Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

N–O
Native American healing A spirituality-based
approach, also called traditional North American
medicine, that incorporates ceremony, ritual, and
symbolism. In the Native American tradition,
intent is as important as action and there are no
distinctions between body, mind, and spirit. The
illness or health of one affects the well-being of
the whole. As well, traditional Native American
medicine holds that HEALING takes place within the
body’s sense of time and timing, and efforts to
rush or otherwise influence this timing extend
rather than shorten the healing process.
Traditional Native American healing practices
made use of the sweat lodge, a small enclosed
structure in which a fire burned hot. The heat
would flush the cause of the ailment to the surface,
where it would manifest in the form of a
vision. People stayed in the sweat lodge until the
heat initiated within them the vision necessary for
healing. The person might then go into the forest,
desert, or mountains to be with the vision and
allow the natural environment to reveal its meanings.
The experience also restores the balance
between the individual and the natural environment,
an essential component of the healing
process from the traditional perspective.
Some hospitals in areas where there are Native
American populations are beginning to incorporate
Native American healers among the complementary
providers available to patients, notably in
the American Southwest. Drumming, chanting,
smudging, and dancing may be among the elements
of healing rituals. One of the most common
ceremonies is the medicine wheel, a form of ritual
MEDITATION or prayer similar to a LABYRINTH. The
circle of the wheel represents the continuous harmony
of the universe, with the four spokes representing
the four directions and their correlations
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to body (north), spirit (south), mind (east), and
inner peace (west).
See also AYURVEDA; MIND–BODY INTERACTIONS;
PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY; TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDI-
CINE (TCM).
naturopathy A system of medicine that uses
methods and substances found in nature to maintain
and restore health. The philosophical foundation
of naturopathy rejects interventions such as
major surgery, RADIATION THERAPY, and drugs other
than elements, minerals, and other natural compounds.
Naturopathy incorporates or supports
therapeutic approaches such as ACUPUNCTURE,
energy medicine, NUTRITIONAL THERAPY using diagnostic
testing through functional medicine,
hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, MEDICINAL HERBS AND
BOTANICALS, HOMEOPATHY, and manipulative therapies
(such as CHIROPRACTIC, MASSAGE THERAPY, and
OSTEOPATHIC MANIPULATIVE TREATMENT [OMT]).
Naturopathic Diagnosis and Treatment
The naturopathic physician assesses symptoms
and examines patients in much the same fashion
as a conventional doctor, though spends considerably
more time addressing lifestyle factors such as
nutrition, activity, relationships, stress, and emotional
well-being. The naturopathic physician may
function as a consultant for botanical or nutritional
therapies, or as a primary-care provider
who works collaboratively with other health-care
professionals and refers people for specialty care as
needed, as would a conventional doctor (MD or
DO). The naturopathic approach considers the
person holistically and incorporates therapeutic
methods that both treat symptoms and restore
overall health and well-being. Naturopathic physicians
spend much time educating people about