NATURE CURE
Nature cure or Naturopathy is an art and science of living. It is also known to be a drugless, preventive and curative medicine. It is a system of health care which promotes the body’s own self-healing mechanism. Furthermore, it is also considered as a system of man building in harmony with the constructive principles of nature on physical, mental, moral, and spiritual planes of being.
It explains about the vital force or life’s force which runs through the whole body to facilitate all the functions in the body. Vitality can be built up by consuming wholesome food and intake of fruit juices. Also, it can be enhanced by avoiding stimulants and improving quality of sleep.
The basic principles of Nature Cure are:
- The body heals itself.
- The main cause of disease is enervation.
- The accumulation of morbid matter causes the disease.
- The acute disease in itself is the remedial process.
- Germs do not cause disease but found in diseased condition.
- Food is the building material but does not increase the vitality.
- Fasting does not cure the disease but creates an environment to heal.
- Exercise or physical activities keep the balance between nutrition and
- External treatments give only relief. They do not cure the disease.
- The patient’s own wish to get well, determination and faith in nature’s healing
power play an important role in healing process.
These basic principles are very much essential to maintain optimum health of an individual.
According to Nature Cure, health is normal and harmonious vibration of elements and forces composing the human entity in physical, mental, moral and spiritual levels. Disease is an abnormal or inharmonious vibration of the elements and forces comprising in the human body in one or more levels in accordance with the destructive principles of nature. This is manifested in the body, if we do not follow the laws of nature.
There are three primary life requirements of the cell. They are innervation, nutrition and drainage. The lack of these components results in manifestation of disease. It explains about the disease in the physical body which is due to
- Lowered vitality occurring due to overwork, weakening habits, over indulgence, poisonous drugs, wrong thinking and feeling.
- Abnormal composition of body fluids which is due to improper selection and combination of food.
- Accumulation of waste matter is due to faulty diet, overeating, use of narcotic and alcoholic stimulants, suppression of acute disease, drugs etc.,
- Diet and nutrition: Using food as medicine, an individually devised, wholesome and natural diet is aimed at balancing nutritional deficiencies, combating allergies, digestive disorders and building resistance to disease. Specific diet strategies are advised for chronic conditions, illnesses, or injuries.
- Fasting therapy:Therapeutic fasting is defined as the controlled and voluntary abstinence from all calorie-containing foods and drink for a specified period of time.The therapeutic application of fasting could be practiced as dry fast, water fast and juice fasts.
- Hydrotherapy: This mode of treatment uses the therapeutic properties of water. Water was made use in therapeutics hundreds of years ago. Water has great healing properties and exhibits different properties at different temperatures. The temperature of the water for any treatment depends on the effect desired. Water is used internally and externally in all its forms – steam, liquid or ice, to cleanse and restore health. It is used in the form of baths, jets/ douches, packs, compresses and immersions.
- Mud therapy: Of the five elements of Nature, mud represents Earth and has tremendous impact on the maintenance of health and prevention of diseases. Minerals and trace elements present in the mud are known for its renowned effects and healing properties. Mud also has the remarkable property of holding moisture for a long time, which has a cooling effect on the part of the body applied.
- Massage (Manipulative therapy): There are different types of massage depending on the materials and techniques used. To add to the experience soft soothing music and aromatic oils are used to stimulate the senses.
- Aromatherapy:Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. It is also called essential oil therapy, as aromatic essential oils are used in Aromatherapy.
- Acupuncture: Chinese Acupuncture works by using fine needles painlessly applied to specific points in the body to stimulate channels of energy flow allowing the body to balance itself. It helps in alleviating painful conditions and allergies like asthma and sinusitis.
- Acupressure: This natural Oriental healing technique uses applied pressure to specific points on the body to relax trapped nerves and release blockages. It is used both as a preventive and curative treatment. It helps to alleviate pain, fatigue and addresses musculoskeletal disorders.
- Chromotherapy:Colour therapy is based on the law of resonant colours interacting, conterminous to frequency characteristics of body. The colour scale promotes restoration of the energy balance broken by illness. Different colours give off different wavelength frequencies and these different frequencies have different effects on physical and psychological functions and consequently different disorders.
- Magneto therapy:This is the treatment of diseases with the healing powers of magnets. Magnets are natural substances which exhibit different properties on different poles. The same properties of magnetism are exhibited in humans as well. It is this similarity which helps in therapeutic administration. It is a totally non-invasive treatment and no side effects are seen. Through the application of magnetic field on the body, it has proved beneficial in certain diseases, especially in rheumatic and muscular aches, as it has the power of draining pain out of the body.
- Physiotherapy: It consists of exercise therapy and electrotherapy, remediates impairments and promotes mobility and function.
- Shetty GB, Mooventhan A. Effect of Naturopathy and Yogic Intervention, Over 6 Years on Weight Management in a Patient with Obesity. Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Research. 2015 Apr 1; 2(2): 114.
