Knowra Naturopathy Naturopathy Naturopathy is a system of health care emphasizing natural therapies, lifestyle changes, and the body's capacity for self-healing. Its methods vary, and some have limited scientific evidence.
Vitalism : The view that living organisms possess an irreducible life force distinct from physical and chemical processes. Naturopathy's traditional account of healing often invokes an innate life force.
Benedict Lust : A German-born practitioner who introduced the term naturopathy in the United States and helped establish the profession there. He organized and popularized naturopathy in the United States in the early twentieth century.
Dietary supplement : A product intended to supplement the diet, including vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other substances. Supplements are a frequent naturopathic recommendation, but their effects and risks vary by product.
Evidence-based medicine : The practice of integrating research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values in health decisions. It provides a framework for assessing naturopathic claims against clinical research.
Vis medicatrix naturae : A medical principle that the body has an inherent capacity to restore health. This healing principle underlies naturopathic emphasis on supporting the body's own processes.
Sebastian Kneipp : A German priest and proponent of water-based treatments, exercise, and other nature-cure practices. His hydrotherapy methods influenced the nature-cure tradition adopted by early naturopaths.
Homeopathy : A system of treatment based on extreme dilution and the principle that like cures like. Some naturopaths offer homeopathy, whose proposed mechanisms and efficacy lack reliable scientific support.
Clinical trial : A study in which human participants receive health interventions under a planned protocol. Trials test whether specific naturopathic treatments improve outcomes beyond comparison care.
Hygiene movement : A nineteenth-century reform movement promoting sanitation, fresh air, exercise, and other measures to improve health. Its lifestyle reforms helped shape naturopathy's focus on daily habits and prevention.
Vincent Priessnitz : A nineteenth-century Silesian healer known for promoting cold-water treatments and outdoor living. His water-cure practices formed part of naturopathy's European antecedents.
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