A natural therapist can provide a plan to help a person quit smoking.
A natural therapist is a health professional who uses different techniques to heal a person’s mind or body or to prevent disease. A person in this profession may act as a primary care provider or in conjunction with a physician or other primary care provider. In certain cases, a doctor, chiropractor, or other health specialist may refer a patient to a natural therapist. This type of provider may use very different techniques than those used by traditional healers.
Natural therapists, also called naturopaths, must have a thorough understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of different vitamin and mineral supplements.
The first thing a natural therapist can do is assess the patient’s lifestyle. If a patient is, for example, overweight, a smoker, and sedentary, lifestyle changes may be recommended before any other treatment is prescribed. A natural health practitioner can prescribe a healthy diet consisting of fresh, whole foods; an exercise plan; a plan to quit smoking; and other types of lifestyle modifications. In general, the goal is to have the patient live a more natural and organically healthy lifestyle.
In some cases, chiropractic care can be used in conjunction with natural therapy.
Once the patient commits to making the necessary lifestyle changes, the natural therapist may recommend vitamin supplements. Depending on whether the patient is seeking to improve their overall health or hopes to reduce or eliminate the need for prescription medications for specific health conditions, a multivitamin or specific nutritional supplements may be appropriate. The natural therapist must have a good understanding of which herbs, vitamins, and other supplements are appropriate for which conditions.
A natural therapist may recommend lifestyle changes for an overweight person before trying other treatments.
A natural therapist works on the premise that a person’s physical health is affected by their mental and spiritual health, so the therapist may recommend yoga, meditation, or other stress-relieving methods. The therapist can provide or recommend mental health counseling if needed. She can also give patients tips for better sleep, which can improve health.
Natural therapies may differ slightly from conventional medication. Some therapies may be complementary, meaning they can be used alongside traditional treatments, but others are far removed from what a doctor might prescribe. Others may only be recommended until a certain point in the disease, after which traditional surgery or medications may be used as a last resort. Often the goal is to help a patient achieve good health that is not dependent on drugs or other traditional therapies, without putting them at risk of poorly managed disease.