何謂自然療法醫學
自然療法醫學主要以無副作用的天然藥物為主要醫療基礎，醫學理念不單包含百年的民間考證，更以高科技電腦化研究主導醫學革命，主要醫療學科包括食膳營養、功能醫學、中西草藥、同類療法、骨治療、微電針療、能量醫學、震頻醫學、物理治療、水療法、環境醫學、心理情緒學等，學員先進修傳統西醫的病理訓練，繼而修讀自然療法醫學學科，令學員有整全的醫學理論。
主要學科簡略分析：
1 、 食膳營養：自然療法醫學十分著重食膳營養，包括各類食療方法、營養分析、疾病食療方法等，在預防及治療上均見奇效。
2 、 功能醫學：功能食品或健康食品，如維他命、礦物質、脂肪酸，小麥草等等為自然療法醫學創出潮流，亦為主要學科，對治療現今由於缺乏或不平衡營養而導致的慢性病、乃針對性的治療。
3 、 同類療法：把物質稀釋至極微少份量，建基於相同治療（ Like cure like ）理論，效果非常顯著而無副作用，為西歐皇室官員主要採用藥物，歐美、澳、加等各國非常流行。
4 、 西草藥治療：學員學習西草藥理論，各類西草藥物，單一草藥或複方使用方法。
5 、 自然療法骨脊治療：骨脊移位元，軟組織受傷，帶破裂及各類頸、肩、背痛等。
6 、 微電針療：高科技微安培微電流治療及微電針療，透過微電功能，改變細胞資訊重生，對改善肌肉細胞及軟級絹受損，有突破性的成果。
7 、 能量醫學：高科技提煉能量藥物，能量手療（ Healing Touch ） , 科學氣功等。
8 、 環境醫學：針對大城市的污染問題及對人體造成的損害，包括污染空氣、食水、電池波等等，以及市民不健康的飲食習慣，自然療法醫學都非常重視，並作出適當指導如何處理及改善。
9 、 其他選擇性學科如香薰治療、腳底按摩、水晶頻率治療、電腦儀器檢測、色光治療及洗腸治療等等。
歷史前景
在西方主流醫學的制度下，自然療法往往被歸納為（另類醫療）的一種。其實，自然療法較諸任何醫學或醫術都具歷史。因為，遠自十八、十九世紀時代，歐洲各國早已開始盛行。根據德國聯邦學院報告，在歐洲各國不但自然療治普及，甚至有百分之八十以上的傳統西醫也採取自然療法藥物；很我高官甚至皇室成員，都採用自然療法作治療和保健。自然療法醫學在歐洲大大發展，並且傳至美國、加拿大、澳洲等地。根據研究，北美洲有三分這一的民
為曾經不同程度的求助於自然療法醫學。一九零零年，一群擁護自然療法醫學的西醫和自然療法醫生成立美國自然療法醫學會、醫學院及醫院；一九二一年加拿大卑斯省政府通過立法承認自然療法醫學並護冊監管。一九五零年，由於戰爭鼓吹手術，自然療法醫學曾一度低沈，但在短短二十年間，因
為一般市民知識水準提高，對沒有副作用之天然藥物更加接納，這更確立自然療法之地位，成為一種趨勢，風行歐美，直吹亞洲。而世界衛生組織亦曾於一九七九年公開呼籲提倡這種無副作用而又效是甚佳的（自然療法醫學）。
自然療法醫學六大原則
取于自然的理念乃是自然療法醫學的獨到精髓，而其療程亦主要基於六大原則上：
（一） 提高自愈能力：得用人體與生俱來的能力，去建立、維持及使健康復原。
（二） 針對疾病根源：自然療法並不單只是將病症消除，其真諦是要尋出主要引起疾病的原因，然後將問題撤底解決。
（三） 採用天然藥物：未被添加任何化學成份的天然藥物，可增強免疫能力，幫助身體回復健康狀態，且絕無副作用為主。
（四） 重視整全治療：其實，人的健康狀況，常常都被多種內在及外在的因素所影響，例如生理、心理、精神、基因，甚至身處周圍之環境污染，磁場、壓力、社會問題 …… 等等，所以整體性的治療方法是極之重要的。
（五） 建立師友關係：醫生做到亦醫亦教，治療師與病人之間的溝通若是足夠的話，可加強治療效果和速度。
（六） 預防勝於治療：加強平日保健的意識，總比遇上疾病侵襲時才找到方法治理來得有效。
自然療法醫學被受世界各國接受
自然療法醫學已在歐美、英國，及加拿大被肯定其醫學的價值，而各地均有自然療法醫學大學成立，繼有美國 John Bastyr 自然療法醫學大學，國立自然療法醫學大學、西南自然療法醫學大學、西南自然療法醫學院，進深自然療法醫學大學， Bridgeport 自然療法醫學大學， New South Wales 自然療法醫學院， Perth 自然療法院，其他國家包括加拿大、英國、以色列、西德、印度及歐洲等等國家有更多的自然療法醫科大學。
Naturopathy
A definition by the General Council & Register of Naturopaths
Traditional Naturopathy is the system of primary health care which works with the individual's efforts towards the optimal expression of physiological, physical, and health.
WHAT IS A NATUROPATH?
A Naturopath is a person who applies treatment modalities based on the principles of Traditional Naturopathy.
