[Does there exist one specific "view of man" in naturopathy / complementary medicine?].
BACKGROUND
Practitioners and users of naturopathic therapies claim that one of the assumptions underlying their work is a holistic "view of man".


OBJECTIVE
Does there exist one specific view of man in present naturopathy and what does this mean?


METHODS
Database and literature research of use and meaning of the term "view of man" and descriptive analysis.


RESULTS
The term "view of man" is neither timeless nor related to a specific subject area. Its meaning is connected with the state of knowledge of the respective epoch as well as its reception in science and society. The discourse concerning the term "view of man" in the 2nd half of the 20th century in German literature shows, that in different fields the argumentation about one specific view of man shifts towards a pluralistic understanding of man. This pluralistic view about man exists in medicine as well. On the one hand conventional medicine, a long time under influence of the reductionism of natural science, has widened its worldview due to methods and questions of different disciplines such as psychosomatics, psychotherapy or social medicine towards a more complex perception of man. On the other hand Traditional European Naturopathy (TEN) too, claims to respect aspects of the "body-mind-soul-unity" in its understanding of man; yet, in connection with its hardly ever explained "natural forces". Besides the findings in literature clinical experience with our patients reveals some aspects that are characteristic of today's pluralistic naturopathic understanding of man and could also be useful for conventional medicine: recognition of patients' expectations (e.g. subjective view of illness), participation in the therapy planning (e.g. construction of how to get healthy) and naturopathic modes of therapy (e.g. start of therapy at healthy parts of the body, too).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite some characteristics in naturopathy one finds variations of views or images of man, which originate from multiple subjective and socio-cultural perspectives of patients and therapists and which require, next to medical knowledge, on both sides openness and communication regarding aspects of health, illness and therapeutic settings.
Melzer
Jörg
J
Institut für Naturheilkunde, Depart. für Innere Medizin, Universitätspital Zürich, Ramistrasse 100, 1091 Zürich, Switzerland. joerg.melzer@usz.ch
Saller
Reinhard
R
D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005858:Germany; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D009324:Naturopathy / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D012106:Research; D009626:Terminology as Topic