Naturopathic principles in chiropractic practice

By combining chiropractic’s structural expertise with naturopathic wisdom and modern regenerative technologies, doctors can deliver care that resolves complaints while building long-term resilience and vitality.

Healthcare is continually evolving, and an increasing number of patients seek drug-free, noninvasive solutions. Patient access to information has increased significantly in recent history with the internet, social media platforms, online support groups and other resources. This article examines chiropractic and naturopathic medicine, as both are uniquely poised to provide healthcare for the burgeoning patient population seeking alternatives to polypharmacy and surgery.

A common foundation: Support the body’s healing power

Chiropractic and naturopathic medicine share deep historical and philosophical roots as drugless healing professions. Both arose in response to the limitations and adverse effects of pharmaceutical-based care, with a primary focus on the body’s innate capacity to heal itself. In chiropractic, this is expressed through innate intelligence and nervous system integrity.

Naturopathy centers on the healing power of nature. For both, these concepts affirm the same truth: The human body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism when obstacles are removed. Other principles of naturopathy include doing no harm, identifying and treating underlying causes, emphasizing the doctor as teacher, treating the whole person and focusing on prevention. These principles all align very well with chiropractic philosophy.

The naturopathic profession more than doubled from 2000 to 2016, to an estimated 5,000 licensed practitioners in the US. National surveys show 0.2% of US adults used naturopathy in 2002, and 1.3% used it in 2022. There are about 70,000 licensed chiropractors in the US, seeing roughly 35 million patients annually.

Chiropractors excel at correcting spinal misalignments, joint dysfunction and nerve interference through precise adjustments. Through various chiropractic adjusting techniques, accomplished either by hand or by use of adjusting instruments, nerve interference is removed and the body’s innate intelligence is allowed to restore health.

Naturopathic approaches address nutritional deficiencies, chronic inflammation, detoxification pathways and lifestyle factors. Tools used include clinical nutrition and dietary guidance, botanical or herbal medicine, lifestyle counseling, stress management and physical medicine including manipulation or hydrotherapy.

Both disciplines prioritize root-cause analysis over symptom suppression. A patient presenting with chronic neck pain may show clear postural strain and segmental dysfunction, yet contributing factors often include poor sleep, systemic inflammation, micronutrient imbalances or elevated stress. Both professions correct the mechanical and neurological components directly while simultaneously supporting the internal terrain. This integrated strategy consistently produces faster, more in-depth and longer-lasting results than either approach alone.

Chiropractors and naturopathic physicians reject the compartmentalization common in conventional medicine. The spine does not function in isolation from digestive health, immune signaling or endocrine balance. In chronic conditions, structural, biochemical and neurological factors are deeply interconnected. How frustrating it is for both professions to examine the patient with a problem such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy who has been to a podiatrist whose scope of practice only allows treatment of the foot to the ankle.

Seeing the patient as a whole person allows both the chiropractor and naturopath to take a big-picture approach to systemic health conditions such as peripheral neuropathy. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects roughly 50% of those with diabetes. The diabetic patient with neuropathy symptoms in the toes and feet will benefit from dietary advice, specific nutritional supplementation and therapies such as Class IV laser therapy treatments delivered to the origination of the lower extremity peripheral nerves in the low back and continuing along the peripheral nerve pathways distally in the lower extremity.

Tools for accelerated healing

Many progressive chiropractic and naturopathic clinics now integrate Class IV laser therapy and shockwave therapy. These modalities align closely with naturopathic principles by enhancing the body’s own repair mechanisms. Class IV laser therapy increases mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, boosts nitric oxide, improves tissue oxygenation and modulates inflammation. Class IV laser therapy treatments can be effective as stand-alone treatments, but when paired with spinal adjustments or other modalities the outcomes can be even better.

Shockwave therapy delivers targeted mechanical pulses that stimulate mechanotransduction, break up adhesions, enhance blood flow and trigger healing cascades. It is especially effective for chronic tendinopathies, myofascial restrictions and stalled tissue repair. Shockwave can break down fibrous scar tissue from old injuries. This scar tissue could have been causing pain and had an adverse effect on movement patterns, further complicating the patient’s condition by creating new problems elsewhere in the body.

When used together, Class IV laser and shockwave shift tissues from a degenerative state into active regeneration. They reduce pain and guarding, stimulate collagen remodeling and create the cellular conditions needed for complete healing, perfectly complementing chiropractic adjustments and a naturopathic lifestyle.

Where chiropractic and naturopathy converge

Chiropractic care is uniquely effective at restoring motion, reducing nerve interference and improving biomechanics. Naturopathic principles help establish the optimal internal environment through nutrition, stress management and natural therapies where those corrections can translate into sustained healing.

Recognizing these synergies does not blur professional lines; it clarifies each discipline’s contribution. Chiropractic, founded by D.D. Palmer in 1895, remains a drug-free, hands-on approach centered on nervous system integrity. Naturopathy, formalized by Benedict Lust in the early 1900s, emphasizes nature’s healing power through lifestyle, nutrition and natural therapeutics. In collaborative and integrative practices, the shared philosophy of treating causes, educating patients and respecting physiological limits strongly resonates with today’s patients seeking noninvasive, nonpharmaceutical solutions.

Final thoughts

Integrating naturopathic principles does not require DCs to become naturopaths. It means expanding clinical thinking to include the internal environment in which healing occurs. Practical steps include deeper lifestyle discussions, targeted nutritional guidance, stress management tools and judicious use of supportive technologies such as Class IV laser and shockwave therapy.

Patients who understand the “why” behind their care become more engaged, compliant and likely to refer others. In an era of overtreatment and polypharmacy, this root-cause, whole-person approach positions chiropractic as a cornerstone of natural healthcare.

The future of both professions lies in this synergy.

Nathaniel Shober, ND, is a renowned naturopathic doctor and the visionary founder of Greystone Regenerative Medicine in Concord, New Hampshire. He earned his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University in Washington. He completed his undergraduate studies in education and anthropology at Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit greystoneregenmed.com/dr-nathaniel-shober.

Phil Harrington, DC, is recognized worldwide as a leading expert in Class IV laser therapy. He has dedicated his career to researching, promoting and refining the use of Class IV laser therapy, helping establish it as a scientifically credible and effective treatment modality. For more information, visit summuslaser.com.