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Discussion Question One - Week 8 28 34 Discussion Question One: People experience life from diverse perspectives, different ethnicities, religions, cultures, classes, and general world views. An effective practitioner must propose their healing strategies with sensitivity and respect for this diversity. How does the perspective of the naturopathic practitioner differ from many western doctors in how they target patient-centered care by co-creating health with their client, empowering them, and incorporating health promotion that considers the whole person? Second, what naturopathic remedy most appeals to you and why?

Answer 1

For many years, there has been a divide between Western medicine and the traditional healing arts, such as naturopathy and homeopathy.

Unfortunately, Western medicine has taken the term “traditional medicine” as its own to describe a form of medicine that is anything but, and now the healing arts are considered “alternative medicine.”

Naturopathy, or natural medicine, has been around since humans have existed, and it is classic medicine. It is often called Eastern medicine because many of its tenets come from the East, or Asia. It harnesses the body’s own healing processes and natural propensity for health.

As defined in the online version of Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary, naturopathy is “a system of treatment of disease that avoids drugs and surgery and emphasizes the use of natural agents (as air, water, and herbs) and physical means (as tissue manipulation and electrotherapy).”

Naturopathic physicians have little need for prescription medication or surgery as the first line of treatment for an ailment.

It is much more effective to prevent disease, so we as naturopaths educate our patients to give their bodies all they need to become and stay healthy, including nutritious food, movement, and additional (natural) supplementation. Naturopathic medicine treats the entire person and focuses on whole-body health.

Western medicine is also known as allopathic medicine. It has not been in existence as long as naturopathy, but it is better known as the medicine routinely practiced in North America.

The definition of “allopathy” from the online version of Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary is “…medical practice that aims to combat disease by use of remedies (as drugs or surgery) producing effects different from or incompatible with those produced by the disease being treated…”

Western (allopathic) physicians typically deal with disease after it has surfaced. Prevention is not usually a goal, though some doctors do stress preventive measures for diseases such as the flu.

Western medicine doctors focus on relieving signs and symptoms of illness. Prescription medications and invasive treatments such as surgery are heavily relied on. These medicines often work against the body’s natural processes to effect a specific type of response.

Naturopathic medicine stresses the importance of diet, exercise, supplementation, and complementary treatments such as massage, bodywork, meditation, and relaxation. Western medicine rarely discusses nutrition or exercise unless the patient is obese or anorexic.

Western medicine practitioners often discredit naturopathic medicine and speak of it with distaste. However, most naturopaths believe that, while Western doctors are too quick to use drugs or surgery, both play a role in advanced or long-standing disease.

Because they treat the whole person, naturopathic physicians treat a wide variety of illness, from ADHD to chronic fatigue and from headaches to women’s health.

While some allopathic physicians have a generalized practice or are primary care doctors, most practice in specialties such as cardiac medicine or obstetrics.

Thanks to the mainstream media, some believe that naturopaths (NDs) are not actually doctors, but they receive the same amount of training that Western doctors (MDs) do. The emphases of the medical programs are as different as night and day, however.

Naturopathy aims to find the cause of disease and treat from the inside out, while Western medicine treats from the outside in. While NDs personalize every treatment, MDs determine which medication to prescribe. Naturopathic and Western medicine are both evidence based.

For example, if a patient presents with hypertension (high blood pressure), an ND will look for the cause. Is it obesity, poor diet, lack of exercise? A common treatment plan in natural medicine will involve improving the diet, adding exercise, and limiting salt and alcohol.

An MD will prescribe a drug, often a beta blocker or ACE inhibitor. He or she might suggest a diet overhaul and exercise, but the drug is the main treatment given.

Quite a difference in treatment approaches! Which do you prefer?

When you create a healthy body, you are less susceptible to disease, and you have less chance of falling victim to the lifestyle diseases of our time, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Naturopathic medicine helps you build a strong immune system that can fight off most toxins or ailments.

Having a career as a licensed naturopathic doctor (ND) is exciting and rewarding. However, choosing what type of educational program to enroll in is often a confusing decision for many potential students, who come across numerous different types of naturopathic doctor and naturopathy programs advertised. How do you choose the right one for you? Some schools offer online or correspondence programs, while others are accredited four-year, in-residence medical schools. With all of the programs out there, it’s important to know that not all naturopathic doctor programs are created equal, and that graduates of these programs leave with varied degree/certificate titles and professional training, which can create confusion for patients. This is especially true when it comes to knowing the difference between a traditional naturopath and a licensed naturopathic doctor/physician (ND) in North America.

What is the difference between a traditional naturopath and a licensed naturopathic doctor?

While both traditional naturopaths and licensed naturopathic doctors aim to help the body heal through natural substances such as food, herbs, and water, their education is very different, and their scope of practice and regulatory status vary from state to state and province to province—and in some states and provinces there are not yet any regulations pertaining any types of naturopathic practice. The titles “traditional naturopath” and “naturopathic doctor” (or “naturopathic physician”) are not interchangeable. A licensed naturopathic doctor (ND/NMD) is a primary care physician who is trained to diagnose and prescribe, while a traditional naturopath is not able to do either. In some states where naturopathic medicine is not yet a regulated medical profession, a traditional naturopath may on his/her own, choose to use the title, “naturopathic doctor,” which is likely to be confusing to patients looking for a licensed ND.

