Naturopathy, Why the Bad Rap?

Naturopaths are commonly touted as an alternative medicine branded as pseudoscience, quackery, non-evidence-based, dangerous, ineffective and unethical. But let’s step away from the Wikipedia description of naturopaths, because really? Who gets their information from Wikipedia?

Firstly, Naturopathy isn’t an alternative medicine, but a complimentary medicine. What is the difference?

Alternative medicine focuses on the idea that it is one or the other. Complimentary medicine is a combination approach of both combined.

Naturopaths don’t (or at least shouldn’t) discredit the effectiveness of modern medicine in patient management and wellbeing, and naturopathy should never be used to replace a GP.

Unfortunately, in Australia, many people choose one over the other and this can become a problem. Modern medicine exists for a reason. It is effective, efficient, broad and thorough. It saves and extends lives and can treat disease in cases where naturopathy can’t. You wouldn’t see a naturopath when you’re having a heart attack, or when you lose a leg, or when you catch a deadly disease. That’s not what naturopaths are for. Naturopaths exist to promote overall wellness to improve overall outcomes.

Naturopaths are here to promote wellness!

Naturopathic intervention focuses on 6 principles or tenets:

1. Do no Harm

2. The healing Power of Nature

3. Identify and Treat the Cause

4. Doctor as teacher

5. Treat the Whole Person

6. Prevention

How do these play a role in health or disease management, and how are they effective?

Firstly, a naturopath will make sure any medications or supplements you are currently taking are safe together and with any supplement or herbal regimen advised for you.

Naturopaths believe in nature’s ability to heal itself. Just like the body can heal a wound in the right situations your body can heal itself internally. It doesn’t mean only natural products can heal you but creating a natural positive internal environment can boost the innate ability to heal.

We believe if we target a cause of illness or weakness in the body such as sleep, the symptoms relating to that weakness can’t express themselves as strongly. and disease management becomes easier.

Our philosophy aims to teach people to learn how to improve themselves. Yes, you can come to naturopaths to help sway you in the right direction, but our goal is to teach you how to manage your own health.

When we manage a condition, we aim to treat the whole body as well. We believe every disease/disorder/health concern is multifaceted and cannot be simply managed through a single intervention. Every system in the body is intertwined and linked.

And finally, prevention. We take your family and personal history to bring to light any conditions you may be at risk of and teach you how to reduce the risk of developing them.

What about Doctors?

When looking at what we do and compare it to a regular GP, you can see we don’t share the same roles. And this is why we can’t replace each other. Naturopathy is there to fill in the gaps in your health and promote wellness in the daily decisions you make. Doctors are there to save your life and manage disease.

Most of our recommendations will be diet and lifestyle using herbs and supplements where we see major gaps in your health. And, as far as I’m aware, advocating for a more fibre-rich, whole-food diet, getting more physical activity, sun exposure, decreasing stressors (to name a few common recommendations) is not pseudoscience.

Following a healthy diet and lifestyle regimen promotes the wellbeing of people in almost all cases.

So why do we get such bad Rap?

Unfortunately, in Australia, Naturopaths aren’t regulated by any governing body… yet. This sees people doing weekend courses or even less calling themselves naturopaths resulting in some so called “practitioners” causing harm to the general public. Until we get registration (which we almost did a few years back – Thankyou COVID) this will continue to plague our industry, and we are fighting for it.

How to protect yourself?

Whenever you see a new naturopath, do some digging, find out what qualifications they have, or if they’re part of an association that requires them to be fully qualified and continue their education demands each year. In 2022, only 43% of naturopaths met the minimum criteria for these standards. Do your due diligence and find a naturopath that does!