Naprapathy
Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Naprapathy is a form of complementary and alternative medicine that includes gentle connective tissue manipulation as part of its treatment. Naprapaths focus on the treatment of neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. The word comes from the Czech "naprapravit" meaning to correct and the Greek word "pathos" meaning suffering. This is a good description of what a naprapathic doctor does.

Naprapathic medicine was developed in 1907 by Dr. Oakley Smith, a chiropractor. Smith was born in West Branch, Iowa in 1880. When he was 4, he got scarlet fever. After that his health became quite frail. His entire early life was spent searching from relief from his frail health. When he was 17, he heard of cures using manual therapy and sought the care of an osteopath for the first time. When that proved unsuccessful, he continued looking and eventually met D.D. Palmer the founder of chiropractic medicine. He started getting treated by Palmer, and though he saw no improvement in his own health, he was deeply interested and studied to become a chiropractor.

After much disappointment trying to better his health, Smith resolved in 1899 that he would treat himself. He registered at The Medical School of the University of Iowa and started an intensive period of study. He started coming up with various forms of treatment and experimenting with those forms on himself. In 1907, he started training others in this new method manual manipulation.

This therapy involves the detailed observation of misalignments in the vertebrae and identification of restricted areas in the connective tissue and fascial. Practitioners are trained in psychotherapy and hypnotherapy. The practitioner also gives advice about exercise and nutrition, making naprapathy a truly holistic complementary and alternative medicine.

In 2007 a study was done on naprapathy for the Clinical Journal of Pain. 409 patients with back and neck problems were studied. Half of the patients were treated by naprapaths and half here treated by normal medical doctors. At the end of the 12 week study, 57 percent of the patients who saw naprapaths said they felt much better and only 13 percent of the people seeing regular doctors felt better. 69 percent of the naprapath groups and 42 percent of the doctor group said they had some decrease in pain. 19 percent of the naprapath group and 7 percent of the doctor group said they were completely recovered.

In Sweden, naprapaths are licensed. It is quite common there and practitioners are considered doctors. In US, naprapathy is only regulated in a few states, including New Mexico and Illinois.

Naprapathy consists of the manipulation of the spine, joints and connective tissue manually along with the use of ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and hot and cold therapies. It is a gentle and affective treatment.