Here's the lowdown on whether five common natural remedies actually work.

Probiotics

Probiotics, or live bacterial cultures, are considered to be "friendly" bacteria. So these organisms may be a good defense against the "bad" bacteria that can occasionally overwhelm a person’s intestinal tract, causing diarrhea.

Although antibiotics are used to fight bacterial infections, they can also disrupt the natural balance of good and bad bacteria in the intestines. When good bacteria is eliminated, allowing other bacteria such as Clostridium difficile to grow out of control, attacking the lining of the intestine. The result: diarrhea.

In a recent review published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers looked at nearly 12,000 men and women who were taking antibiotics and found that 42 percent of people who also took probiotics were less likely to develop diarrhea than those who didn’t.

Probiotics generally come in the form of dietary supplements, fermented foods and dairy products like yogurt. Yogurt products contain different strains of probiotics that are part of the normal intestinal environment. But researchers still haven’t figured out which probiotic strains work best. What's more, only certain types of diarrhea respond to probiotics.

Still, there is some evidence to suggest that using some bacterial strains of Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria can treat infectious types of diarrhea such as the kind caused by the rotavirus in children and traveler's diarrhea. But that also depends on the probiotic strain used.

Primrose oil for eczema

Eczema, also called atopic dermatitis (AD), is an itchy, rashlike skin condition that mostly affects babies during their first year of life. Studies have found that for some kids, the condition disappears by age 2. But about half of the children who get AD will have it as an adult, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (ADD). Between 10 and 20 percent of children have dermatitis, reports the ADD, but 1 to 3 percent of adults are also affected.

The condition is often triggered by an allergy to certain foods, household products, animal dander or stress. There is no cure for eczema. Treatment can include medication and incorporating a moisturizer or ointment into one's daily skin care regimen.

Some studies have suggested that primrose oil may calm the itching of eczema, but the results have been mixed, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Although evening primrose oil is rich in essential fatty acids, which help the body grow and develop, using it on irritated skin may not be enough, according to a 2003 study published in the British Medical Journal. Researchers analyzed a number of studies and found that there wasn’t sufficient evidence to suggest any benefit.

"I wouldn’t recommend topical evening primrose oil for eczema," said Dr. Zoe Draelos, a dermatologist and professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. "There just isn’t enough evidence. And there are better alternatives, such as a good cream moisturizer or a corticosteroid cream."

Cranberry juice for urinary tract infections

Some studies have reported that drinking cranberry juice regularly may prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Urinary tract infections, caused by bacteria that live in the intestines, are the second most common infection in the body, accounting for about 8.1 million doctor visits each year, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. UTIs are more common in women than in men. For women who have recurring UTIs, experts generally recommend using low doses of a prescribed antibiotic for six months or longer.

Cranberries contain certain compounds that are thought to stop infection-causing bacteria like Escherichia coli from taking up residence in the lining of the urinary tract.

One recent study published in the July 2012 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who regularly drink cranberry juice were 38 percent less likely to develop a UTI than women who didn’t drink cranberry juice. But some research suggests otherwise.

In an analysis published in the October 2012 issue of the journal Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, researchers analyzed 24 studies with a total of 4,473 participants. They found that cranberry juice was less effective than previously thought. Although some smaller studies in the analysis showed a benefit for women with UTIs, it wasn’t significant when the results of a much larger study were included.

"Some evidence suggests cranberry juice contains sugars that can block the binding of bacterial cells, which is a critical first step in infection,” said Dr. Anthony Schaeffer, chair of Northwestern Medicine Urology in Chicago. "But in the real world, it doesn’t seem to have an effect because it’s not strong enough."

To prevent a UTI, doctors recommend that women drink plenty of water and urinate as needed.

Cinnamon to control blood sugar

Several studies have suggested that cinnamon is a natural ingredient that can control blood sugar levels and fats in the blood. But results from these studies have been mixed.

In a 2009 study published in the journal Diabetic Medicine, researchers randomly gave 58 people with Type 2 diabetes either cinnamon or a placebo for more than 12 weeks and found that blood sugar levels among those who took two grams of cinnamon dropped by 0.36 percent. By contrast, blood sugar levels rose by 0.13 percent in people who took a placebo. But a recent review published in the September 2012 issue of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews had different results. Researchers looked at the effects of cinnamon on people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. They found no significant difference in blood sugar levels between those who were given cinnamon and those who were given a placebo.

Bottom line: There still isn’t enough scientific evidence to back up cinnamon’s blood sugar-lowering effect. Experts recommend following a diabetes meal plan, staying physically active, and taking the appropriate prescription medications.

Clove oil for tooth pain

Clove oil is a popular natural treatment for toothache. That's because the herb contains eugenol, a chemical compound that is thought to reduce pain.

Although whole or dried clove seems safe when added to food in small amounts, not enough is known about taking cloves by mouth in larger amounts. Clove oil is considered safe when applied to the skin, but considered dangerous when large amounts are ingested.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there isn’t enough evidence to suggest that eugenol is effective for tooth pain. Moreover, the American Dental Association recommends using over-the-counter pain relief medications for tooth pain until a person can visit the dentist.