what is the difference between a naturopath and a homeopath?

Answer 1

Homeopathy:
a. A Homeopath uses homeopathic medicine as the primary treatment for illness.
Homeopathy is a complete medicine – it can treat a wide variety of conditions from
nosebleeds, skin conditions, stiff neck muscles, digestive problems and chronic pain
to depression.
b. Homeopathic medicine is different from herbal medicines or mineral supplements.
Homeopathic medicines are made from very small quantities of plant, mineral or
animal substances.
c. Homeopathic medicines are non-toxic and safe for babies and during pregnancy.
d. Full treatment homeopathy looks for one medicine to treat all of the patients’
problems. If you have headaches, constipation, chronic sinusitis, joint pain,
depression and eczema, one homeopathic remedy will be prescribed to treat all of
these problems. The medicine can cost as little as $7 for 1 year of therapy.

Naturopathy:
a. A Naturopath has some knowledge about a lot of natural therapies. Many of the
therapies that a naturopath has a general understanding of (e.g. Western
Herbalism, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nutrition, Acupuncture and Homeopathy)
can also be studied exclusively as specialties for up to 4 years each. To become a
specialist in each of the therapies listed above would require 15-20 years of training
and an equal number of years in practical experience. Naturopaths generally focus
on Western herbalism or botanical medicine.
b. Naturopathic medicine depends on the therapy the naturopath chooses – most often
this includes herbal medicine, botanical medicine and supplements (vitamins,
minerals, enzymes …)
c. Herbal medicines, vitamins, minerals and enzymes are not always safe for children
or during pregnancy. Dosages and quantities need to be closely monitored by a
professional.
d. Western herbalism is similar to Western medicine – you get one or more medicines
for each problem you have. Western herbalism substitutes medicines listed above
for pharmaceutical drugs. For instance, if you have liver problems you may be
given Milk Thistle, if you have joint pain you might get Glucosamine Sulfate, if you
have headaches you may get White Willow Bark. With this approach costs escalate
with the number of health problems that need to be treated. Each bottle costs an
average of $20 per month.

Answer 2

A naturopathic Physician is a primary health care provider. They use many different techniques including modern and more traditional. They believe in the healing power of nature and their job is to support and facilitate this. Their goal is to treat the cause of disease not just to suppress the symptoms. TA licensed Naturopathic physican attends a four year medical school and get a similar basic science education as an MD with an emphasis on holistic techniques. There are only three accredited naturopathic med schools in the US that I know of.

Homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine started by Samuel Hahnemann in the 1700s. They believe that 'like treats like' and give substances to people that cause the symptoms they already have. The key is the dose. They give these substances in very, very diluted amounts. This is believed to get rid of the side-effects while allowing the substance to heal the condition. At some doses no molecules of the original substance are likely to be there anymore. These diluted formulas are then made into sugar pills. Homeopaths, initially, have very long talks with their patients go get a overview of the patient's holistic health in all areas. Then a remedy is selected.

Naturopathy and Homeopathy are two distinct forms of alternative healing.

Answer 3

A homeopath practices medicine using a Hahnemann`s principle of "Similibia similibus curentur' or like cures like. In other words" the treatment of an ailment is by one remedy which, if given to healthy individuals causes the same disease"
Naturopaths prescribe least number of medicines. They treat diseases by encouraging natural forces like heat and light to cure diseases

Answer 4

Homeopathy is a scam. It is based on pseudoscience.

A good naturopath can be amazing. Whoever said they are not trained, etc has not found a good one. Mine had the exact training of a GP an dthen did two years of nutrition, supplemens, and biochemistry. He help restore a metabolic disorder that nearly killed me last year, and that had baffled over thirty doctors including many specialists.
Some naturopaths are scammers as well- it depends on who you find and their level of training and knowledge. Since this is a very unregulated field, in some area nearly anyone can call themselves a naturopath. I met a guy who is a Veterinarian and also does 'naturopathic" consultations at $150 a pop- and I knew more than he did!
Those who denigrate naturopathy in one swipe would do well to keep an open mind to this burgeoning health field. There are many exciting things happening- lots of things come out of it long before conventional medicine discovers or accepts them. Conventional medicine will either drug your symptoms or cut somethig out of you, neither of which addresses the root cause and prevents furthur illness. That is the goal of naturopathy, to discover the imbalace/ cause/ toxin/ lifestyle that has led to disease, and teach you how to correct it. What makes more sense? How much damage has medicine caused? How many malpractice suits and chronic infections? There is room for both, surely. When my illness was proven and corrected, the "real" doctors were ASTOUNDED at the depth of the lab tests my naturopath had done, and asked for his card to refer their problem patients to him.

