UBCNM / UB Naturopathy 2008: MisLabeled As Science:

so, I was out today and took a picture of a certain UB sign in my neighborhood that labels naturopathy "science" [see the jpg at 001.a., below; & 001.b.]. But, I advise that you look deeper if you wish to actually make an informed judgment about the scientific status of 'the essentially naturopathic'. This supposed science is 'based upon / obligated toward / defined by' premises that are HUGELY science-ejected:

001. the University of Bridgeport's labeling of naturopathy as "science":

001.a. this picture was taken from the City of Bridgeport's sidewalk [2008-10-04]. So, publicly, UB obviously labels naturopathy "science" [x2!] and engages in commerce under that epistemic designation:
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.[click the jpg to enlarge it into a high resolution picture]

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001.b. here it is again, in terms of UB's publicly available electronic documents: UB's 1998 homepage labeling naturopathy "science" (see http://web.archive.org/web/19981205021135/http://www.bridgeport.edu/):

"health sciences [...include] naturopathy."

002. just what kind of science, precisely, is naturopathy?

002.a. foremost, naturopathy is obligated to vitalism and supernaturalism:

002.a1. naturopathy's obligatory vitalism, specifically at UB (see http://animatisticnapantheism111.blogspot.com/).

002.a2. naturopathy's obligatory supernaturalism, specifically in UB's current catalog [p.070-071] (see http://www.bridgeport.edu/include/pdf/academics/UBCat0608_Schools.pdf).

note: the 2008 UB catalog linked to above, on p.070, tells us that:

"naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles [e.g. vitalism, supernaturalism] upon which its practice is based. The principles are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances." As if such principles survive scientific scrutiny!!!

003. in reality, what does science say about vitalism and supernaturalism?

003.a. vitalism is profoundly science-ejected (see http://novfsinscience.blogspot.com/).

003.b. supernaturalism is profoundly science-ejected (see http://sciencerejectssupernaturalism0000.blogspot.com/).

004. therein, the kind of science this is is the nonscientific kind!!! Where is what's labeled essentially scientific not essentially scientific by a long shot...

UB naturopathy, a land of nonsense -- and a form of epistemic fraud.

Decoding CNDA & JFP's 'Essential Naturopathic Science-Ejected Vitalism Premise' Via CNDA Officers & JFP Authors:

two naturopathy-advocating sources are not being all that transparent / professionally ethical when it comes to communicating that which is 'the essentially naturopathic': a) the California Naturopathic Doctors Association [CNDA]; b) the Journal of Family Practice [JFP]. Both are coding naturopathy's science-ejected vitalism premise while posturing that naturopathy survives doctoral-level scientific scrutiny and meets professions-level ethical stringency. So, I thought I'd step up to the plate and decode these deceptions:

001. CNDA states their dedication to naturopathy's principles / premises [coded, opaquely-expressed], refers us to the JFP, and states naturopathy's supposed science-status and HPN/VMN core-foundation:

001.a. at their homepage:

"the CNDA is dedicated to advancing the principles of naturopathic medicine [...] read 'Naturopathic Medicine: What Can Patients Expect?' [2005] published in and posted with the permission of the Journal of Family Practice."

001.b. in "Frequently Asked Questions":

"question: what is a naturopathic doctor? [ND] Answer: [...] naturopathic doctors [...] are uniquely trained to provide a comprehensive and integrated approach to assist your body's innate healing processes [BIHP, coded vitalism premise...] training consists of a comprehensive study of the conventional medical sciences [...] in their last two years of their intensive clinical training, they[NDs] learn how to integrate the principles of naturopathic medicine into clinical practice."

001.c. in "Naturopathic Medicine - The Basics":

"naturopathic doctors [...their] training consists of comprehensive study of the conventional medical sciences [...] naturopathic doctors are guided by six principles: first, do no harm; the healing power of nature [HPN premise]; find the cause; treat the whole person; preventive medicine; and, doctor as teacher. This set of principles, emphasized throughout a naturopathic doctor's training, outlines the philosophy guiding the naturopathic approach to health and healing and forms the foundation of this distinct health care practice [...] Hippocrates, a Greek physician who lived 2400 years ago, first formulated the concept of vis medicatrix naturae -- 'the healing power of nature' [HPN=VMN]. This concept has long been at the core of medicine in many cultures around the world and remains one of the central themes of naturopathic philosophy today."

Note on 001.: principles, principles, principles; BIHP core; supposed ND science-expertise; HPN/VMN core / central theme.

002. more opacity / coding, and ND science-expertise claims in the JFP article CNDA refers us to:

002.a. in "Naturopathic Medicine: What Can Patient's Expect?" [PMID: 16321345; vol. 54, no. 12 / Dec. 2005; also here] the authors -- ND luminaries of the naturopathic 'profession' including Pizzorno, Snider, Mittman, Dunne -- state:

"practice principles of naturopathic medicine [...] naturopathic medical practice is based upon the premise that it is intrinsic to the nature of living organisms to heal [coded vitalism...] Western medicine rarely [!!!] takes into consideration the inherent organizing forces underlying known physiologic processes [vitalism, coded...] naturopathic medicine calls this primary principle the vis medicatrix naturae, or the healing power of nature [p.1067...] these practice principles form the foundation of the naturopathic approach to health and healthcare [p.1070...] comparison of average number of hours of basic sciences [...] naturopathic [...that is, NDs] 1125 [...] allopathic [...that is, MDs] 1079 [...lot's of ND] basic and diagnostic sciences [...and ND] clinical sciences [p.1072i...] references [...#4] Hough H, Dower C, O’Neil E. Profile of a Profession: Naturopathic Practice. San Francisco, Calif: Center for the Health Professions, University of California, San Francisco; 2001:27 [p.1072]."

