What is Holistic Medicine
What is Holistic Medicine
holistic alternative medicine
Holistic medicine is defined by the Canadian Holistic Medical Association as follows.
Holistic medicine is a system of care that promotes cooperation between all those involved, leading to achieving optimal physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health.
It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.
Suzan Walter, president of the American Holistic Health Association (ahha), put together an excellent summary of the principals of holistic health. The summary is available on the website ahha. For those unfamiliar with Holistic medicine, I encourage strongly encouraged to read this short summary.
Other conditions associated with Holistic Medicine
Alternative medicine is often used by the public and some health care providers to refer to medical techniques which are not known or accepted by the majority "conventional" or "allopathic" medical practitioners (usually MD's). Such techniques may include non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques such as Medical Herbalism, acupunture, homeopathy, Reiki, and many others. However, the term alternative medicine reference to any experimental drug or non-drug techniques that are not currently accepted by "conventional" medical practitioners. As non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques become popular and accepted by a large number of "conventional" practitioner, these techniques are no longer considered Alternative Medicine.
Alternative medicine refers to technologies that are not currently accepted by "conventional" practitioners, but what is currently accepted rapidly. Even the definition of "conventional practitioners" is rapidly changing. Therefore, the techniques that are now considered part of alternative medicine soon be a part of "conventional" medicine. The terms Holistic Healing and Holistic Medicine are slightly more stable than alternative medicine and is therefore preferable.
Complementary medicine is often used by "conventional" doctors to refer to non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques used as a complement to "conventional" medical treatments such as drugs and surgery. The term implies that the "conventional" medicine used as a primary tool and the non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques used in addition when needed.
In many cases, properly chosen non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical healing techniques and properly chosen lifestyle changes can completely and safely heal both acute and chronic diseases. In other cases, "conventional" medicine is only needed in emergencies or when the safer non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical methods fail. In some cases, "conventional" medicine will be an important part of a holistic healing plan, but in some cases is not needed at all.
Natural healing often refer to the use of non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical techniques to help heal the patient. When most people use the term Natural Healing, they often refer to physical healing techniques only.
Holistic medicine is a system of care that promotes cooperation between all those involved, leading to achieving optimal physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health.
It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.
Suzan Walter, president of the American Holistic Health Association (ahha), put together an excellent summary of the principals of holistic health. The summary is available on the website ahha. For those unfamiliar with Holistic medicine, I encourage strongly encouraged to read this short summary.
Other conditions associated with Holistic Medicine
Alternative medicine is often used by the public and some health care providers to refer to medical techniques which are not known or accepted by the majority "conventional" or "allopathic" medical practitioners (usually MD's). Such techniques may include non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques such as Medical Herbalism, acupunture, homeopathy, Reiki, and many others. However, the term alternative medicine reference to any experimental drug or non-drug techniques that are not currently accepted by "conventional" medical practitioners. As non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques become popular and accepted by a large number of "conventional" practitioner, these techniques are no longer considered Alternative Medicine.
Alternative medicine refers to technologies that are not currently accepted by "conventional" practitioners, but what is currently accepted rapidly. Even the definition of "conventional practitioners" is rapidly changing. Therefore, the techniques that are now considered part of alternative medicine soon be a part of "conventional" medicine. The terms Holistic Healing and Holistic Medicine are slightly more stable than alternative medicine and is therefore preferable.
Complementary medicine is often used by "conventional" doctors to refer to non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques used as a complement to "conventional" medical treatments such as drugs and surgery. The term implies that the "conventional" medicine used as a primary tool and the non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques used in addition when needed.
In many cases, properly chosen non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical healing techniques and properly chosen lifestyle changes can completely and safely heal both acute and chronic diseases. In other cases, "conventional" medicine is only needed in emergencies or when the safer non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical methods fail. In some cases, "conventional" medicine will be an important part of a holistic healing plan, but in some cases is not needed at all.
Natural healing often refer to the use of non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical techniques to help heal the patient. When most people use the term Natural Healing, they often refer to physical healing techniques only.