Naturopathic medicine (also known as naturopathy or natural medicine) is a complementary and alternative medicine which emphasizes the body's innate ability to heal and maintain itself. Naturopathic practice includes many different modalities and practitioners emphasize a holistic approach to patient care, and may recommend patients use conventional medicine alongside their treatments. Naturopathy has its origins in the Nature Cure movement of Europe[1]. It is practiced in many countries but subject to different standards of regulation and levels of acceptance. Naturopaths who are trained in the United States are indicated by the acronyms ND or NMD in 15 US states and four Canadian provinces. Naturopaths elsewhere may be indicated by BSc, BHSc, BNat, or Dip.Nat, or have no formal training at all, and recognition of qualifications varies.[2]

Naturopaths prefer to use natural remedies such as herbs and foods rather than surgery or synthetic drugs. Graduates of a naturopathic medical school in North America are trained to use diagnostic tests such as imaging and blood tests before deciding upon the full course of treatment. If the patient does not respond to these treatments, they are generally referred to physicians who utilize standard medical care to treat the disease or condition. Within the United States, some states allow naturopathic doctors to prescribe pharmaceutical medicines and perform minor surgeries.

PHILOSOPHY
Naturopathic Medicine is a distinctively natural approach to health and healing that recognizes the integrity of the whole person. Naturopathic Medicine is heir to the vitalistic tradition of medicine in the Western world, emphasizing the treatment of disease through the stimulation, enhancement, and support of the inherent healing capacity of the person. Methods of treatments are chosen to work with the patient's vital force, respecting the intelligence of the natural healing process. The practice of Naturopathic Medicine emerges from six underlying principles of healing. These principles are based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in light of scientific analysis. It is these principles that distinguish the profession from other medical approaches: