Paradigm Shift in Medicine: Integrating Naturopathic Care in the Treatment of Chronic Disease

Abstract

The current healthcare system too often relies on prescription drugs, leading to increased opioid use and addiction, despite major medical organizations recommending non-drug approaches as the primary treatment in many conditions. The importance of lifestyle changes to achieving whole-person health is increasingly recognized. Nature-based medicine, as routinely practiced by naturopathic physicians provide a valuable and noteworthy alternative approach featuring lifestyle intervention to chronic pain and disease management. These physicians undergo extensive training in holistic models of care and apply a systematic approach called the Therapeutic Order, which focuses on addressing the underlying cause of symptoms and using the least force necessary for treatment. Improved outcomes are realized with multifactorial personalized treatment plans including lifestyle, nutrition, stress management, and physical activity. Integrative medicine is on the rise and we support the shift to the inclusion of a patient-centered approach in the management of chronic pain and disease. Nothing in the practice of natural, holistic medicine precludes respect for science, and the reliance on evidence. Rather, medicine is at its best when practice can draw from the best offerings of all pertinent fields.