Tag Archives: Health Freedom

Distance Learning, Part 2

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(Back on the CAM, Herbal, and Naturopathic trail)

The modern version of the correspondence course is distance learning. No one questions now that colleges or high schools or even post graduate studies can take place through a computer or over long distance without the student setting foot in a classroom.

My observation is that all trainings, even college education, are only preparation to enter a field or profession. Education is not a guarantee of excellence, but simply that the student has met the minimum requirements to practice or work in their chosen field. One acupuncture school graduate I knew said that his education, after four years, was really just enough to begin to understand Chinese Medicine. It would take many years for him to become truly competent and become excellent. In the mean time he and his fellow graduates would start “practicing.” Massage school, not matter how good the school, only prepares you to enter the profession. The first thousand massages, the first thousand bodies you lay your hands on is the apprenticeship.

Competence in practice is gained on the job, through experience, and after learning the theoretical basics, fundamental techniques, and lexicon of a particular field. Many Chiropractors I know believe that the actual practice of Chiropractic can be learned in 2-3 semesters of learning after extracting the extraneous medical knowledge and educational padding that has accrued in their four year educational process. (I also know a few Chiropractors who said what they needed to know to give adjustments in practical terms could be learned in three weeks). Ironically, many Chirorpactors have to graduate before they can learn Chiropractic philosophy and truely understand their profession's history.

I have not taken any distance learning course in Naturopathy. I'm sure there are some exellent courses out there. At some point I would hope that a student of such a course would have a mentor, tutor, and ultimately a practical exam. I have taken and studied herbal courses through distance learning. All the criteria I have have laid out as being important were met. There was a mentor, there were tests, there was a graduatiion exam (which I took closed book), and there were practical classes that had to be attended “on campus.” I found this process as being deeply rewarding and a true educational experience. I spent many hundreds of hours beyond the credit hours awarded studying herbs and herbal healing. Every moment of it has benefited me and my patients.

I would say that there is a necessity for distance learning in alternative medicine. There are very few places to learn quality traditional naturopathy, herbalism, or other forms of natural healing. Unlike the modern medical educational system, you can't go to your local community college to take a course on herbal healing like you can nursing. One day there will be institutions like that in the United States. In the mean time we have to get education where we can.

 

Naturopathy–Home Study

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Medical analyst Brian Altonen, MPH, MS posted this on his blog:

THE MODERN HOME STUDY COURSE IN NATUROPATHY. BENEDICT LUST, N.D., D.C., D.O., M.D., Butler and Mount Dora, NJ, and New York, NY. (Advertising Pamphlet)

(1892-?)

Naturopathy

Hydropathy

Osteopathy

Electrotherapy

Massage

Spinal Manipulation

Short Wave Radiation

Colonic Therapy

Scientific Fasting & Dietetics

 

Commentary by Laurence Layne: There are a few overlapping components in the Home Study training course. Does spinal manipulation mean Chiropractic? if referring to Chiropractic, then it would at a minimum have to be 1895 or later when Chiropractic was established. There were very few Chiropractors before 1900. Lust lists DC–doctor of Chiropractic–as one of his credentials. Also in theory, “Naturopathy” as a term was not used by Lust until 1902. The initials ND behind his name would indicate this course was created after 1902. Licensure as an MD–medical doctor–could have meant that he passed a state medical exam; a number of states required doctors of whatever school, including irregulars like Osteopaths or Eclectics to take the same state boards as MDs.

Home study courses were available for other forms of natural healing in that era. Both Chiropractic and Massage were offered as “home study” at different points. There were also “How-To” books on Osteopathy.

The range of therapies are consistent with what Dr. John Kellogg practiced in Battle Creek, Michigan and what many classic Naturopaths practiced in the United States and later in the United Kingdom.

Short Wave Radiation probably refers to diathermy. Electrotherapy could be a number of applications, but would include the Sine Wave (sinusoidal) Machine. Hydropathy is hot and cold water applications–hydrotherapy. Fasting and Dietetics can refer to simple diet regimens like fiber cereals, but also juicing. Massage at that time would have been Swedish Massage. Colonics, or colon water irrigation, included enemas. Osteopathic technique would have included many soft tissue techniques, not just a high velocity thrust like Chiropractic. Virtually all these modalities (with appropriate training) are within the scope of practice of many modern Massage Therapy licenses (especially Florida).

The fact that this course was “home study” indicates that many of the modalities could be studied through books and manuals. However, proper application would require mentoring and class room learning.

 

 

Naturopathy–A Tiered Profession

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The world is divided into Naturopathic Physicians and Traditional Naturopaths. One is the good, Ahura Mazda, the god of creative order and the other is the evil Ahriman, who seeks to destroy order and goodness with his horde of demons. Where you stand on the issues and whose side you support then defines who is walking in the light and who is with the tide of darkness..

