One of the best things that nature has endowed us is that it actually provides us countless treasures that are all intended for our benefit. Everything we need to survive and enjoy our lives are just all around us for our discovery and use, and yes even those that we need to heal our hurts, pains and ailments are in nature. Aside from all the elements in nature whose healing powers provide us the ability to recover some ailments that we might have, our bodies as part of nature also has its intrinsic abilities to maintain and heal itself. This is the science of natural healing. It puts emphasis on remedies such as herbal plants, proper nutrition, and anything available in nature as opposed to conventional surgery and synthetically manufactured medicines.

Most practitioners of natural healing also known as naturopathic medicine would also incorporate the use of their treatments alongside conventional medical practices. This dates back to the Greek Father of Medicine, Hippocrates, as the first advocate of natural healing. Dr Thomas Allinson in the 1880s promoted proper diet, exercise and relaxation to promote his way of natural healing. In fact, todays modern medicine through pharmaceutical companies first utilized mostly plant extracts to come up with drugs that are marketed for various ailments.

The biggest advantages of natural healing, aside from the fact that its components are almost free and always available in nature, is that it is based on the philosophy that it is designed to treat the cause of the problem and not just the symptoms. It is also generally safe and non-addictive. Other than this, it is also based on the philosophy that the most important thing is to promote the overall well-being and to prevent diseases rather than look for cures for all individuals and the entire world. There are different modes of doing natural healing for the body.

Oriental and Chinese medicine for centuries have been using acupuncture to treat ailments and relieve pains. Botanical medicine has also been an essential part of natural healing where the healing powers of plant extracts are used for the treatment of various illnesses. Other forms of natural healing include homeopathy; nutrition such as vegetarianism; physical medicine such as physical exercises, massage, sports medicine, etc.

Nature cure such as going to a place of treatment where there is much room for relaxation, meditation and exposure to sunshine and clean air; and psychological counseling and stress management. Natural healing is still continued to be practiced not just in developing nations where there is still wide practice of traditional living but also in developed nations in North America and Europe. The level of acceptance and standards of regulations may vary though. In the United States and Canada, there are several accredited Naturopathic Schools who are legally entitled the professional designation of ND or Naturopathic Doctor or NMD or Naturopathic Medical Doctor and laws in several US states and Canadian Provinces legally protect this.

Though mainstream medical science does not have any definitive stand as to the efficacy and real scientific evidence of the power of naturopathic medicine or natural healing, it has come to be embraced and patronized by a lot of patients who are seeking alternatives to the rather costly conventional medicines and the side effects of its drugs administered to cure illnesses. Nevertheless, countless studies and scientific research are continuously undertaken to study the possible real positive effects of natural healing.