Naturopathic

Page under construction.

Whilst in preparation, it may become a temporary repository for links to research papers being consulted.

This website is useful: Naturopathic Diaries is written by "an ex-naturopathic doctor [who] started this blog to expose naturopathic medicine and protect patients from the dangerous and incompetent practices rife in my former profession. —Britt Marie Hermes"

Naturopathy is an eclectic system of healthcare that uses elements of SCAM and conventional medicine allegedly to enhance self-healing processes. Naturopaths employ treatments based on therapeutic options that are thought of as natural, e.g. naturally occurring substances such as herbs, as well as water, exercise, diet, fresh air, pressure, heat and cold—but often SCAMs like acupuncture, homeopathy, and manual therapies are also thrown into the eccentric mix. Naturopathy is steeped in the obsolete concept of vitalism, i.e. the belief that living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element.

In some US states, naturopaths are allowed to call themselves ‘doctors of naturopathy’ (NDs). They claim that they are guided by a unique set of principles that recognise the body’s innate healing capacity, emphasise disease prevention, and encourage individual responsibility to obtain optimal health. Many also insist that they are trained as primary care physicians. But not everyone is impressed. In 2018, a New Brunswick judge ruled that Canadian naturopaths must no longer call themselves ‘medically trained’. The lawsuit was filed because actual physicians were frustrated that fake doctors were using terms like ‘medical practitioner’ and saying they worked at a ‘family practice’. They felt that this conveyed the false impression that naturopaths were qualified at the same level as real doctors.

From: Don't Believe What You Think: Arguments for and against SCAM by Edzard Ernst

Page updated 22 April 2024