Naturopathy is a “tiered” profession, politically, legislativlly, and philosophically. There are Naturopathic Physicians and Traditional Naturopaths. The “Physicians,” while they receive a lot more medical training, don’t necessarily receive any better training in basic natural healing than the “Traditionals.” In fact, some would argue that Traditional Naturopaths tend to be more natural and vitalistic in their approach. Both schools have maintained that their natural practices are benign, non-invasive, and support the body’s innate forces for healing. It would be hard then, to make the case that such practices “endanger the public.” Yet Naturopathic Physicians have sought to restrict the practice of the Traditional Naturopaths in many states, claiming they are the only ones qualified to practice natural healing.

Fortunately, we are a in relatively sane period of health freedom. Many states have seen through the arguments of the Naturopathic Physicians. California, and Minnesota, for instance have laws in place that allow both classes of Naturopaths to practice. This trend of tiered professions is going to continue. It has already happened in Physical Therapy with the institution of a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Nutrition Dietetics is moving towards a clinical doctorate also and there are Doctor of Nutrition programs already in existence. Chiropractic has essentially the same divide. There is a significant group in that profession who would like to be Chiropractic Physicians (many already use that term). One the other hand, there are traditional Chiropractors who don’t want to mix medical practice with hands-on adjustments. Ironically, it was the Chiropractic schools who kept Naturopathy alive by offering ND degrees into the 1950s. It would probably be the best for their profession (and all of us) if Chiropractic develops formal tiering. What natural healing professionals and consumers need is open practice legislation that supports a variety of philosophical approaches and techniques–as long as the individual practitioner has training and met some kind of qualifying standards.

Naturopathy

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Naturopathy was a coined word created to describe simple healing practices that assisted the vital force in healing the body. This was around 1900, and generally accredited to Benedict Lust, the “Father of Naturopathy.” The natural healing practices he promoted originated in Europe with water cure in the 19th Century, going back as far as Father Kneipp and Victor Presnitz (1822).

At the turn of the century, the new profession needed to differentiate itself from other natural healing at the time–for example American water cure (hydropaths) and bone setters (osteopaths). Thus the word “naturopaths.” This era could be called the classical period of Naturopathy, and the practices attributed to the discipline back then could be called Classical Naturopathy or Traditional Naturopathy. The components of Classical Naturopathy included:

  • Fasting
  • Water Cure (Hydrotherapy)
  • Diet
  • Sunning (Heliotherapy)
  • Air Baths
  • Exercise
  • Massage
  • Breathing

(Have you ever heard of the old adage “Fresh Air and Exercise”)

Over time other therapies were added to this list:

  • Electrotherapy
  • Manipulation
  • Herbs
  • Homeopathy
  • Mental Therapeutics
  • Colonics

All kinds of natural healers could be classified as Naturopaths. Dr. John Kellogg of Battle Creek, Michigan fame, used a number of classic Naturopathic treatments. The name “Kellogg” is primarily associated with breakfast cereal, but these products were originally developed to supply natural fiber to the diet and cleanse the colon. Kellogg’s clinical approach consisted of of a number of natural therapies, but four primary modalities seem to be special interests in his books:

  • Hydrotherapy
  • Electrotherapy
  • Diet
  • Massage

Other techniques such as colonics (enemas), remedial exercises, and breathing were used plus classical Naturopathy like heliotherapy.

The important thing to remember is that whatever technique was involved, it was intended to rally the vital forces of the patient’s body. To the degree that this was successful, then healing occurred, with a righting of the metabolism from the visceral to the cellular level. This is the definition of “healing” in the Naturopathic model. There’s a lot more to the practice of Naturopathy, but that is the core essential philosophy, that the life force be restored in its function of running the body in a balanced way–as Nature designed it.

That was the way things used to be. Like many professions these days, Naturopathy has changed. There are two groups of people claim the mantle of being the authentic ND or Naturopathic Doctor. One group is the Naturopathic Physicians. They have introduced medical education into their curriculum and believe that they are on a higher plane because they utilize the medical model and are like “real doctors.” The second group is called Traditional Naturopaths and are less educated in regular medicine, but more closely adheres to the old methods and philosophy. They believe they are more “pure” in their approach to Naturopathy.

After examining their claims and looking at the evidence, I think the Traditional Naturopaths are just as qualified to practice natural healing as their brethren, in fact more likely to use their therapies in the simple, vitalistic way that Naturopathy was originally practiced. No political or philosophical battle is black and white, but I believe that natural healing is essentially benign if used with common sense and most people will benefit. It adheres to the concept of Do No Harm.