What Is The History Of Naturopathic Medicine?

Naturopathy evolved as a widely practiced comprehensive health system in the early 1900’s, drawing mainly from European herbal and water therapy traditions. It increased in popularity in the United States until the 1940’s following the famous Flexner report, waned in popularity during the ’50’s and ’60’s, and has experienced a resurgence since then. Since the 1990’s, there have been concerted efforts towards more formalized, standardized training and wider licensure, with greater attention paid to the importance of research in the field. In the U.S., there are currently more than 1000 licensed naturopathic physicians. Naturopathy is also practiced widely in Canada, Germany, England, and Australia.