Naturopathy: A Critical Appraisal

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Special Article

Naturopathy: A Critical Appraisal

Posted 12/30/2003

Kimball C. Atwood IV, MD

Abstract and Introduction

Abstract

" Naturopathic medicine " is a recent manifestation of the field of

naturopathy, a 19th-century health movement espousing " the healing

power of nature. " " Naturopathic physicians " now claim to be primary

care physicians proficient in the practice of both " conventional " and

" natural " medicine. Their training, however, amounts to a small

fraction of that of medical doctors who practice primary care. An

examination of their literature, moreover, reveals that it is replete

with pseudoscientific, ineffective, unethical, and potentially

dangerous practices. Despite this, naturopaths have achieved legal and

political recognition, including licensure in 13 states and

appointments to the US Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee. This

dichotomy can be explained in part by erroneous representations of

naturopathy offered by academic medical centers and popular medical

Web sites.

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http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/465994_1