Naturopathic consultation emphasizes the body's potential to heal itself and focuses on prevention and balance. Practitioners explore options the natural way of healing by eliminating the toxicities of the body.

What Are the Indications for Naturopathic Consultations

The National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine ( NCCAM ) considers naturopathic counselling to be an Alternative Medical System, which places it in the same category as Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Naturopathic medicine is a system that uses natural remedies to help the body heal itself. It embraces many therapies, including massage therapy, hydrotherapy, chromotherapy, mud therapy, fasting therapy, acupuncture, exercise therapy, and nutritional counselling.

Naturopathy was brought to the United States from Germany in the 1800s, but some of its treatments are centuries old. Today, it combines traditional treatments with modern science.

How Does It Work?

The goal of naturopathic medicine is to treat the whole person -- that means mind, body, and spirit. It also aims to heal the root causes of an illness -- not just stop the symptoms.

A naturopathic doctor may spend 1 to 2 hours examining you. He’ll ask questions about your health history, stress levels, and lifestyle habits. He may order lab tests.

Naturopathic counselling has been used for:

• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Diabetes
• Fibromyalgia
• Hypertension
• Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Migraine headache
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Perimenopausal symptoms

What Are the Contraindications for Naturopathic Counseling?

• Medical emergencies (heart attack, appendicitis, and cholecystitis, for example)
• Use as the sole treatment for cancer
• Known interactions with specific prescription medications