Answer 5

Here was my chain of thought before I wrote this:
Hmm, simple question, simple answer.
I bet kalos said "rawr they suck"
Probably should go give an answer since I know this one.
Hmm....2 long detailed answers, nope.
Oh there we go, he left it as the last answer!

Anyhow, super simple answer is that naturopaths learn a "BS level understanding for a lot of alternative medicine practices, along with a MS understanding of a few specific things (ie. nutrition), and then often reccomend people who have an advanced understanding of the alternative health methods to their patients when they seem applicable."
So a naturopath understands homeopathy well enough to refer someone to a homeopath if their condition warrents it, but a homeopath specifically makes the best remedy possible.

Naturopaths ofter choose to specialize in a couple of alternative therapies, so you could run into a naturopath who has a cursory knowledge of homeopathy from med school, but another who really has the stuff together.

Lets see what else. Natural cure is kinda a vague term, but naturopathy is essentially based off the idea of "use natural cures for diseases." Homeopathy is a "natural cure." So naturopaths are familiar with it and think it's awesome and ar e taught about it, but many do not actually practice that specific natural cure. It kinda makes sense when you think about how complex homeopathy can get and how many other equally complictated "natural cures are out there." Naturopaths can't know every single one, so instead they are taught enough to refer someone to the correct specialist.

*naturopaths often confer with homeopaths about what shoudld be done for their patients.
It's somewhat of a minor thing, but one big difference between naturopaths and allopaths is that naturopaths in an area get together all the time to discuss cases they have and brainstorm the best approaches, whereas md's normally work more by themselves or with one partner.

=minor note that has nothing to do with the topic=
"A branch of Naturopathy - Ayurvedic medicines - are actually dangerous - often containing lead and mercury."
*few things to say to that.
-Western medicine puts mercury in teeth and vaccines. Both have been repeatedly claimed to be safe, but now enough indepent studies are coming along to prove this is a blantant lie and get the policy changed (which has met a lot of resistance since mercury is so much cheaper than any alternative).
-Ayervadeic medicine is not a "branch" of naturopathy. It's the medicine taught in india and some naturopaths decided to adopt it since it seemed to work. You would be more correct to say naturopaths invented accupuncture than this.
-The precious pills that are used in ayerveda are not used in naturopathic adoptions of ayeurveda. To be more accurate they aren't really used outside of india.
-I've had a lot of discussions with ayurvaedic practiciooners about the usage of toxic metal in that stuff, becuase, like you, it really seems f***ed up that they use them. Here is what I have found thusfar,
**most of the practicioners do not know why the metals stop being toxic. I have a fairly good knowledge of chemistry and the toxic derivatives of mercurcy and I could not explain it either (hence why it bugged me)
**everyone I have talked to (and the one case I actually watched unfold) has confirmed that the metals being there allows the items to cure the person, and no heavy metal poisoning/toxic effects were noticed.
**as best I have been able to gather, when the stuff is baked with the other things, the heavy metals de activate. I really don't like this answer since it makes no sense to me, but I've accepted that something I cannot understand is going on in the process, due to the fact the observations allow no other possibility.
Besides that, to paraphrase; I think this is actually a legitimate area to challenge alternative medicine with something like quack watch. However, I think it's incorrect to lump it with naturopathy. It would be really great if some research could be conducted to figure out exactly what goes on in the baking process of making the precious pills. I'm pretty sure it "works" but it makes absolutely no sense to me. :|