Naturopathic Medicine in Encinitas
What is naturopathy? Treatments and Approaches
Naturopathy is a type of healthcare that combines modern treatment with traditional methods. It includes alternative, natural therapies to modern medicine.
Naturopathy concentrates on:
- the body's capacity to heal itself
- preventing health problems
- a personal responsibility to optimize health and wellness
Naturopathic treatment plans focus on education and prevention. They often emphasize diet, exercise, and stress management. Naturopathy uses a series of principles and beliefs to create specific treatment plans.
These principles and beliefs are:
- Self-healing: Identifying and eliminating obstacles to recovery, enables natural healing.
- Underlying symptoms: Instead of stopping symptoms, a naturopathic physician can resolve underlying physical or mental issues by treating the body, mind, and spirit.
- Harmless treatment: Treatment plans should not have harmful side effects or control symptoms negatively.
- Holistic treatment: A naturopathic physician has to acknowledge individuality to treat all aspects of a person's health properly.
- Education in treatment: Naturopathic doctors teach self-care to help empower people against ill health.
- Prevention: It is good to remove toxic substances from a lifestyle to prevent problems from developing.
Seeing a Naturopathic Doctor
Naturopathic doctors might hold different licenses. Not all states have the same licensing requirements, so it is advisable to look at the details of a naturopathic doctor before a consultation.
The three main types of naturopath are:
- Naturopathic doctor: A licensed naturopathic doctor has to attend 4 years of naturopathic medical school to hold a recognized certification.
- Traditional naturopath: Traditional naturopaths may not hold a license, so they are not so commonly accepted.
- Other healthcare experts: Other, contemporary healthcare professionals, such as dentists, may use naturopathic approaches in their treatment plans.
Approaches vary between naturopathic specialists, but consultations usually adhere to a similar overall practice.
The specialist will typically start with a diagnosis. In this part of the procedure, they will address personal information, including lifestyle habits, stress levels, and diet.
A naturopathic physician can use physical assessments, lab tests, medical imaging, and medical history examinations to diagnose an illness.
After diagnosis, they will develop methods to prevent and treat the health problem by working with the natural healing systems within the body.
Potential Treatments
Naturopathic physicians design medical care strategies to fit individual needs and health conditions. This means the treatment plans they offer can vary, yet they all follow similar principles.
Most treatments involve food and nutrition. A naturopathic physician will personalize suggestions for the individual.
A diet plan will generally use whole foods, such as, fruit, vegetables, lean meat, and whole grains.
The doctor might also give advice on maximizing nutritional value by consuming seasonal, local food. Some believe food is better for the body when eaten raw, instead of cooked.
Treatments a naturopathic physician may provide include:
- diet and nutrition recommendations
- behavioral change, such as exercise and lifestyle
- homeopathy, a type of natural medicine
- hydrotherapy, which is water-based treatment
- manipulative therapy, for example, putting pressure on specific parts of the body to establish balance
- herbal dietary supplements
- detoxification
- psychotherapy
A small 2020 study suggests that naturopathic treatment plans are useful in managing type 2 diabetes.
In some cases, with the proper license, naturopathic physicians can suggest prescription drugs, carry out minor surgeries, and give vaccinations.
Uses
Naturopathic treatments are generally not a person's first source of healthcare. Individuals typically pursue naturopathic remedies when traditional or other complementary treatments are ineffective.
A 2019 review of studies found that methods that use naturopathy may be effective in:
- cardiovascular disease
- musculoskeletal pain
- type 2 diabetes
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- depression
- anxiety
- some other chronic conditions
An older 2007 review discovered evidence that the herbal medicines of devil's claw, white willow bark, and cayenne can alleviate pain better than placebo. However, the authors recognize that the reporting quality of the studies in the review was poor.
There is anecdotal evidence to suggest naturopathic therapies such as acupuncture can heal chronic conditions, but again, this is not well supported scientifically.
A 2018 review found that naturopathic treatments helped control problems that follow operations. For instance, acupuncture and acupressure can minimize symptoms of vomiting and nausea. Aromatherapy and music can also reduce pain, stress, and anxiety.
Naturopathic Medicine in Encinitas
Naturopaths work on a more personal level, spending more time covering individual needs. They create treatment plans that consider all aspects of a person. Naturopathy can be useful along with modern medicine, and many claim these methods allow the body to activate self-healing mechanisms. Naturopathic healthcare can also be a cheaper option to conventional healthcare.
Dr. LaBeau has a nutritionally based Family Practice enjoying working with families and patients of all ages. As an Osteopathic Physician he finds that many of his patient’s health concerns are also affected by compromised circulation due to musculoskeletal malalignments. This total health approach of considering both body and chemistry allows him to treat the cause of a patient’s problem which renders more effective overall healing.
For further information about Dr. LaBeau’s practice and Naturopathic Medicine in Encinitassee drlabeau.com
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