Naturopathy is one of the many buzzwords you might hear walking around Melbourne’s inner north, alongside phrases like ‘single origin’ and ‘ethical non-monogamy’. However, this trendy natural medicine approach has been around since humanity learnt they were not invincible. So what exactly do we mean, when we say naturopathy and how does it fit in with modern medicine?
Naturopathy is often referred to as an alternative medicine, which is a diplomatic way to say that it is not backed by the same level of scientific evidence as mainstream medicine. However, as pharmacists, we see how natural medicines such as naturopathy and nutraceuticals can play a huge role in modern day healthcare. There have been centuries of evidence for traditional and herbal medicines. Moreover, so much of our modern medicine has been derived and/or inspired by compounds that have existed in nature.
This has become evident with the rise of medicinal cannabis prescribing, where a formerly banned substance and a millenia old alternative medicine is now being prescribed by medical doctors and dispensed by pharmacists, despite not having the same strength of evidence we require for what we deem mainstream therapies.
Which brings us back to what place naturopathy plays in conjunction with medicine as a whole. As pharmacists, we are often painted as being in opposition to naturopaths, despite pharmacies selling millions of dollars worth of vitamins and supplements every year—which, again, do not have the strong evidence we demand of pharmaceutical drugs. Which is to say, pharmacists have been working with naturopathy for a long time, whether we like to admit it or not.
As you can see, naturopathy is not so straightforward to generalise, however the simplest way to define it is as a variety of practices that are deemed natural, non-invasive and promote self-healing. Naturopathy often gets a bad wrap because there are practitioners who will often engage in discredited pseudoscientific practices such as homoeopathy or colonic irrigation and this often gets conflated with naturopathy as a whole. Hence, as health professionals, it is our responsibility to help make these distinctions and assist patients to make informed decisions that do not interfere with their established medical care.
Naturopathy can involve herbal and nutritional supplements, dietary advice, and lifestyle advice, all of which can be safely used and are often important adjuncts to conventional medicine where patients have reported benefits for weight loss, endometriosis and insomnia alongside a variety of mild to moderate conditions. When we think of medicine, we are generally referring to healing illness. Although we preach the idea of holistic healthcare, we seldom do enough to promote the practices that prevent diseases and improve wellbeing. This is perhaps where naturopathic practices can prove to be most beneficial, as there tends to be more focus on the idea of the individual rather than the ‘illness’. Combined with guidance from doctors and pharmacists, this allows for a scope of practice that is safe and works to encourage people to take care of themselves without the sometimes invasive and sterile feeling aspects of a medical clinic.
You should always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any treatments to ensure there are no interactions with your current therapies, and remember natural medicine in any form is never going to be the only solution. It can be an effective additional means of therapy for many people but ultimately, it needs to be considered in the bigger picture of one’s health and not relied on solely.
For those out there wanting to find natural ways to look after themselves, but are concerned about too many interventions, an appointment with a naturopath might be for you. You can begin with a complimentary 10 minute call with one of our nurses, or you can book directly with our naturopath today.
