What Does It Mean to Take a Holistic Approach to Health?

In recent years, holistic medicine has become a trend in health care. When you hear the term “holistic,” you might naturally think of Eastern traditions, naturopathic medicine, and alternative therapies. In fact, all of these practices do incorporate a holistic approach to health. So, what does that mean?

Meaning of Holistic The word “holistic” refers to the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors rather than just the symptoms of a disease. Holistic medicine practitioners believe that there are many factors that affect your overall health and all of these are to be considered during the diagnosis process and with treatment approaches.

The Holistic Treatment Approach Holistic health incorporates both allopathic and alternative methods to examine and treat the whole person. Both Western and Eastern medicine techniques are used. Once a person’s overall constitution is determined, the practitioner will focus on wellness and disease prevention using traditional and complementary therapies that have been proven to work. The belief is that many aspects of the whole person contribute to the diagnosed illness or disease. This includes physical symptoms, mental condition, lifestyle, fitness routine, diet, living and work environments, and much more.

Treatment and Wellness Strategies Many holistic doctors are able to provide or recommend a variety of treatment options to address health conditions and promote overall wellness. These include traditional surgeries and medications, if appropriate. They might also include dietary recommendations, herbal and homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and even spiritual and psychological counseling. There really is no limit to the therapies that can address the health needs of the entire person. It isn’t simply to treat symptoms and send you on your way.

Wellness is the Goal The primary concern of a holistic medicine practitioner is to help you understand what is going on within your body and give you a variety of personalized tools to bring things back into equilibrium.

He or she will make sure that you are a vital part of the process of attaining wellness. This involves a symbiotic commitment on the parts of both the patient and the doctor. The practice aims to respect and honor the inherent healing abilities of the human body in a gentle and nurturing way using both mainstream and alternative therapies.