Holistic vs. Naturopathic Medicine: What’s the Difference?
If traditional medicine is not giving you the lasting relief you need from your chronic condition, consider turning to integrative medicine in your area. However, searching for a provider might mean encountering many terms that get tossed around, only creating confusion.
For instance, some people may tell you to seek holistic healthcare, while others might suggest naturopathic medicine. Is there a difference, and if so, how do you choose the right type of healthcare? Well, there is a distinction between holistic and naturopathic medicine, and we’ll unravel the confusion here.
The Burgeoning of Holistic and Naturopathic Approaches
While traditional medicine occupies a legitimate place in healthcare, it primarily treats the symptoms while paying little attention to the person experiencing them. As a complement to traditional approaches, the medical field has expanded over the past century to include various specialties, including integrative medicine, which treats the whole person—not just the disease—and gets to the root cause of the conditions that ail us.
The field of integrative healthcare can be further divided into specialties like holistic medicine and naturopathy. Both use natural therapies that leverage the body’s healing capacities to improve the whole person’s physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.
However, they have their differences, and which one you choose depends greatly on your medical issues and overall health goals. Whereas holistic medicine is what some conventionally trained physicians incorporate into their practices, naturopathy is a subdiscipline that involves training in natural remedies outside of traditional medical school. What follows is a more detailed exploration of each specialty.
Holistic Medicine
Doctors who practice holistic medicine typically have Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degrees from accredited medical schools. They must also be licensed in the state where they practice. Holistic medicine involves adopting a philosophy that supplements traditional medicine with mind-body-spirit approaches that help patients restore and maintain overall health and well-being. When Dr. Blatman was the president of the American Holistic Medical Association, he taught that the holistic physician operates from the understanding that the body heals itself. Our job is to help that happen faster, and to help the body do what it can’t do without that help.
Many holistic doctors practice primary medicine and provide treatments that address a person’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health. These physicians offer several types of care, including pain management, herbal medicine, nutrition consulting, and chronic disease management. They also provide supplemental treatments like acupuncture, intravenous (IV) infusions, light therapy, and other natural remedies.
Naturopathy
Naturopathy as a philosophy emphasizes use of natural treatments to help the body heal itself. Nowadays, to call yourself a naturopathic doctor you will have to have attended a 4 year naturopathic medical school where you will not only learn most everything an MD learns in medical school, but also undergo training in nutrition, botanical medicine, massage, herbal medicine, and acupuncture to support a patient’s health goals.
Naturopathic medicine is holistic and aims to promote the body’s healing capacities. It also focuses on prevention, not just treating symptoms. Like holistic doctors, naturopathic practitioners offer nutritional and lifestyle counseling, herbal medicine, and physically based treatments.
In our country, there are 26 jurisdictions that license ND naturopathic doctors. In some states their license allows everything but surgery in the operating room. They can prescribe all medications, inject and use stem cells, give IV’s and much more. In states that do not provide for licensing, their practice is very limited and they are prevented from doing much of their training. The naturopathic system does not have a residency training program and does not provide board certifications like Occupational and Environmental Medicine or Integrative Holistic Medicine.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine was developed as a way for standard of care doctors to understand and start to duplicate what integrative medicine doctors have been doing for years. Many rely on testing just like your standard of care doctor, except the testing is much more thorough and often not covered by your insurance company. The practice of functional medicine is whatever the doctor in practice decides to do.
The Best Integrative Medical Care Close to Home
When choosing between holistic and naturopathic medicine, consider whether you need a primary physician who practices holistic medicine or a professional who can provide care that supplements your current healthcare plan. It’s important to understand that most holistic doctors and care providers use naturopathic approaches, but not all naturopathic practitioners have had conventional medical training.
If you want to incorporate integrative medicine into your overall healthcare, turn to Dr. Blatman, an established holistic practitioner board-certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Integrative Holistic Medicine. Dr. Blatman has taught for several years at a 4 year naturopathic medical school, and considers himself to be a naturopath in MD clothing. At Blatman Health and Wellness Center, we offer holistic primary care incorporating the latest natural and regenerative healing innovations. If you’d like to learn more about holistic medicine or schedule an appointment, contact us using our online form or call our Cincinnati or New York City office today.