Naturopathy is an approach to health care that aims to promote, restore and maintain health. The following principles underpin the practice of Naturopathy:
1. The Healing Power of Nature or Vis Medicatrix Naturae: There is a ‘vital force' or ‘life force' that drives the self-healing or self-correcting mechanisms of the body.
2. The Triad of Health; describes the connection and interaction between the structural, biochemical and mental/emotional components of all living beings.
Dysfunction in one area invariably leads to disruption elsewhere.
3. The Uniqueness of the Individual: People are genetically, biochemically, structurally and emotionally different from one another. Each person responds in a unique way to influences whether they are mental/emotional, structural, nutritional, social or cultural.
Naturopaths also recognise that:
Health is more than the absence of disease: it is dependent upon a multitude of factors and is a reflection of a harmonious interaction with our environment.
Acute disease processes are different from chronic processes. The acute response is the body's attempt to restore health often through enhanced processes of elimination.
Suppression of such healing processes contributes to the potential for chronic breakdown.
Disease processes involve activation of the body's homeostatic mechanisms; health is homeostasis – a dynamic equilibrium.
The individual requires suitable foods for nourishment, clean water, fresh air and sunlight, as well as appropriate exercise, rest and relaxation.
Prevention is preferable to cure.
The defining elements of Traditional Naturopathy are that Naturopaths:
1. Work with the body's own self-correcting mechanisms or efforts to maintain homeostasis.
2. Endeavour to address all aspects of the Naturopathic triad.
3. Regard education and co-operation of the patient as highly as treatment of the patient.
4. Address lifestyle factors which are contributing to the problem and re-educate the patient into a lifestyle more conducive to health.
5. Aim to establish health on a cellular level by improving circulation and innervation, nutrition, detoxification and elimination.
Principles and practice of Traditional
Naturopathy
There are three parts to Traditional
Naturopathy: assessment, treatment and education.
Assessment
Principles ; The Naturopath aims to identify the causative factors which are creating functional disturbance. This would include evidence of both sub-clinical disease and any gross pathology. In order to make an assessment it is necessary to recognise that:
1. Underlying causes of dysfunction should be identified – where possible.
2. Structural, biochemical and mental/emotional factors may all contribute to the patient's condition.
3. The individual genetic make-up of the patient, the inherited miasma and the environment are predisposing factors in the expression of disease and will contribute to the individual's experience of that disease.
4. There is often multifarious causation. A diverse range of factors may play a role in disease processes. There is usually a cumulative effect of predisposing factors and a final excitatory or trigger factor.
Practice; Naturopathic assessment may include the following elements:
Case history taking
Analysis of lifestyle and environment
Clinical examination
Clinical Tests
Laboratory Testing
Subtle energy diagnostic methods
Treatment
Principles ; the Naturopath always seeks to;
DO no harm.
EMPLOY methods that work with the body's healing power and self-correcting mechanisms and avoid treatments which may work against these mechanisms and which suppress acute diseases.
DEAL with underlying causes of dysfunction - where possible.
REDUCE the burden of load. It may not always be possible to identify the underlying causes of the problem, but often a number of contributory factors can be identified. It is prefer-able to reduce the overall burden on the body using established Naturopathic means.
SOMETIMES it may be necessary to use short-term measures which assist in the removal of symptoms for the comfort or safety of the individual, however it is important to employ long-term health restoration measures in addition.
ATTEMPT to address all aspects of the Naturopathic Triad.
EMPLOY simple treatments before more complex, where pos-sible.
SUPPORT patients' efforts in gaining and maintaining control of their own health.
Practice ; Because Naturopathy is above all an approach to health care there are many treatment modalities which can be employed. However, they are always applied in a way which works with the body's own healing efforts and are used in accordance with the principles of treatment previously specified. Treatments may be primarily concerned with the biochemical, structural or mental/emotional depending upon the nature of the problem.
The core naturopathic modalities are: .
Clinical dietetics and applied nutrition.
Detoxification techniques.
Hydrotherapy. .
Physical Therapy: examples are naturopathic physical manipulation, manual lymphatic drainage, massage and other soft tissue techniques e.g. Neuromuscular technique. .
Psychotherapeutic techniques. . Offering advice regarding a healthy lifestyle.
Many other therapies may be employed as part of Naturopathic practice, for example herbal or homeopathic remedies.
Naturopathic Education An integral part of Naturopathic treatment includes being able to educate the patient in all elements of healthy living.
Principles;
1. Recognise the level of knowledge and acceptance of an individual and assist them in gaining insight into their health.
2. Lead by example. Naturopaths must make efforts to follow a lifestyle that is complementary to these guidelines.
3. Recognise that the individual plays an essential part in their own health restoration.
4. Guide the patient into accepting more responsibility for their own health.
5. Stimulate a healthy independence, rather than dependence, from the practitioner.
Practice ; The Naturopath should be able to offer well-informed advice in the following areas:
The Naturopathic principles of health and disease; how the patient became unwell,
What is keeping them unwell, how they can get well and how they can stay well.
Diet and Nutrition, including nutritional supplementation.
Detoxification, including fasting and elimination.
Physical exercise.
Management of acute diseases/healing crises.
Hydrotherapy and phytotherapy for home use.
Breathing and breathing exercises.
Relaxation and stress management.
Natural fertility awareness.
Pre-conceptual care, pregnancy and natural childbirth. (It is acknowledged that delivery of the infant is restricted to those who are registered to practise as midwives or medical doctors. Referral should therefore be made to a suitable midwife).
Above materials are extracted from:
www.naturopaths.org.uk |
