Holistic medicine is a
treatment philosophy that promotes a co-operative relationship amongst
all those involved in health care, with the goal of achieving optimal
physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health.
It strives to help the individual to achieve the highest level of
functioning and a sense of well-being regardless of the presence or
absence
of illness or disease, resulting in a more balanced and harmonious life
that is lived as fully and completely as possible
Often the terms “alternative medicine”, “complimentary medicine”,
“natural medicine” or “preventative medicine” are synonymous with
holistic medicine, as each of these treatment philosophies centers on
treating you as a whole person, rather than addressing an isolated
condition or body part.
Holistic medicine encompasses a wide range of treatment options, which
include pharmaceutical drugs and surgical procedures, but only after
other options have been exhausted. The emphasis is
on making changes in lifestyle that promote health, empowering you
through education and by encouraging you to assume responsibility for
your health.
The patient and the practitioner will work together as a team to create
the most effective treatment plan. This partnership between the patient
and practitioner is the cornerstone of holistic medicine.
How can holistic medicine help me?
Increasingly, patients are becoming frustrated with the restricted
approach of traditional medicine. If you live with chronic illness or
pain, you may feel that the medical team who is supposed to be
supporting you has run out of answers. For some, the route of
surgery
and pharmaceuticals is simply not an option. For others, they've
already tried the traditional route without any relief or may have even
developed a worsening of conditions. Choosing a holistic treatment
option takes the power out of the hands of your doctor and
pharmaceutical companies and offers you a wider range of treatment
options.
By choosing holistic medicine, you will be encouraged to take an active
role in your treatment and you will be invited to work with a health
care practitioner to make informed decisions about managing your
condition. Even if you do not currently suffer from a medical
complaint, holistic medicine offers you the opportunity to take control
of your health care path.
What treatments does holistic medicine offer?
One of the greatest advantages of holistic medicine is the range of
treatments that you can utilize to attain and maintain a higher quality
of emotional, spiritual and physical health. Holistic doctors
recognizes the value of more traditional medical approaches, but also
offers you the chance to combine these with treatment options such as
acupressure or acupuncture, homeopathy, nutritional counseling and
supplementation, chiropractic adjustments, dietary changes, herbal
remedies, aromatherapy, colon cleansing, oxygen therapies, yoga and
massage to name a few.
Each of these treatment modalities will have their own distinct program
and unique benefits, but they all have the goal of attempting to bring
harmony and balance to the body, mind and spirit.
Traditional treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms, while holistic
medicine focuses on addressing the underlying cause. It
encourages you to become informed and make your own choices.
Holistic treatments are designed to address the unique emotional,
biochemical and spiritual needs of each patient. Not
everyone with the same illness or condition has to follow the same
protocol. It will vary from person to person depending on many
different factors. Not everyone responds to the same
treatment in the same manner. What is successful or beneficial
for one may not hold true for another.
Holistic treatments fall into one of five
major categories;
1. Alternative medical systems
Alternative medical systems draw their influence from Eastern medicine,
including Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine and may include
procedures such as acupuncture and acupressure.
2. Mind-body interventions
Mind-body therapies use techniques such as meditation, hypnotherapy or
cognitive-behavioral therapy to enhance the mind’s capacity to affect
bodily function.
3. Biologically-based therapies
Biological therapies invoke the use of substances found in nature, such
as herbs and vitamins to restore health and balance.
4. Manipulative and body based therapies
Manipulative therapies, such as osteopathy and chiropractics also form
the basis of some holistic medicine treatments.
5. Energy therapies
Finally, energy therapies such as Reiki, Yoga or Tai Chi can be used to
redirect your “chi” or life force and restore bodily balance.
Choosing Holistic Medicine
If you plan to continue traditional treatment of any kind, it's
extremely important to make your holistic medical provider aware of
this and to inform your current medical provider that you are exploring
holistic alternatives. Each health care provider needs to be in
the loop on any and all treatment approaches you may engage in to
provide you with the best care possible and protect your health.
In some cases, such as with the prescription of herbal supplements,
your traditional treatment may be importantly affected by your holistic
medicine and vice versa. Interactions between drugs and herbs or
overmedication can occur in some instances if not monitored correctly.
Ultimately, the best choice, if possible, for those interested in
holistic medicine is to find a medical provider who can address all
your medical needs. Someone like a
holistic medical doctor who
practices alternative medicine or a clinic that has many different
treatment modalities in one place. However, this is not always
possible, so be sure to keep the lines of communication open at all
times with your providers and encourage your individual providers to
interact and communicate with each other as well.
