ND Awad of PANP and the 'Science-Based Coded Science-Ejected' - NDNR 2011-01

here, I cite from a recent Naturopathic Doctor News and Review [NDNR] interview of ND Awad President of the PANP [see 001., below]; and the PANP [see 002., below]; then, I decode [see 003., below]:

001. Awad, R.R. (ND Bastyr 2006) states:

001.a. in "The Pennsylvania Association of Naturopathic Physicians"(NDNR, 2011-01):

"the PANP is dedicated to advancing the principles of naturopathic medicine [p.024...]  I believe in the principles of naturopathic medicine and see the PANP’s purpose as essential to the tenets of treat the whole person, doctor as teacher, and prevention [p.025]."

Note: principles, principles, principles!  Interesting that ND Awad's tenets do not include HPN-VMN, naturopathy's central tenet, at least in this account.  So, the doctor isn't being a good teacher!

001.b. in "AANP Definition of Naturopathic Medicine" [vsc 2010-06-18]:

"naturopathic medicine is a [...] science [...] naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles which underlie and determine its practice. These principles are based upon the objective observation of the nature of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances. Methods used are consistent with these principles [...] naturopathic physicians are primary health care practitioners, whose diverse techniques include modern and traditional, scientific and empirical methods."

Note: so, there's the broad "science" claim upon the principles of naturopathy, aka that the principles survive scientific scrutiny.

Now, the first principle is described, on that page, as:

"1) the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae): the healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which establishes, maintains and restores health. Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent [teleological]. It is the naturopathic physician's role to support, facilitate and augment this process."

That's all we're told about this 'overarching #1 principle' by ND Awad.

002. PANP states in:

002.a. "Naturopathic Principles: AANP's Definition of Naturopathic Principles and Practice" [vsc 2011-01-08]:

"naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles which underlie and determine its practice. These principles are based upon the objective observation of the nature of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances."

Note: again, a science claim upon the principles of naturopathy aka 'the principles survive scientific scrutiny'.

Now, the first principle is described, in the page above, as:

"1) the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae): the healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which establishes, maintains and restores health. Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent [teleological]. It is the naturopathic doctor's role to support, facilitate and augment this process."

Again, that's all we're told about VMN-HPN.

I will say this plainly: the VMN-HPN principle is naturopathy's typical MO of coding -- and falsely labeling as science -- a belief known as vitalism that has been science-ejected for 100 years.

  But, we're not told the truth here.  Again, the doctor has failed as teacher.

This is the 'science-based coded science-ejected' naturopathic being falsely posed as able to survive scientific scrutiny.

003. a simple decoding of VMN-HPN via ND Awad's alma mater, Bastyr University [from the inside!]:

003.a. in "Courses: Naturopathic Medicine Program" (2001, ten years ago!)[vsc 2010-08-08]:

"NM5131 Naturopathic Clinical Theory [...] the therapeutic order is introduced. The vitalistic context of science-based, modern naturopathic medicine is emphasized [...] NM5136 The Vis Medicatrix Naturae [...] naturopathic medicine’s core clinical principle, the vis medicatrix naturae, is shared by traditional systems of medicine throughout the world. This course explores clinical research, writings and techniques from various systems of medicine which incorporate nature’s influence on healing, the nature of the healing processes, and the vital or life force [...] NM9118 Energetics of Natural Medicine [...] this course presents an analysis of the vital force."

Note: yes, that right, naturopathy is based upon the irrationality of 'the science-based vitalistic / science-ejected'.

 

  You just can't often get transparency concerning that absurdity.

Welcome Pennsylvania Association of Naturopathic Physicians - To the False Science Claims Fold:

here, I cite from the rather recent Pennsylvania Association of Naturopathic Physicans [PANP] web pages regarding naturopathy's supposed science credentials [see 001., below]; and then I show how coded their essential vitalism is [see 002., below]:

001. PANP writes in:

001.a. "Naturopathic Principles" [vsc 2010-07-26]:

"naturopathic medicine is a [...] science [...] naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles which underlie and determine its practice. These principles are based upon the objective observation of the nature of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in the light of scientific advances [...] naturopathic doctors [...] diverse techniques include [...] scientific and empirical methods."

Note: science, science, science.  Explicitly, PANP states that when current modern scientific rigors are visited upon naturopathy's ideas, the ideas survive legitimate scientific scrutiny.

001.b. "What Is Naturopathic Medicine?" [vsc 2010-07-26]:

"naturopathic medicine is a form of health care that blends old, proven remedies with new scientific knowledge and advancements [...] scientific research has shown that many medical conditions can be treated as effectively with food and nutritional supplements [...] a resurgence of scientific research in Europe and Asia is demonstrating that some plant substances are superior to synthetic drugs in clinical conditions."

Note: science, science, science.  Of course, there's huge illogic in stating that naturopathy survives rigorous scientific scrutiny and then stating that naturopathy is a blend of science and ________.  The 'old and proven' could very well not be scientifically supported and instead by scientifically refuted: take naturopathy's homeopathy for instance.  It is old, and it came about through 'provings.'  And it is bunk.

001.c. "Naturopathic Education" [vsc 2010-07-25]:

"NDs are trained in medical sciences [...] the seven naturopathic medical schools are as follows [...#7] National University of Health Sciences."

Note: when your science does not discriminate between what is science and what is not science, I don't think you were trained in all that much of any science.  Now, NUHS claims obviously by its name that its contents are science: so why is naturopathy within it?

002. of course, I can't find a transparent / honest description of naturopathy's essential science-ejected vitalistic context on the site at all:

002.a. instead, we get coding / opacity in PANP's "Naturopathic Principles" [vsc 2010-07-26]:

"naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles which underlie and determine its practice [...] 1) the healing power of nature (vis medicatrix naturae). The healing power of nature is the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which establishes, maintains and restores health. Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent. It is the naturopathic doctor's role to support, facilitate and augment this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health and recovery, and by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment [...] 3) first do no harm (primum non nocere) [...] naturopathic doctors respect and work with the vis medicatrix naturae in diagnosis, treatment and counseling, for if this self-healing process is not respected the patient may be harmed."

Note: no "life force" or "vital force" on this page.  Just the staunch claim that these ideas survive scientific scrutiny.  Supernatural spiritism is on there twice, though.  Well, coded or not, vitalism and supernaturalism do not survive scientific scrutiny.  To get the full monty, you have to go to a more established AANP State organization, like, say, Oregon.  There, you will get the transparent vitalism of naturopathy, plus the PANP-like false claim that such survives scientific scrutiny.

002.b. due to what's missing / opaque at PANP, I'll provide some balance:

naturopathy's essential vitalistic premise, falsely labeled science and coded usually -- as is the case with PANP --  is truly science-ejected and sectarian / cultic. Being that naturopathy does not distinguish a science-supported fact from a figmentatious article of faith, you may place yourself at considerable risk in visiting an ND as naturopathic mindsets and methods are quite -- absurd.