Arizona Leads U.S. In Alternative Therapy

Joelle Babula | September 7, 2004

Valley pediatrician Robert Kull got fed up taking pills to combat high blood pressure. So he went to see a Naturopathic doctor. He’s now off medication, has his blood pressure under control and feels much better.

“I was just so tired of taking a bunch of pills,” Kull, 61, said during a recent visit with his Naturopathic doctor. “I’m taking the alternative route because it’s just another way of looking at things. I’ve made significant changes to my diet and not I’m doing a lot better.”

Arizona is one of only 13 states that license Naturopathic Physicians. In fact, Arizona is home to more than 10 percent, or 400, of the nation’s 3,000 licensed naturopathic doctors. The state is also home to one of only four accredited naturopathic medical schools in the United States. Naturopathic doctors flock to the state to take advantage of Arizona’s licensing laws, which allows them to prescribe drugs and have a broader scope of practice.

“Medically Arizona is the most progressive state in the country when it comes to integrating conventional and naturopathic medicine,” said Paul Mittman, a Naturopathic physician and president of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences.

“Naturopathic doctors work side be side here with conventional medical doctors, and I don’t think that occurs to the same degree in other states. They see that we don’t have horns and that we’re not out there shaking branches and sprinkling herbs on people.

An increasing number of patients and conventional doctors are seeking alternative medical care in Arizona. Patients are demanding access to holistic therapies, and more conventional doctors are either learning about alternative care or are referring patients to see naturopathic doctors.

Licensed Naturopathic physicians attend a four-year medical school and study the same basic sciences and diagnostic techniques covered in traditional medical school. Naturopathic doctors, however, also study acupuncture, botanical medicine, and other alternative therapies.

They are trained in primary care and emphasize disease prevention and non-toxic approaches to therapy, such as lifestyle changes, nutrition and stress reduction. In some states, including Arizona, Naturopathic doctors can prescribe most medications and perform minor surgeries, such as mole removal and stitches.

Valley health professionals say that the local advances and patient demand have pushed Arizona to the forefront of holistic medicine. “Other states are slowly following our lead,” said Klee Bethel, a conventional medical doctor and chairman of the board for the naturopathic college. “We’re somewhat of a model for other states and we frequently get calls from other state medical boards who are looking for alternative practitioners.”

California recently began licensing Naturopathic doctors. Other states that also have a licensing board include Alaska, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Bethel said alternative care is becoming increasingly popular nationwide because many people have become frustrated with traditional care. He said that some patients get tired of taking drugs and want doctors to treat the problem, not just the symptoms.

“The future of Naturopathic medicine is huge, and I think that as time goes by, we’ll see that in many instances, it’s more cost effective than the traditional pharmaceutical approach,” Bethel said. Dr. Ken Pettit, a family practice physician in the Ahwatukee foothills, said many patients seek out alternative care because they want a doctor who will spend more than just a few minutes with them. Naturopathic doctors, unlike conventional physicians, are not governed by managed care companies and can afford to take the time to see their cash-paying patients.

“Patients want doctors that are going to spend time with them and listen to them,” Pettit said. “In an insurance driven practice, we are compensated by how many patients we wee, not on the services we provide. Doctors nowadays are really marching patients through and sometimes can only see someone for 5-10 minutes.”

Cancer patient Jan Arnold, 58, recently went to see Mittman at the recommendation of her primary care doctor. Arnold receives treatment from an oncologist, as well as a naturopathic doctor to help her with the side effects of treatment.

“The disease will never go away and, in the end, it will win, but in the meantime, I want to be as healthy and active and vibrant as I can be,” she said.

Mittman said he often works with patients who suffer from chronic debilitating diseases and conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, chronic fatigue, and pain. However, in cancer cases, he only works with patients if they are also seeing an oncologist, a cancer specialist.

“We certainly refer to conventional doctors for surgery, severe diseases and sometimes medication,” Mittman said. “We don’t have all the answers.”

Mittman said its important for both allopathic and naturopathic doctors to continue to work together to provide a complete scope of care.

“More and more of our graduates are going out and working with conventional doctors, which is a stark contrast to when I graduated 20 years ago,” he said. “It’s better for the patient and it gives us a better health care system.”

Chic Older, executive vice president for the Arizona Medical Association, agrees that alternative care has a role in today’s health care system. He did say, however, that patients must understand that holistic therapies, like conventional treatments are not free of risk.

“Sometimes just because it’s holistic, people think it’s totally safe, and that can be a dangerous assumption,” Older said. “Also, if a Naturopathic doctor is going to be treating you for a wide variety of diseases, is he going to be astute enough to recognize when something needs allopathic (conventional) treatment? That’s something I’d like to know.”

Dr. Purcell’s comment:

Naturopathic doctors are trained as primary care physicians. This is what sets a Naturopathic doctor apart from other alternative practitioners and allows medical emergencies to be detected and properly referred elsewhere.

California is on the crest of the wave for a new generation of natural health reform. Naturopathic medicine is Comprehensive healthcare focused on health promotion and disease prevention.

Californians should be demanding that Naturopathic Medicine become a household term. It’s all about you! You are the patient, you deserve to know all of the options pertaining to your health. Demand it! Naturopathic Medicine is the medicine of the future.

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