10 Health Care Providers Who Study Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a form of health care treatment. It is something that can be used by itself to treat patients. However, it is also something that can be used as a supplement for other forms of health care. Increasingly there are health care providers whose primary form of treatment is something else and yet they are drawn to studying naturopathy and incorporating it into their practices.
Here is a look at ten different types of health care providers who might study naturopathy:
1. Naturopathic Doctors. Obviously the people who study naturopathy the most are those who practice this form of medicine. Naturopathy is a method of healing that uses a holistic approach to the patient to cure a number of different diseases and conditions. It is a preventative medicine which means that it focuses on treating problems before they become big problems. Doctors can be formally trained at a handful of schools and then certified to treat patients uses naturopathic medicine alone. The naturopathic doctor may be a patient’s only doctor, primary doctor or specialist working with other doctors to treat the patient.
2. Primary Care Physicians. Naturopathy is becoming increasingly popular among all different types of doctors. More and more doctors are starting to understand that a holistic preventative approach to health and wellbeing is a benefit to their patients. For this reason, many primary care physicians are starting to take courses in naturopathy to round out their understanding of all of the different ways of treating their patients.
3. Nurses and Physicians Assistants. It isn’t just doctors in the medical profession who are interested in using naturopathy to help patients. Nurses are taking an increasing interest in this area of study as well. In fact, nurses are required to take continuing education courses over the years and it is increasingly common for naturopathy to be among the courses that are offered to (and taken by) nurses in the field.
4. Dentists. We are seeing a big change in dentistry over the years. Dentists used to just work on teeth. While that is still their focus, more and more dentists are realizing that the health of the teeth is directly related to the health of the rest of the body. Tooth problems can affect other areas of the body and medical problems can affect teeth. As this understanding grows, some dentists are interested in learning about holistic approaches to helping their patients and naturopathy is one of those approaches.
5. Chiropractors. One interesting type of health care provider that is interested in naturopathy is the chiropractor. Traditionally, this type of has focused only on providing alignment for the spine. However, it is increasingly common for chiropractors to work with other alternative healers (such as massage therapists and herbalists) to provide a more holistic solution for their patients. They may study naturopathy as a part of expanding their practice.
6. Homeopaths, massage therapists and acupuncturists. All of these alternative health professionals are already interested in the basics of naturopathy. They believe in a non-invasive, holistic, nature-based cure for their patients. It is no surprise then that many of these people are willing and interested in taking courses in naturopathy to learn more.
7. Physical therapists. People who assist others with physical therapy may find that they can benefit from learning about naturopathy. This form of health care provides many natural methods for treating anxiety and managing pain, something that is an ongoing problem for physical therapy patients. These natural solutions are less likely to cause side effects and setbacks in comparison with modern medical cures and drugs. For this reason, some physical therapists are interested in how naturopathic medicine can be used to aid their patients.
8. Cosmetic surgeons. You wouldn’t think that these two things would go hand-in-hand would you? However, there’s a big push right now to offer safer, healthier options for people who are interested in beauty treatments. People are less interested in invasive surgery and more interested in minimally-invasive options that are green and healthy. Naturopathy may provide some insight and options into what can be done for patients who want beauty treatments that are in line with the rest of their health. Cutting-edge cosmetic surgeons are starting to study naturopathy for this reason.
9. Veterinarians. That’s right; it’s not just doctors for people who are interested in naturopathy. It is increasingly common for pet doctors to have an interest in natural methods for healing their animal patients. These doctors might study naturopathy in an effort to understand its principles and to see how those principles might apply to treating animals.
10. Health care researchers. People who are interested in the study of health care are becoming more and more interested in naturopathy. This makes a lot of sense. After all, since all of these other health care professionals are taking an interest in naturopathy, researchers are going to want to know more about it. Studies of naturopathy and how it relates to other forms of medicine are more and more common.
Health care practitioners in any area of medicine have good reasons to take an interest in studying naturopathy. It doesn’t have to be used on its own as a main medical practice (although it can). It is something that can be applied as a supplement to nearly any type of medicine that you can think of. It never hurts to learn about more options for your patients. In fact, doing so makes you a better health care provider.
