Alternative forms of medicine and therapy are all the rage. What are they an “alternative” to? Traditional western medicine, which is science-based. The American Cancer Society describes naturopathy:
Naturopathic medicine is a complete alternative care system that uses a wide range of approaches such as nutrition, herbs, manipulation of the body, exercise, stress reduction, and acupuncture. Parts of naturopathy are sometimes used as complementary therapy along with mainstream medicine. Naturopathic medicine is a holistic approach (meaning it is intended to treat the whole person) that tries to enlist the healing power of the body and nature to fight disease.
While there are some benefits to naturopathy, patients should not be fooled into thinking that it is a legitimate treatment for any medical condition. Yes, things like stress reduction and acupuncture can have positive benefits to the body overall. Proper exercise and paying close attention to your body and the signs it is giving are good.
But when consumers substitute naturopathy for real medical treatments, they are going down a dangerous path. Real doctors will tell you that naturopathy is nothing but quackery.