Today’s consumers spend more out-of-pocket money on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) than on conventional (allopathic) medical care. This is due to many factors, including frustration with conventional medicine and an ever-growing interest in, and respect for, integrative medicine. Individuals frustrated with conventional medicine recognize the effectiveness of an integrated approach to health and appreciate the blend of body and mind, science and experience, and traditional and cultural perspectives for diagnosis and treatment. They prefer the emphasis on the individual as a whole, rather than conventional medicine’s emphasis on diagnostic testing and treatment with medications. Integrative medicine combines both conventional medicine and CAM therapies into a philosophy and practice of healing that incorporates self-healing, a focus on wellness, a view of the body as an energetic system and living entity, the importance of nutrition, natural products, and plants in health, and the importance of individuality in providing care. One model of CAM and integrative primary care is undergoing a resurgence due to its unique blend of vitalistic, scientific, and clinical training in medicine. This model is naturopathic medicine, which makes naturopathy a powerful influence on the healthcare revolution (Pizzorno & Snider, 2015).
Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a way of life with philosophical roots dating back to Hippocrates and the folk medicines of all people on the earth (Pizzorno & Snider, 2015). This distinct system of medicine is based on the healing power of nature and the importance of health maintenance, disease prevention, patient education, and patient responsibility (Bastyr University, 2017; Ehrlich, 2011). Its philosophical beliefs are in sharp contrast to the currently dominant system of health care, which emphasizes the treatment of disease (Pizzorno & Snider, 2015).
The spirit of naturopathic medicine is reflected in the definition of health set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2006):
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (p. 1)
Naturopathic medicine is based on the belief that the human body has an innate healing ability (American Association of Naturopathic Physicians [AANP], 2017a). Unlike other health care systems, naturopathy is not a single modality of healing but rather “a comprehensive array of healing practices” (Trivieri & Anderson, 2002, p. 379).