What Is Naturopathy? History, Practice, Evidence and Regulation

This page is information only. It does not replace care from a doctor. If you have chest pain, signs of a stroke, a severe allergic reaction or thoughts of suicide, get urgent help first: in the United States call 911, or call or text 988 for a mental health crisis.

What naturopathy is

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) calls naturopathy, also called naturopathic medicine, a medical system that evolved from a combination of traditional practices and health care approaches popular in Europe during the 19th century. [1] It is not one treatment. It is a care model that combines several approaches, usually in one-to-one visits. It is used for many reasons, including primary care, general well-being and illness. [1] NCCIH reports that 0.2 percent of US adults used naturopathy in 2002 and 1.3 percent in 2022. [1]

How it is explained, and what that does and does not tell you

NCCIH says naturopathy aims to prevent and treat disease by addressing its root cause, based on the belief that symptoms are the body's way of signaling a problem. [1] That is a guiding philosophy. It is not a measured mechanism, and it cannot tell you whether a given treatment works. Each treatment has to be tested for each purpose. The profession's own statement of its principles, and what critics say about them, are on the naturopathic principles page.

What practitioners may offer

NCCIH lists dietary and lifestyle changes, stress reduction, herbs and other dietary supplements, homeopathy, manipulative therapies, exercise therapy, practitioner-guided detoxification, and psychotherapy and counseling. [1] The parts do not share the same evidence. Homeopathy, for example, has little evidence of benefit for any specific health condition according to NCCIH. [2] For "detox" programs, NCCIH found no compelling research that they eliminate toxins and says some can be unsafe and falsely advertised. [3]

Who practices it: titles in parallel

NCCIH describes three groups in the United States. [1]

1. Naturopathic physicians (ND or NMD)

   Graduate-level education at a school accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education [1]

   Licensing as NCCIH describes it: Licensing rules vary by state; where licensing exists, graduation and national board exams are required [1]

2. Traditional naturopaths

   Various non-accredited programs, varying in length and content [1]

   Licensing as NCCIH describes it: Not eligible for licensing [1]

3. Other health care providers

   Varies by profession; not described further by NCCIH

   Licensing as NCCIH describes it: They may offer some of the same treatments [1]

Titles, scope and rules differ by place. See naturopath, naturopathic doctor and other titles and credentials, licensing and scope of practice. NCCIH adds that regulations, licenses or certificates do not guarantee safe, effective treatment from any health care provider. [1]

What research shows

Whole-system naturopathic care has been studied less than single treatments, so the useful question is always which part of a package, for which condition, compared with what.

1. Whole-system naturopathic care

   Promising but limited

   A scoping review found 33 published studies (9,859 people) in which naturopathic clinicians delivered two or more modalities. [4]

2. Chronic low back pain

   Promising but limited (one small trial)

   One trial randomized 75 postal employees to naturopathic care (diet counseling, deep breathing and acupuncture) or physiotherapy instructions in a booklet. [5]

3. Homeopathy

   No good evidence of benefit

   NCCIH says there is little evidence it works for any specific condition. [2]

Three cautions apply. The scoping review maps what exists and cannot say which element helped, and its authors were based at a naturopathic research centre. [4] In the back pain trial the comparison was written instructions, not an equal amount of personal attention, and the trial's author was affiliated with a naturopathic college. [5] Finally, some useful parts, such as exercise advice and stress management, are also offered in conventional care. Read the full trial discussion at whole-system naturopathic care trials.

Safety and who should check first

Natural does not mean safe. NCCIH advises not to use an unproven product or practice to postpone seeing your health care provider. [6] Alternative treatment used instead of effective cancer treatment is associated with greater risk of death in a published study of 281 people. [7] NCCIH likewise warns against using unproven methods in place of conventional cancer treatment. [8] Get conventional care first, or alongside, for chest pain, severe or worsening symptoms, cancer, diabetes, infections and symptoms in babies. Pregnancy, children, older adults, kidney or liver disease and people taking several medicines or blood thinners should check with a clinician first. Never stop a prescribed medicine without talking to the prescriber. See medication interactions.

Regulation depends on where you live

• United States: state governments decide credentials. [9] An NCCIH page last updated in May 2018 said only 17 states and the District of Columbia license naturopathic physicians. [9] A 2023 article by an association of naturopathic colleges described naturopathic doctors as regulated in 26 US jurisdictions. [10] The numbers differ by source and date, so check your state's board.
• Ontario, Canada: "ND", "naturopathic doctor" and "naturopath" are protected titles, and the College of Naturopaths of Ontario regulates the profession. [11]
• British Columbia, Canada: the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC regulates naturopathic physicians. [12]
• Australia: the professions are not currently regulated under the national registration scheme, according to a register that describes itself as independent. [13]

More countries are on the world overview.

Where to read next