"Naturopathic" Versus "Allopathic"...
If you've been diagnosed with a medical condition, you'll probably
never hear your doctor use the word "cure" with respect
to that diagnosis.
Here's Why...
At the turn of the last century, Louis Pasteur developed the first
vaccines. And within a few decades, several major diseases like
smallpox were wiped out. These early breakthroughs in medical technology
so enthralled some of the medical community that it caused a split
in the ranks.
From the time of Hipprocates, doctors believed in and practiced
preventive medicine. They understood that the body has powerful
self-healing abilities. And their primary function was to help patients
understand how to live... so as to maximize those natural abilities.
These "holistic" doctors taught that prevention
is always better than cure.
**The
other group pretty much abandoned the holistic or Naturopathic approach,
in favor of the new "miracle drugs" that were just becoming
available. It was more hi-tech to write a prescription than it was
to educate the patient to follow a healthy diet and lifestyle.
This splinter group became known as **allopathic
doctors
And their basic approach was to look at patients' symptoms, decide
which disease the patient has, and then prescribe drugs and/or surgery
as a way of managing those symptoms.
The primary differences between the two approaches are listed
below:
- Allopathic doctors seek to manage symptoms.
- Naturopathic doctors work to identify and eliminate causes.
- Allopathic specializes and treats parts of the person.
- Naturopathic medicine involves the whole person.
- Allopathic' primary approach is drugs, surgery, and radiation.
- Naturopathic medicine uses minimal intervention of technology,
and seeks noninvasive solutions... such as as diet, nutritional
supplements and exercise.
And MOST important...
- Allopathic medicine makes the doctor the ultimate authority...
on whom the patient is totally dependent.
- In the Naturopathic approach, the patient accepts
personal responsibility for correcting the diet
and lifestyle problems that caused illness.
Training and Licensing...
What is the difference between a medical doctor (MD) and a Naturopathic
doctor (ND)?
A Medical doctor (MD) has attended a four-year medical university
and completed a residency program. A Naturopathic doctor must also
complete four years of post-graduate training at a medical university.
Currently, there are five schools in North America that grant the
doctorate degree in Naturopathic medicine. Our training is similar
to a "regular" doctor for the first two years of medical
school. This means we study all the basic sciences and pathology
much like conventional medical students. The second two years we
focus on natural therapeutics. For a complete list of our curriculum
you can visit the web site of my alma mater in Portland, Oregon
at www.ncnm.edu. The main difference is that Naturopathic Physicians
have extensive training using natural medicines and procedures that
are safe and non-toxic. We aim to restore health to the individual,
not simply manage symptoms.
For Trauma Situations...
If you're involved in a car wreck... get yourself to the nearest
emergency room... because the Americanacute care system is
the best in the world.
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