A brief history of its origin
- The term “naturopathy” originates from “natura” (Latin root for birth) and “pathos” (the Greek root for suffering) to suggest “natural healing”.
- Naturopaths claim the ancient Greek “Father of Medicine”, Hippocrates, as the first advocate of naturopathic medicine, before the term existed.
- Naturopathy has its roots in the 19th-century Natural Cure movement of Europe.
- In Scotland, Thomas Allinson started advocating his “Hygienic Medicine” in the 1880s, promoting a natural diet and exercise with avoidance of tobacco and overwork.
- The term naturopathy was coined in 1895 by John Scheel,and purchased by Benedict Lust, whom naturopaths consider to be the “Father of U.S. Naturopathy”.
Naturopathy in India
- The revival of Naturopathy started in India by translation of Germany’s Louis Kuhne’s book “New Science of Healing”.
- Shri D. Venkat Chelapati Sharma translated this book in Telgu language in 1894. Shri Shroti Kishan Swaroop of Bijnor translated this book into Hindi and Urdu languages in 1904. All this gave a wide propagation to this system.
- Gandhiji was influenced by the book Return to Nature written by Adolf Just and became a firm believer of Naturopathy.
- He not only wrote several articles in favour of Naturopathy in his newspaper Harijan but did its several experiments on himself too, on his family members and members of his Ashram
What is Naturopathy?
- Naturopathy is a drugless non-invasive rational and evidence based system of medicine imparting treatments with natural elements based on the theory of vitality, theory of toxemia, theory of self healing capacity of the body and the principles of healthy living.
- In other words it is a form of alternative medicine that employs an array of pseudoscientific practices branded as “natural”, “non-invasive”, or promoting “self-healing”.
- Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that are claimed to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method
- The practice of naturopathy is based on a belief in the body’s ability to heal itself through a special vital energy or force guiding bodily processes internally.
- Diagnosis and treatment concern primarily alternative therapies and “natural” methods that naturopaths claim promote the body’s natural ability to heal.
- Naturopaths focus on a holistic approach, completely avoiding the use of surgery and conventional medicines.
- It uses natural therapies such as Nutrition, Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, Physical manipulations, Hydrotherapy, Fasting, Exercise and other modalities, in accordance with Naturopathic Principles.
- These principles are kept in mind when a Naturopath takes a case, develops and offers treatment plans and maintenance support for long-term good health.
- Naturopaths aim to prevent illness through stress reduction and changes to diet and lifestyle, often rejecting the methods of evidence-based medicine.
Applied aspects of Naturopathy
The applied aspects of Naturopathy includes mainly fasting and diet supported by treatments with natural elements which includes Hydrotherapy, Chromotherapy, Mud Therapy, Manipulative therapy, Electrotherapy, Acupuncture, Magnetotherapy, Physiotherapy, Exercise & Yoga Therapy.
Source: Ministry of Ayush
