can hang out a shingle, and they do: people
with four year, post-graduate, in-residence degrees practice in
the state, and so do people who have completed correspondence programs
or who have self-selected natural medicine classes and workshops
on their own.
-
Given that the words “naturopathic physician” can
mean almost anything, it’s wise to take a look at your practitioner’s
degrees carefully.
-
Insurance rarely covers naturopathic services in Colorado. Expect
to pay out of pocket and then be pleasantly surprised if you get
reimbursed.
-
Fees vary, but you might expect to pay over $100 for a full hour
appointment, with follow-up visits of 20 to 60 minutes costing $50
to $90.
Resources, local and beyond
To find a practitioner or learn more about naturopathic medicine, check
out the following resources:
-
www.coanp.org, the website
of the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians; all its
members retain licenses in one of the 14 states that offer them;
also a “How do I find a doctor?” section
-
www.naturopathic.org,
the website of the National Association of Naturopathic Physicians,
with links to the few accredited four-year post- graduate in-residence
natural medicine schools in the country
-
www.pandamedicine.com,
the website of the Naturopathic Medicine Network, this website hosts
articles about various common complaints, such as allergies or ear
infections
-
The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, by Michael Murray and Jay
Pizzorno (Prima Publishing,1998); this A-Z guide to treating myriad
health conditions is written by N.D.s with lay people in mind
-
Pocket Guide to Naturopathic Medicine by Judith Boice (Crossing
Press; 1996) gives quick information and remedies for lots of common
ailments
-
Women’ s Guide to Natural Medicine by Tori Hudson, N.D.
(Keats, 1999) looks at all the usual reproductive-related health
issues plus heart dis ease, a women’s issue for those past
menopause
The following are Nexus advertisers who practice naturopathy. To learn
more about them, turn to the page numbers after their names. See also
the Nexus Calendar and Classifieds.
- Barbara Blunt, ND, Longmont: 720-652-9972
- Tara Skye Goldin, Boulder: 303-443-2206
- Brenna Hatami, ND: 303-320-1174
- School of Natural Medicine, Boulder: 303-588-6887
JULY/AUGUST 2008 FEATURE ARTICLES
