Lets know about Naturopathy:

Naturopathy is an art and science of healthy living and a drugless system of healing based on well founded philosophy. It has its own concept of health and disease and also principles of treatment. According to Dr. Henry Lindhlar there is only one cause of disease i.e. accumulation of toxins in the body and one cure i.e. elimination of these from the body. So that means Naturopathy cuts the root cause of disease instead treating signs and symptoms. Nature is the greatest healer. Body has a capacity to heal itself.

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Introduction to nature cure

Naturopathy is the system of healing in which diseases are cured by means of all natural and rational remedies such as light, water, air, heat, exercise, diet and other physiological measures.

Naturopathy is built upon the dictum of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who declared “Nature cures; not the physicians.

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The origins of the practice can be traced back over two thousand years to the time of Hippocrates. Hippocrates and his colleagues considered disease to be an effect of some imbalance in the elements like air, water and other natural factors such as food

 

The basis of the modern practice can be traced back to the beginning of the19th century and to people such as Preissnitz a therapist in Germany, who used the beneficial effects of water as a therapy (hydrotherapy).

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Prevention is better than cure.

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Basic principle of nature cure

• Body heals itself.

• Main cause of disease is enervation.

• Germs are the secondary cause of disease.

• Deposition of foreign matter is disease.

• Acute disease is remedial process –itself a cure.

• Food is building material and does not provide vitality.

• Fasting provides an oppurtunity to body to heal itself.

• Exercise keeps balance between nutrition and disease.

• Patients faith in treatment & self determination is necessary for cure.

• Prayer is ultimate healing tool.

• Food is building material and does not provide vitality.

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Pancha Mahabhutas Theory

Body is made of five great elements – Prithwi, Aap,Tej,Vayu,Akash,When there is imbalance between these elements it leads to disease condition and balance between these elements is cure.

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Various treatment modalities in nature cure

• Prithwi- Mud therapy, Magnetotherapy.Diet therapy, Massage therapy.

• Aap- Hydrotherapy.

• Tej- Chromo therapy and Helio therapy.

• Vayu- Yoga and Yoga therapy.

• Akash- Fasting therapy .

• Atma tatwa- PRAYER.

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Prithwi Tatwa Chikitsa : Mud Therapy

• Characterstic of mud-black alluvial soil,sticky nature taken 2 feet below ground surface.

• Prepratioon-cleaned, powdered,sunlight dried soaked for 24 hours in water before use.

• Application-direct and indirect.

• Effects-mechanical,thermal,chemical.

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Magneto Therapy

• History- sikhta.ashman.

• Application-local through belts and general through lead system and magnetized water.

• Effects through the heart and blood circulation.

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Diet Therapy

• Balanced diet-nature cure says that the food shall be your medicine and medicine shall be your diet.

• During treatment first Eliminative diet, then soothening diet, lastly reconstructive diet.

• Principles of nature cure diet therapy.

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Massage Therapy

Systematic Manipulation of Body:

Healing through massage has 4 stages-

• Effects-mechanical by relaxation and reflex effect.

• Relief-sedate the nerve

• Correction-decongesting and deknotting muscles

• Strenghtening

• Maintainence

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Types-ayurvedic and swedish massage

• Lubricants-oil, powder and waterSwedish massage –touch, stroking, friction, kneeding, vibration, percussion and joint movements, with effects like- good circulation, nutrition ,strenthening.

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Aap Tatwa Chikitsa

Hydrotherapy:

• Father – vincent prissnitz.

• Effects-depends on temp used,imp effects are-haemostatic,analgesic,diuretic,eliminative.

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Methods of treatment

• Hip bath

• Spinal bath

• Immersion bath

• Steam bath

• Arm and foot bath
• Enema
• Jet baths
• Fomentation
• Packs
• Compress
• Water drinking
• Douches

 

Tej Tatwa Chikita

Chromotherapy and Helio Therapy.

• Treatment through colours- primary and secondary colours.

• Effects- red has heating action,yellow has laxative action,blue is cooling colour.

• Helio therapy means sun light therapy.

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Vayu Tatwa Chikita

• Yoga, the Sanskrit word for “union”, is a practice that uses posture and breathing techniques to induce relaxation and improve strength, and its health benefits.

• Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines that originated in India.The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

• Effects of yoga– all round personality development at physical, mental, emotional, spritual and social.

• Techniques- shatkarmas, asanas, pranayam, bandhas, mudras and dhyan.

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Akash Tatwa Chikita

• Absolute abstinence from taking any kind of food voluntarily with view of giving rest to different organs of the body.

• Upwas means near to god.

• Firstly prepare for fasting,during fasting drink adequate water, take enema and take complete rest, fasting under guidance.

• Breaking of fast with systematic approach.

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Vahu Tatwa Chikita

Prayer:

• Prayer is ultimate tool and is food for mind.

• Gandhiji advocated the ram nam as ultimate measure for all diseases.

• Cleansing the atma tatwa through prayer.

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Panchatantra : 5 Principle for Good Health

• Eat 2 meals with one fruit meal.

• Drink 3 litres water daily.

• Exercise 1 hour daily.

• Fasting once in a week.

• Prayer two times daily.