The osteopathy

General information

Naturopathy is an umbrella term for various methods of treatment that aim to activate the body’s self-healing powers and thus to prevent and heal illness in a gentle and protective way and thus restore health. In doing so, it makes use of a variety of remedies and stimuli that occur in nature. These means and stimuli are the sun, the light, the air, the movement, the rest, the food, the water, the cold, the earth, the breathing, the thoughts, the feelings and will processes as well as all medicine substances which can be won from nature mainly from plant materials.

A fundamental distinction is made between the classical natural healing methods and the methods of alternative medicine. The alternative medicine is an umbrella term for a number of treatment methods that are considered as a supplement to conventional medicine. The alternative medicine is often also called complementary medicine. The effectiveness of alternative healing methods is often based on therapeutic experience and can usually not be scientifically proven.

Synonyms in a broader sense

Holistic medicine, complementary medicine, alternative medicine, naturopathy, homeopathy: To the alternative medicine count: The classical naturopathic and alternative medicine claim to be holistic medicine, since their therapeutic concepts include not only the body but also the soul and spirit.

  • Water therapy (hydrotherapy and balneotherapy)
  • Dietetics/Dietetics
  • Phythotherapy (herbal medicine)
  • Exercise therapy
  • Light therapy
  • Order Therapy
  • Homeopathy
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
  • Acupuncture
  • Ayurvedic medicine
  • Anthroposophic medicine
  • Neural therapy
  • Chirotherapy/Manual Therapy
  • Ostheopathy
  • Orthomolecular medicine
  • Bach Flower Therapy

The origin of naturopathy can be found 2000 years ago and goes back to Hippocrates. In this ancient understanding the healing of man was conditioned by nature as healing power.

The doctor was only a practitioner who used the healing powers of nature. The climax of the practical implementation of these principles of naturopathic thinking can be found in the Roman bathing system. Emperor Augustus already had himself treated with top casts, one recognized the massages the musculature relaxed, supplied with blood and strengthened.

Byzantine doctors used cold water applications for feverish infections. In the 16th and 17th century Paracelsus gave important impulses to the Hippocratic principle of the healing power of nature. In the 18th century, J. S. Hahn promoted the principles of water applications, diet and exercise, and Charite Professor Hufeland propagated bathing and drinking cures.

At the same time S. Hahnemann founded homeopathy. In the 19th century, the propagation of hydrotherapy by Prienitz, Oertel, Rausse and Hahn took place. Through their further development and massive expansion, three medical directions emerged: conventional medicine, homeopathy and hydrotherapy.

Johann Schroth combined these water cures with fasting and developed the Schroth cure. In 1850 the Bavarian military doctor Lorenz Gleich introduced the concept of natural healing and naturopathic methods as an extension of hydrotherapy. In addition to his more than 100 water treatments, the priest Sebastian Kneipp also lists medicinal plants for internal and external use.

The university lecturer W. Winternitz is the first to scientifically establish hydrotherapy and integrate it into orthodox medicine. Today the boundaries between orthodox medicine, classical naturopathic treatments and alternative medicine are fluid, but these boundaries are constantly being changed and redefined. Thus, manual medicine and neural therapy are now a recognized part of medicine and were viewed with skepticism a few decades ago. The situation is different with the draining procedures such as cupping, leech and autologous blood therapy. These procedures are now considered to be alternative therapies, whereas they used to be an integral part of medicine in the past.