What Is Naturopathy?

Where It Falls Short

There are several aspects where naturopathy falls short. In terms of education, some naturopathic practitioners do have a four-year degree from an accredited institution but are not required to undergo a three-year residency like primary doctors are. Most naturopathic practitioners go directly into practice rather than utilizing several years of on the job training and supervision. The point of view in naturopathic medicine is that maintaining body balance should be prioritized over the precise medical treatment of acute conditions. This point of view gives rise to the idea that only patients with a weak immune system, are already sick, have a toxic body, or are unbalanced contract infections and develop diseases, despite documented and proven scientific research. Naturopathy rarely acknowledges the fact some diseases develop as an inevitable result of certain genetic abnormalities that cannot be altered or inhibited. Many individuals who turn to naturopathic medicine over traditional medicine have done so because of a bad experience with a doctor, and not because traditional medical treatments have not been effective enough for their problems. When naturopathy is combined with and does not oversaturate a patient's primary medical care by their traditional physician, it can be very helpful. However, basic science principles are easily able to reveal that naturopathic medicine is not an adequate replacement for traditional medicine and should not be used in such a manner.