The Comprehensive Approach of Naturopathic Medicine for Children

Naturopathic medicine is a system of healthcare for children that promotes preventive and holistic care and the use of natural therapies and the body’s ability to heal itself. This model of care is increasingly popular for children as parents seek alternatives to the conventional medical model. This article will explore the principles of naturopathic medicine, popular naturopathic treatments for kids and reasons for pursuing a holistic model of care. Naturopathic medicine for children is a holistic and integrative healthcare option that allows for personalized and comprehensive care and addresses the root cause of illness, while using natural therapies and the body’s innate ability to heal. The foundational principles of naturopathic medicine for kids are similar to those founding the approach to care for adults. More specifically, naturopathic medicine emphasizes optimizing the body’s ability to heal itself and to prevent illness and disease, natural, non-invasive therapies, targeting the root cause of illness, the physician-patient relationship, and treating the whole person.  

Naturopathic Medicine Principles 

Understanding and preventing underlying causes: naturopaths will use diagnostic methods and treatments to determine the root cause of disease, correct imbalances in the body, and prevent diseases and chronic illnesses.  The doctor-patient relationship: naturopaths believe this relationship is central to the process of healing and consider their patients equals. Together, they develop holistic treatment and lifestyle plans.  Treating the whole person: naturopaths will not just treat a specific symptom or part of the body in isolation. Instead, they will take into account mental, spiritual, emotional and physical factors. Patients will be fully educated while making treatment decisions and taking charge of their own health.  Prevention: naturopaths believe prevention is optimal and will prioritize facilitating natural self-healing processes.

Understanding Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine is based on the principle that the body has an inherent ability to heal itself; the naturopathic practitioner works both with traditional and modern medical science to bring back the natural state of healing using therapeutic ‘natural’ or ‘alternative’ medical practices. The emphasis of this medicine on healing is fundamentally different from conventional medicine’s focus on disease treatment. When treating children, this bit about healing and treating the whole child (and not just the ‘disease symptoms’) takes on a very special meaning: Whole child medicine challenges practitioners and caregivers to look at all aspects of a child’s functioning, including diet, lifestyle, emotional health, environmental influences and familial relationships.

Principles of Naturopathic Medicine

There are some fundamental concepts inherent in naturopathic medicine. Most important is the concept that the healing power of nature is ever present and manifests as the body’s innate ability to maintain and regain its inherent health. It also acknowledges that individuals can afford their body the appropriate time, nurturance, nutrients and internal/external conditions to activate the healing process. The lesser paradigms include do no harm, diagnosis and treatment based on identifying and treating the root of the disease, disease prevention to maintain health and retard the aging process, and treating the whole person, using the principles of least force.

Common Naturopathic Treatments for Children

Child-specific naturopathic treatments encompass a host of therapies based on each child’s constitution, concerns, conditions and needs. At the heart of almost all naturopathic treatments is nutrition: whole foods, balanced diets and, if needed, specific supplements. For example, in naturopathic pediatrics, herbal medicine may be prescribed instead of or alongside medications for conditions such as hayfever, tummy troubles, teething, post-immunization irritability, eczema, sleep problems, and frequent ear infections. Homeopathy, another system of medicine that uses medicines of the very low or ultra-high dilution with remedies that include everything from arnica to belladonna to parrot feathers, is another common feature.

Hydrotherapy (use of water in varying forms and temperatures) is used to stimulate immunological function and as a general support to wellness. Musculoskeletal issues are also supported through physical medicine techniques such as massage, chiropractic adjustments and other bodywork modalities, while lifestyle counseling and stress management techniques such as mindfulness and relaxation exercises lend support to a child’s mental and emotional life.

Benefits of a Holistic Approach

There are many benefits to looking at children’s health in its entirety. Naturopathic medicine is ‘whole person medicine’, and although that could be applied to adults, the younger the patient, the more important the ‘whole’, because we know (or should know) that the things children are exposed to early on in life influence their health later on. This means that we have to look at the entire child when treating them for a health concern, as opposed to just addressing the symptom. This can lead to better and longer-lasting health outcomes. Natural therapies generally come with a lower risk of side-effects than conventional treatments, meaning natural children’s medicines are less likely to harm developing bodies. And because children’s medicine encourages prevention, if the healthy habits are picked up early enough, they could prevent lifestyle related illnesses in the future.

A positive feature of a holistic approach for many parents is its emphasis on education and a collaborative relationship between family and practitioner that fosters individualized care that is driven by the family’s wishes. By helping parents develop their skills to make informed health decisions for their children, this approach can make parents feel empowered. It’s not a far reach to say that holistic pediatrics can optimize the experience of having a child in the US by encouraging active involvement from parents who want to be partners in care. 

Conditions Addressed by Naturopathic Medicine

Nutritional and naturopathic medicine can be remarkably helpful in managing many of the common conditions that children face. Respiratory conditions such as asthma and allergies often respond well to natural therapies, which usually involve both managing symptoms and minimizing triggers. Naturopathic approaches are often the first choice of treatment for digestive issues such as colic, constipation and food intolerances. Natural topical and internal treatments can provide a valuable alternative approach for skin conditions such as acne and eczema.

Behavioral and emotional problems such as anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sleep disorders are other areas where naturopathic medicine can be extremely helpful. Looking at the child’s environment, diet and lifestyle allows for greater attention to pediatric naturopathic care that can support mental and emotional health. Since naturopathic medicine acts in part by supporting the immune system, it can also be helpful for improving the body’s resistance to infections and the ability to recover quickly when invasions do occur.

Integrating Naturopathic Care with Conventional Medicine

Though naturopathic medicine can safely and effectively be utilized as primary care, it is most often used most successfully as an adjunct, complementary to conventional medical care for children. Complementary and integrative care fosters collaboration between naturopathic practitioners and conventional care providers to maximize the strengths of both types of care. Our goal is to enhance the wellness of the child and family while ensuring that children receive the appropriate medical care they need.

Parents are encouraged to be engaged with and communicate with all health-care providers who are involved in the care of their child – in order to truly create a team caring for the child and help give him or her what they need for their health challenges. The beauty of both naturopathic and conventional medicine is that they both have strengths, and we can utilize what each has to offer. By pooling our resources, families can potentially gain a better, more well-rounded and more supportive care plan. 

Conclusion

Naturopathic medicine for children provides an approach to health and wellness for children that’s holistic, individualized and focuses on the whole family, bridging both conventional and alternative medicine philosophies. Its emphasis on ‘do no harm’, using natural therapies and prevention, with the belief that the body has the ability to heal itself, provides an alternative comprehensive approach. Whether sustaining or improving health where conventional treatments alone have not met expectations, naturopathic care plays a complementary role in maintaining the physical, emotional and mental health of children at all stages of life. With the surge of parents seeking integrative medicine, naturopathic medicine is expanding its role in healthcare and provides families many resources and support in their personal quests for optimum health.