The U.S. Senate has proclaimed the week of October 6-12, 2014, as
Naturopathic Medicine Week.
Did you know?
FAST FACTS from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians website:
*The United States Senate passed a resolution with bipartisan support, officially designating Oct 6-12 as Naturopathic Medicine Week and urging Americans to learn more about this form of treatment.
*Naturopathic medicine encompasses many time-honored medical practices including nutrition and lifestyle counseling, stress management, botanical medicine, oriental medicine, and therapeutic manipulation.
*Naturopathic medicine continues to gain acceptance in American health care as safe, effective, and affordable, with Maryland and Colorado the most recent states to license naturopathic physicians.
*Naturopathic medicine focuses on prevention. Our nation’s top public health concerns – heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stress and depression – are preventable illnesses.
*It is often combined with conventional medicine.
*The Affordable Care Act includes language requiring that insurance companies “shall not discriminate” against any health provider with a state-recognized license. That includes licensed naturopathic physicians.
CONSUMERS
*According to the National Institutes of Health, about four in 10 adults and one in nine children in the U.S. are using some form of alternative medicine.
*The top health needs for which patients most often seek naturopathic care are general primary care, women’s health and aging, and digestive disorders.
*Other conditions commonly treated include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, allergies, asthma, infertility, Lyme disease, HIV, chronic pain and more.
*Research from the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) reveals that women visit naturopathic doctors more than men, as they seek to return to a state of mental and physical balance and wish to maintain their energy and health as they age.
*A majority of older Americans (65+) say they would prefer if their doctor began their care using natural therapies rather than immediately beginning with prescription drugs or invasive procedures.
*Naturopathic medicine is not just for the affluent, as evidenced by a predominance of patients in the $50‐$100K income bracket.
NATUROPATHIC DOCTORS (NDS OR NMDS)
*Naturopathic physicians are poised to alleviate the shortage of primary care providers in the United States.
*17 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands currently license naturopathic doctors. Only licensure can guarantee the training and safety to which patients are entitled.
*A licensed naturopathic physician (ND) attends an accredited, four-year, graduate-level naturopathic medical school and is educated in all of the same basic sciences as an MD; s/he also studies holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness.
WHY THE NATUROPATHIC SOLUTION
*Naturopathic medicine addresses the causes behind illness rather than just treating the symptoms.
*Naturopathic medicine treats the whole person – body, mind and spirit. It considers nutrition, lifestyle, environment, genetics, and social factors affecting health and favors the least invasive approach first.
*Licensed naturopathic doctors (NDs) collaborate with all branches of conventional medicine, including traditional medicine, referring patients as needed for diagnosis and treatment.
*Licensed NDs rely on methods and substances that minimize the risk of harmful side effects.
*Licensed NDs educate their patients and encourage patients to take responsibility for their own health.
*Based on research from AANP, naturopathic physicians are perceived as more willing to take the time to listen to individual patients’ needs and provide treatments that are uniquely tailored to each patient.
Click the link below to read the Senate resolution.
