Naturopathic medicine integrates alternative medical practices—such as botanical medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, and oriental medicine—with modern scientific diagnostic methods and standards of care.
Naturopathic doctors are trained in conventional medical disciplines as well as in alternative approaches. They integrate this knowledge according to principles that recognize the body's inherent ability to heal itself, the importance of prevention, and the possibility of therapeutic use of nutrition to promote health and fight disease.
Naturopathy was founded in the beginning of the 20th century by a group of therapists who were followers of Sebastian Kneipp, a 19th-century proponent of the healing powers of nature. At the height of its popularity, there were more than 20 naturopathic medical schools in the United States and naturopathic physicians were licensed in most states. The practice of naturopathic medicine declined as the use of pharmaceutical drugs increased. However, in the past several decades there has been a resurgence of interest in naturopathy. Now there are over half a dozen naturopathic medical schools in North America and many States are licensing naturopathic doctors again.
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