Many people are interested in pursuing naturopathic cures for various medical issues, especially in cases where traditional medicine may not have been effective. There are are a number of pros and cons to attempting naturopathic cures, however, that are very important to keep in mind. The largest con is that certain alternative treatments may not be effective, and may even do more harm than good in the long run; it can also make people falsely believe they will be cured, and stop taking their prescribed medication or visiting the doctor. Some pros of naturopathic medicine, however, include that there are few if any side effects, and that it promotes an overall healthier lifestyle, especially when combined with other standard treatments and a doctor's supervision.
In many cases, doctors will recommend attempting naturopathic cures in addition to, not instead of, traditional medicine. This way the physician can determine if any of the natural treatments could potentially interfere with other medications or health conditions, and can continue to monitor progress. Even if a naturopathic cure is "natural," that does not automatically mean it cannot interact with other medications a person is on. This could actually end up causing harm and making certain conditions worse. Attempting naturopathic cures under the guidance of a doctor also ensures that the individual will keep taking his or her prescribed medicine and attending scheduled doctor visits; this is because even if alternative therapies are not actively harmful, some may simply be ineffective.
Of course, there are many potential pros to naturopathic cures as well. The first is that many alternative therapies promote overall health and stress reduction. For instance, eating a balanced diet, practicing yoga, and getting acupuncture can just be beneficial overall, potentially even preventing future medical issues. In addition, naturopathic cures encourage the patient to take an active role in understanding the root cause of his or her illness and taking action to treat and prevent it. Rather than treating just the symptoms, naturopathy aims to treat the whole body, and there are some experts who believe that this approach can play an active role in fighting illness.
Naturopathic cures often have a lower cost than traditional medicine as well, so it can be easier to incorporate them into a budget or lifestyle. Conversely, however, it is very difficult to find a health insurer that will pay for alternative medical therapies, so it might become and added expensive depending on the treatment plan. To many people, though, it is worth incurring these costs in order to supplement their medical care and treat their illnesses using a multi-pronged approach.