| There
are two areas of focus in Naturopathy:
- Supporting
the body's own healing abilities;
- Empowering
individuals to make lifestyle changes necessary for the best possible
state of health.
While
naturopathic doctors treat acute illness and chronic conditions, their
emphasis is on prevention of disease and patient education.
Conditions
benefited by Naturopathy:
Naturopathic
medicine can be applied in any health care situation, but its strongest
area is in the treatment of chronic and degenerative disease.
What
should I expect from a visit to a naturopath?
A visit
to a naturopathic doctor will be similar to a visit to your family
doctor. Your first visit may take more than an hour. During this time,
a very thorough history is taken, including questions about diet,
lifestyle, stress and environmental exposures. Next, the naturopathic
doctor will perform an appropriate physical examination, which may
require laboratory tests. Naturopaths consider patients to be partners
in their healthcare, so you may be asked to make lifestyle changes
(such as changing your sleeping, eating, and exercise habits).
There
are 95 registered naturopathic doctors in South Africa. Training is
done through the University of the Western Cape. The profession is
controlled by the Department of Health and the Allied Health
Professions Council. | 
