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

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