Naturopathy is a holistic health care system that uses natural remedies and modes of practice in order to allow the body to heal itself.

What is Naturopathy?

Apart from just diet, nutrition and exercise, naturopathy looks into each person’s lifestyle and stress management, and combines modalities such as herbalism, acupuncture, homeopathy, and hydrotherapy into their work. Aiming to treat the self as a combined physical, emotional and spiritual body, rather than just physical alone, naturopathy takes into consideration the entirety of what makes up a being, and aims to heal the self from the inside, out.

History

The first claimed naturopath was Hippocrates of Kos, the Greek physician and philosopher of 460 – c. 370 BC. Hippocrates explored and practiced natural medicine throughout his lifetime, and worked to diagnose and find cures for acute, chronic, endemic and epidemic illnesses. In 1895, the term ‘naturopathy’ was then coined by a German physician named John Scheel, which was later adopted by Benedict Lust in 1901. Lust thought of the body in both spiritual and vitalistic ways, and saw the body as having "absolute reliance upon the cosmic forces of man's nature". Practicing hydrotherapy, herbal medicine, and homeopathy, Lust spread his knowledge across the US, and later went on to establish his own school and society, inviting other naturopaths to train and study across the country. Now, naturopathy is widely practiced and can be used to treat a range of issues such as digestive disorders, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, chronic pains, and much more.