Integrative medicine is often considered holistic medicine. It claims to blend the conventional and complementary treatment approach when treating the patient. It is prudent to note that holistic medicine uses many approaches, which have not been studied in detail. There have been several instances where the individuals, who sought holistic medicine, have suffered more harm than good.
Holistic medicine is a form of healing that believes diseases occur when the body, mind, spirit, and emotions are not in equilibrium. According to the American Holistic Health Association, practitioners must consider the following points during diagnosis and treatments:
- Physical factors
- Nutritional factors
- Environmental factors
- Emotional factors
- Spiritual factors
- Lifestyle factors
How is holistic medicine different from alternative medicine?
Holistic medicine is different from alternative medicines in the following ways:
- It promotes the overall body wellness over curing a specific symptom.
- Treats the person rather than a specific illness or injury.
- They consider mind-body-spirit as one entity.
- Disharmony to mind, body, or spirit may cause a disease or injury.
- It is a way of life.
Holistic medicine may be used complementarily to conventional medicines and not as the sole treatment.
What are the principles of holistic medicine?
Holistic medicine is based on the belief that unconditional love and support would heal all illnesses and injuries. It also emphasizes that the person is ultimately responsible for their health and wellbeing. Other principles of holistic medicine include the following:
- All people have innate healing power.
- A patient is a person, not a disease.
- Treatment aims at fixing the cause of the condition and not just reducing symptoms.
- Holistic practitioners work in close association with the patient to understand them better.
- Holistic management includes recommendations for lifestyle, self-care, and avoiding conventional medicines and procedures when possible.
What are the different types of treatments involved in holistic medicine?
Holistic practitioners involve utilizing a variety of treatment techniques to help patients attain wellbeing and optimal health. The holistic approaches to treatment include:
Herbal medicine
- Homeopathy
- Acupuncture
- Manual medicine
- Biomolecular therapies
- Physical therapy
- Chiropractic care
- Naturopathy
Patients are educated on lifestyle changes and self-care to promote wellbeing. Some of the lifestyle changes include:
Sometimes western medications and surgical procedures may also be employed by the practitioners.
SLIDESHOW
The 14 Most Common Causes of Fatigue See SlideshowWhat are the benefits of holistic medicine?
There are several benefits of holistic medicine due to its approach to the management of disease, which includes:
- It claims to avoid the side-effects of many medications.
- It claims to avoid relapse because holistic medicine works to find out the root cause.
- It is often a whole lifestyle change and not a quick fix.
- It claims to choose the noninvasive methods.
- More consultation time with the practitioners.
- It offers people an avenue to take more control of their health and wellness.
- It improves the patient’s flow of life force energy.
- It is patient-centric.
What should you keep in mind when choosing a holistic provider?
It must be noted that natural remedies do not always mean “safe.” Practices, such as acupuncture, have been known to cause infections if not done properly. The herbal medicines often contain heavy metals, which may damage the kidneys, the liver, and the heart. Holistic medicine cannot replace conventional medicine in cases of cancer or chronic diseases, such as diabetes.
In cases of children who suffer from autism, dyslexia, speech therapy, and physiotherapy are better alternatives to homeopathy.
Here are some tips to follow before approaching a holistic practitioner:
- Choose a practitioner who is ready to spend enough time with you to understand you better.
- Consult a practitioner who prefers to ask you the right questions to get to know you better.
- Consider a practitioner who makes you feel comfortable.
- Do your research before consulting a practitioner. Do not just consult any random health care provider.
- Always consult a board-certified holistic medical practitioner.
- You can visit the American Holistic Medical Association website to find out the holistic practitioner in your area.
Wang C. What Is Holistic Medicine? Acupuncture and Massage College. https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/what-is-holistic-medicine
Top What is considered holistic medicine? Related Articles
Cholesterol Drugs Slides
When diet and exercise aren't enough, should you turn to drugs? Learn cholesterol basics, drug classes, and available drugs along with their benefits and side effects.
Common Medical Abbreviations & Terms
Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include:
- ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
- ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
- cap: Capsule.
- CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
- DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
- DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- HA: Headache
- IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- JT: Joint
- N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
- p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
- q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
- RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
- SOB: Shortness of breath.
- T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."
Drug Interactions: What Foods, Drugs, Herbs Affect Medications?
What foods, drugs, and herbal supplements interact with your pharmaceuticals? Learn about grapefruit and other common drug interactions to medications like warfarin, tramadol, Zoloft, trazodone, gabapentin, melatonin, Xanax, Lexapro, lithium, Lisinopril, Mucinex, and more.