The best of both worlds - naturopathic physicians combine the uses of conventional and alternative medicines - includes related article on finding a naturopathic physician - Health by Choice - Column

Vegetarian Times, Nov, 1995 by Judy Krizmanic

Becky Campbell never liked taking lots of pharmaceutical drugs, but for several years antibiotics were her only defense against recurring sinus and upper respiratory infections - sometimes as many as five in one season. Campbell, who lives in Coronado, Calif., always had an interest in natural healing, but felt a bit lost in the sea of herbal products and vitamin supplements at her natural food store.

A couple of years ago, Campbell's family switched to an insurance carrier that listed a naturopathic physician among its participating providers. Knowing that naturopaths are trained in a variety of natural healing modalities, Campbell made an appointment. Under the care of Kathi Head, a naturopathic physician in nearby San Diego, Campbell replaced her antibiotics with a regimen that include raw garlic, hot and cold chest compresses, a lemon-cayenne-salt gargle, vitamins A and C to boost the immune system and promote healthy mucous membranes, and the herbs echinacea and goldenseal, both of which are highly regarded for their immune support and their anti-microbial properties. On her first attempt with this approach, Campbell says, the infection stuck around a bit longer than it might have if she had taken antibiotics. But it did clear up, and she was thrilled; it was the first time she had beaten a sinus infection without antibiotics.

Campbell's sinus trouble continued, but as she persevered with natural remedies, she noticed two important changes: The natural remedies worked more quickly with each new infection, and the infections grew fewer and further between. When she spoke with Vegetarian Times, it had been eight months since her last attack, an unprecedented reprieve. Campbell, now 43, hasn't dispensed with conventional medicine completely; in fact, she recently turned to antibiotics to help fight an infection when she had a tooth pulled. But she's happy to have found a practitioner who supports her desire to use natural healing for her primary health care. "I still believe that there's a place for conventional medicine, but I feel that natural medicine is more of a preventive medicine," she says. "When I saw Kathi Head she worked on healing the infection and on building up my immune system she had a very balanced approach to total health. I'm feeling stronger than ever."

More people than ever are turning to complementary, or alternative, forms of medicine - one in three consumers, according to The New England Journal of Medicine (January 1993) - and the field of naturopathic medicine is gearing up to answer the demand. Enrollment at National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Ore., one of three accredited institutions in this country that train naturopathic physicians, has grown almost 60 percent in the past three years and is expected to double again by the end of the decade. Although the profession has a long way to go in gaining national acceptance by the mainstream medical community, strides are being made: In June, New Hampshire became the eighth state to license naturopathic physicians.

Naturopathy is a 100-year-old healing discipline that fell from favor about 40 years ago, when drugs and technology became the norm. But recent years have seen an increase in naturopathy's popularity, as more people have become disillusioned with conventional medicine. The appeal of naturopathic physicians is that while they have an educational background similar to that of conventional M.D.s, they also take extensive course-work in nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy, psychology, massage, and either Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine. Perhaps more than any other type of medical practitioner, naturopaths provide care that combines the best of both conventional and alternative medicine.

A typical first visit with a naturopath (N.D.) lasts upward of an hour, and costs around $75, according to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, (Insurance companies generally do not reimburse for naturopathic services, although some pioneering plans do provide coverage.) The physician takes an extensive health history, including not only family disease history but also your own habits, such as what you eat and how much exercise and sleep you get, as well as your feelings and attitudes toward your health. Rather than prescribing a standard treatment for common health complaints, a naturopathic physician provides an individualized approach based on natural therapies. If your complaint is a sore throat, the doctor might prescribe immune-boosting vitamins and herbs, show you how to use a throat compress to bring blood to the area to speed the healing, or help you understand how your dietary habits trigger recurring infection.

Naturopathic physicians vary in their style and choice of therapies - one practitioner might rely heavily on herbal medicine while another emphasizes homeopathy - but they all base their practices on the same underlying principles of healing. These include a belief in the healing power of nature, the importance of treating the whole person, the goal of treating the cause of an illness rather than merely the symptoms, the idea that the prevention of illness is the ultimate cure and the priority of doing no harm to the patient (such as avoiding treatments that cause side effects). The naturopadiic physician is also taught that the physician's role is that of teacher, educating and motivating the patient to assume responsibility in the healing process.