Has anyone seen a naturopath?

jenniewb

I'm just asking purely out of curiosity. I've always wondered about naturopathy and what it can offer. It seems that people seem to view it as a pseudo-science and don't take it seriously but I was wondering about those who have tried it and what they thought.


I've had issues with the foods I eat and so stick to quite a basic diet which I am pretty much OK with (if it aint broke...) but had someone suggest I saw a naturopath but after finding out about the cost, even those offering a sliding scale were well out of my budget! But I was interested in anyone's experiences and if it was worth the cost.

InsideInsurance

jenniewb wrote: »

I've had issues with the foods I eat

What do you mean?

As to naturopaths, in principle I prefer a more holistic approach than any extreme. Certainly some of what they say is sensible but I wouldnt rely on them exclusively. When you get into things like homeopathy though I dont agree with it at all.

Toothsmith

And - of course - there is no qualification or register to call yourself a 'Naturopath'.

You could be an unemployed barman one day, with a conviction for GBH stopping you from getting a job - and set up as a naturopath tomorrow.

No one is checking.

heartbreak_star

Nope. It's just another form of quackery.

HBS x

maddiemay

heartbreak_star wrote: »

Nope. It's just another form of quackery.

HBS x

Possibly so, but it does not seem very long (to people of my age anyway) that Osteopathy and Chiropractic were considered in the same light and poo pooed by the medical profession, thank goodness that new ideas can eventually become main stream:)

One of the delights of pet stewardship, was the wonderful integrated approach practised by our Vets, for instance when my Springer Spaniel started showing signs of dementia, Vet suggested a preparation of Amino acids and vitamins and minerals, he improved amazingly and I used this in his food for the rest of his life (c 4 years).

Toothsmith

maddiemay wrote: »

when my Springer Spaniel started showing signs of dementia, Vet suggested a preparation of Amino acids and vitamins and minerals, he improved amazingly and I used this in his food for the rest of his life (c 4 years).

How on earth do you tell a demented Springer Spaniel???

maddiemay

Toothsmith wrote: »

How on earth do you tell a demented Springer Spaniel???

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
I almost spit my drink over the screen:(

Yes, demented is part of the breed description!, but such fun and so loyal and great with children:D

He became disorientated, not seeming to be sure where he was in the house and did not want to play with his toys anymore:( This was absolutely amazing (other sellers available)

Sorry for hi-jacking thread, but it may prove useful to some:)

jenniewb

InsideInsurance wrote: »

What do you mean?

As to naturopaths, in principle I prefer a more holistic approach than any extreme. Certainly some of what they say is sensible but I wouldnt rely on them exclusively. When you get into things like homeopathy though I dont agree with it at all.

By this I mean I've found out I'm lactose intolerant. This came after being diagnosed by a Doctor with IBS, but it was a "we don't know what the issue is so we'll diagnose this instead". IBS is supposed to be a process of elimination, ie you eliminate everything it could be before diagnosing this, I only ever had a pretty basic blood test and stool/urine test, nothing else. I wanted to find out more or even try more ways to get a grip on what was affecting me but I guess there isn't any NHS funding for this which is a shame because it just means I'm landed with a diagnosis and taking pills I probably don't need (they don't make a blind bit of difference).


I was not looking for a naturopath to diagnose anything, just as an additional opinion or point of view to add to my own so I could maybe get some direction in what is happening. As now I just don't eat dairy and a few other foods which seem to adversely affect me, but it feels a bit sledge-hammer-walnut and I'd like to know if there was a better way of understanding things rather than googling for wild scare stories on what you should never eat x,y and z!

jenniewb

heartbreak_star wrote: »

Nope. It's just another form of quackery.

HBS x

Thanks for your opinion, just wondering if you had any experience of this to come to this conclusion as I'm not sure of anything either way hence asking the question to see peoples real life experiences

jenniewb

Toothsmith wrote: »

And - of course - there is no qualification or register to call yourself a 'Naturopath'.

You could be an unemployed barman one day, with a conviction for GBH stopping you from getting a job - and set up as a naturopath tomorrow.

No one is checking.

Thanks, I was aware of this to some extent and I can imagine that the label has likely been abused even by some well meaning people. I still am curious though as I'd heard of some who have had positive experiences though (people I'm no longer in touch with) and was wondering if there was anything in it, it's just an area I have zero knowledge in and I know I can google for a description on what it is, but this tells me nothing on people's experiences of it.

theoretica

When researching naturopaths you need to be very aware that the word is used to mean different things. In some states of the US for instance there are licensed physicians who are qualified in conventional medicine and naturopathy (I know someone whose GP is one of these). On the other hand there are also people using the term with far less training, of any sort.