Note: principles; "organizing forces underlying" / VMN/HPN foundation; claimed science-expertise; Hough, Dower, O'Neil 2001.

003. what is naturopathy's VMN/HPN & CNDA's BIHP/VMN/HPN, precisely?

003.a. via CNDA President Dr. Arlan Cage, ND:

003.a1. CNDA states in "About the CNDA":

"CNDA's Board of Directors: Dr. Arlan Cage ND, LAc - President, Professional Development Chair."

Note: Cage is a 2002 SCNM ND graduate.

003.a.2. Cage writes about naturopathy's essential vitalism in "Introduction to Naturopathic Philosophy" (2006 archived page):

"naturopathic medicine is based on the philosophy of vitalism: that all living beings possess an intelligent, living energy which gives us an innate ability to heal. Naturopathic medicine, based in European traditions, calls this energy the vital force. Oriental medicine traditions call it the qi; ayurvedic medicine from India refers to it as prana [...] the vital force constitutes a natural wisdom of the body which constantly works to restore health to the human system -- in essence a living, intelligent, feedback control system. Naturopathic medicine is designed to work with this inherent healing ability."

Note: vitalism galore. Visit here (2003 archive.org save) for the essential, requisite vitalism of SCNM, his alma mater: "the healing power of nature [...aka] vis medicatrix naturae [...aka] chi [...aka] prana [...aka] vital force [...which is] the essence of naturopathic medicine."

003.b. via Hough, Dower, & O'Neil's "Profile of a Profession: Naturopathic Practice"[2001] (click here), whom the JFP paper references, who state:

"the naturopathic physician develops a specific written health plan for each patient which is [...] based on naturopathic principles of healing: a. stimulating the patient's vital force to promote healing or, in special instances, supplementing or replacing the action of the vital force [p.091...] vis medicatrix naturae or [aka] vital force [p.093...and we are told] the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), the primary professional association for naturopathic physicians, defines naturopathic medicine as [...a] 'science [...and] naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles upon which its practice is based. These principles are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances [p.007]."

Note: so, we have the AANP claim that vitalism -- the essentially naturopathic [in all its guises] -- survives continuous scientific scrutiny and that naturopathy has the status of a profession.

003.c. via Snider, P. (ND Bastyr 1982) co-author of the JFP paper and 'gratefully acknowledged' by Hough et al., who states:

003.c1. in "1991 AANP Convention - Into The Light" [see Townsend Letter #105 {April 1992}, p.260-2]:

"we believe in the vital force, which has inherent organization, is intelligent and intelligible [...] we have vis medicatrix naturae. Our way is to research the mystery and beauty of the life force, in which we have faith. Our power and our responsibility is to bring the life force into the light."

Note: belief & faith = a belief system / 'of the religious' / the sectarian!

003.c2. in "Naturopathic Physician on Her Career Choice: 'No Regrets'" [Townsend Letter Feb./ March 2005]:

"[via author Zablocki] naturopathic medicine relies on the vital life force within human beings and the healing power of nature."

004. naturopathy's vitalistic article of faith / belief, which is their basis and which they don't often express transparently and which they claim survives scientific scrutiny, is hugely science-ejected.

005. all the while, simultaneous to this falsehood / inanity, naturopathy claims 'professionalism':

005.a. CNDA states on their homepage:

"California Naturopathic Doctors Association (CNDA) is a professional association of naturopathic doctors (NDs) in California [...] naturopathic doctors are primary health care professionals."

Note: the word "profession", or versions thereof, occurs 19 times in the JFP article and 392 times in the UCSF article; while naturopathy is nonsense, arrived at through deception and science-illiteracy [and nonsense and deception are antithetical to 'that which is professional'].

OncANP - Oncology Based Upon Deceptively Labeled Fantasy:

the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians [AANP] has created an oncology board-certification [see 001., below]. Naturopathy is based upon the premise of vitalism [see 002., below], which is profoundly science-ejected [see 003., below] yet naturopathy claims to be scientific [see 004., below]. This is fantastical, irrational!!! [see 005., below]:

001. the AANP states in "Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians - About Us":

"the Oncology Academy of Naturopathic Physicians [OANP, is] the membership organization of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Inc. (OncANP) [...] a recognized affiliate of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians [...our] mission: to advance the philosophy [see 002., below], science [see 004., below], and practice of naturopathic oncology [...OncANP] has two main arms: [1] the Oncology Academy of Naturopathic Physicians -- the membership body of the OncANP; [2] the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology [ABNO] -- the body which will board certify naturopathic physicians in naturopathic oncology."

002. for naturopathy's essential vitalism figmentation premise, click here.

003. for references that state that vitalism has been PROFOUNDLY science-ejected for at least several decades, click here.

004. for naturopathy's scientific-status self-labeling, click here.

005. the math:

Where is the profoundly nonscientific falsely labeled scientific? Where is something as serious as oncology based upon fantastical figmentations and deceptive labeling?

Naturopathy...