Naturopathic Medicine--Is It For You?

When people get sick, they often turn to solutions from traditional medicine. While traditional medicine is often effective in treating the symptoms, it doesn't always address the underlying causes of the illness. For that reason, people are turning to naturopathic medicine, either alone or in addition to traditional treatment.

Naturopathic medicine or naturopathy is based on a philosophy of using the healing power of nature to help the body heal itself. Doctors who practice naturopathy use a holistic approach to help the whole patient, not just one specific part. Examples of treatment might include homeopathy, holistic nutrition, color therapy, acupuncture, botanical medicine, hydrotherapy, exercise, and reflexology, all with an emphasis on creating overall wellness.

Naturopathy has been used by over a million adults and children to treat acute and chronic symptoms. Because of the focus on the underlying cause, patients may seek alternative medicine when traditional medicine is not effective, or when the side effects of traditional medicines outweigh the benefits.

According to the Center for Disease Control, over 25 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma. Conventional medical treatment might include providing the patient with an inhaler to open blocked airways during an attack. Naturopathic medicine doctors might conduct a blood test to see if an unknown environmental or food allergy was triggering the attack, or if the patient should add magnesium or green tea to the diet to help reduce muscle spasms in the airways that occur during an attack. These steps attempt to prevent the asthma attack from happening, not just mitigating it once it does.

Other chronic conditions such as allergies, leaky gut, insomnia, and mental health are all addressed in similar approaches with natural medicine. In addition, naturopathic doctors also treat patients for cancer, neurological issues, mental health issues, longevity and pediatric health.

A licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) graduates from a four-year naturopathic medical school, studying the same sciences as an MD, and also studies the holistic approaches to health. Dr. Rachel Kushner recently joined Carolina Partners as a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine. After earning her naturopathic medical degree and completing a comprehensive two-year clinical internship, Dr. Kushner works as a family medicine doctor with an expertise in natural therapeutics. By combining the best of scientific information with proven natural therapeutics, Dr. Kushner is committed to guiding her patients to overall good health.