Naturopathy is an alternative medicine. The practice of this medicine include vegetarianism, nutritional counseling, hydrotherapy, heliotherapy, thalassotherapy, manual therapy, herbalism, acupuncture, aromatherapy, electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, musictherapy, chromotherapy, homeopathy and chiropractic.
Some important names in naturopathy are: Vincent Priessnitz (1799-1852), Theodor Hahn (1824-1883), Arnold Rikli (1823-1906), Sebastian Kneipp (1824-1897), Tadeo Wiesent (1858-1926), Wilhelm Winternitz, Benedict Lust (1872-1945), Eduardo Alfonso, Manuel Lezaeta, Adrian van der Put, Nicolás Capo and José Castro.
In 1902, Benedict Lust organized the Naturopathic Society of America, which was reorganized as the American Naturopathic Association (ANA) in 1919. [1] In America, licensing and training requirements vary from state to state. In some countries the practice of naturopathic medicine is unregulated or the industry is self regulated.