Alternative Health Care

There will come a time when the whole ‘alternative’ vs ‘conventional’ health care controversy will be a non-issue. The conventional medical establishments, as well as the insurance industry, have had to accept more and more ‘alternative’ treatments and therapies, largely because of popular demand. Most insurance companies now cover at least some alternative procedures and many conventional physicians are finding it necessary to adapt to a clientele that demands a more holistic approach to health care.

‘Alternative’ healthcare calls up a spectrum of methods from herbalism to acupuncture, from intense religiosity to chiropractic. There is a new species of practitioner that has emerged from all this diversity—the naturopath. A doctor of naturopathy, just like a doctor of medicine, has an intense program of study that takes years of preparation in many of the same areas: anatomy, chemistry, physiology, biology, etc. And an ND can also write prescriptions. A fundamental difference between the two is this: the MD is trained to treat illness. The ND is trained to promote wellness. Furthermore, conventional medicine is turf-conscious and exclusive. Naturopathy is open to diversity and inclusive. Naturopathy is also non- or minimally invasive.

The doctor of naturopathy is familiar with nutrition, herbal medicine, and physical therapies, though she may send you to a specialist, for instance, an acupuncturist or chiropractor. Within naturopathy there are also specialists, for instance, midwives. Some naturopaths specialize in Eastern medicine. But the naturopath is also trained to recognize when a conventional medical procedure would be of benefit. Naturopathy is a holistic approach to health. Not only do naturopaths treat the whole patient (including taking into considering his emotional well-being) they are also taught to think outside the box and go for whatever is going to help that patient. Treatment can be herbal, physical, meditative, or anything that is going to help.

Food for thought: Modern drug therapies are based on natural sources that have been used by herbalists, often for millennia. Modern pharmacy science is based on either extracts of substances traditionally used by herbalists, or on artificial copies of those same substances. So, what came first, the herbalist or the pharmacist?

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