History and Recognition of Naturopathy
Naturopathy enjoys a long history and Hippocrates (born 460BC) is considered the father of natural medicine. Hippocrates style of medicine was based on “the healing power of nature”. He believed in rest, good diet, cleanliness and fresh air and he was reluctant to administer drugs. The other similarity associated with Hippocrates and modern Naturopathy is that he believed the human body should be treated as “whole” and not as a sum of it’s parts. Today, Naturopathy has the benefit of modern medical testing and the evolution of knowledge regarding the human body’s biochemical functions. However, it still prides itself on treating wholistically and firmly believing in the healing power of nature within the human body.
Modern Naturopaths are highly qualified health care professionals. They are accredited by professional associations, such as the Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS), the Australian Naturopathic Practitioners Association (ANPA) and the Australian Natural Therapists Association (ANTA). Although there are still a handful of 3 year advanced diploma courses available, the majority of Naturopathic medicine courses are now 4 year full time Bachelor degrees, resulting in either a Bachelor of Naturopathy (B.Nat.) or a Bachelor of Health Science – Naturopathy. Qualified Naturopaths are registered to treat WorkCover and TAC patients. Furthermore, they are able to purchase and prescribe western herbal medicine and practitioner only supplements. Most private health insurers provide a rebate for Naturopathy treatment. Please contact your health fund for full details of these benefits.