There is great interest among the population in natural medical care with few harmful effects, especially in medicines that are as free as possible from adverse drug reactions (ADRs). In surveys with significant samples, up to 3/4 of respondents in Germany express this view (Jeitler et al., 2024; Gehrke, 2024).
Especially in pharmacies, the question of preparations with natural origins that are as free of harmful substances and side effects as possible is frequent: "Don't you have something herbal or homeopathic that can also help?" "Is there something alternative, something holistic that isn't so harmful?" "Do you have anything natural for losing weight?".
Older people, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and parents of young children do not want to hear repeated painkillers and antibiotics as the only answer to the question of therapeutic solutions for every occasion.
Less frequently, but more specifically, they also ask for regulative medicinal products for acid/alkaline balance, for intestinal cleansing or for detoxification or detoxification.
The range of naturopathic treatments offered by doctors and alternative practitioners, who specialise in alternative procedures such as micronutrient therapy, complex laboratory diagnostics, bowel cleansing etc. is expanding.
In addition, there are offerings of anthroposophic and homeopathic therapies with their own active ingredient preparations of complex and single remedies, as well as an extensive traditional phytotherapy. In the last 10 years, osteopathy has expanded and supplemented the traditional manual therapy and chiropractic diagnostic and therapeutic services. Practices specialising in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) occupy a separate area, and in larger cities there are also isolated offers for Ayurvedic medicine.
With all this interest and the overwhelming variety of offerings, there is a great deal of conceptual confusion. There is a lack of overarching health competence and appropriate management. Since thinking begins with the correct categorization of content, a differentiated structure will be presented here.
After a brief definition of naturopathy, an overview of the theory of traditional European naturopathy (TEN) and the models of its active principles is provided. The different approaches to conventional medicine are presented in comparison.
In the following brief overview, terms such as "alternative, complementary, integrative medicine", "outsider method", "naturopathy" and "special therapeutic directions" are defined and their common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are presented.
Finally, the legal status of naturopathic and alternative methods in Germany is explained. It is also planned to differentiate some of the important methods in more detail with regard to their possibilities, effectiveness models and areas of application. Where available, the current state of research will also be discussed.
Gehrke, M. (2024, March 20). Nutzung und Akzeptanz von Naturheilkunde und KIM in Deutschland. https://www.carstens-stiftung.de/nutzung-und-akzeptanz-von-naturheilkunde-und-kim-in-deutschland.html, accessed on April 17, 2025.
Jeitler, M., Ortiz, M., Brinkhaus, B., Sigl, M., Hoffmann, R., Trübner, M., Michalsen, A., Wischnewsky, M., & Kessler, C. S. (2024). Use and acceptance of traditional, complementary and integrative medicine in Germany—An online representative cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Medicine, 11, 1372924. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1372924