Holistic? Naturopathic? Allopathic? Confused? Part 1

You see the terms Holistic Medicine and Alternative Medicine a lot on the Internet today. They seem to be used interchangeably. But do you really understand the meaning of the terms? What is Holistic Medicine and how is it different from Traditional Medicine? It can be confusing.

The Holistic Approach to Medicine emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and spirit when considering treatment for an illness. The body as a whole is evaluated along with the person’s physical and spiritual environment.

The patient’s mental attitude about his health or disease is just as important as any physical treatment. A positive mental outlook will almost guarantee a positive outcome.

The Holistic Practitioner works with the patient to create a wellness program that supports the body’s natural ability to heal itself. The patient is encouraged to take charge of his own health, becoming responsible for working toward a life of optimal health and well-being.

Holistic Medicine is Natural Medicine that treats the cause of the disease. The symptoms are not just smothered with prescribed medication. The practitioner uses the symptoms as a roadmap that leads to the root cause of the disease. Once the cause of the disease is found, it can be eliminated.

Holistic Medicine falls under the umbrella of Naturopathy or Naturopathic Medicine. Naturopaths do not prescribe drugs. They use natural plants and plant extracts to treat and heal. Naturopaths use whatever therapy the individual patient needs to help the body boost its natural ability to heal itself.

By boosting the immune system, the body can become a fortress against invading diseases, viruses, and bacteria.

The ultimate goal of the Naturopath is the prevention of illness. Through education, the Naturopath hopes diet, herbal supplements, proper exercise, and a healthy living environment can prevent disease from occurring in the first place.

Natural, holistic therapies include:

Acupuncture,
Traditional Chinese Medicine, which focuses on Tui Na (a form of massage), Qigong, and diet,
Chiropractic,
Feng Shui,
Guided Imagery and Visualization,
Hydrotherapy,
Macrobiotics,
NLP- Neuro-Linguistic Programming,
Sound Healing/Music Therapy,
Homeopathy,
Medical Herbalism,
Aromatherapy, and
Reflexology.

The Holistic Practitioner may also use such techniques as Meditation and Self-Hypnosis to help the patient change or deal with lifestyle and environmental factors.

Ultimately the patient is educated to make lifestyle changes that will lead to optimal health and well-being. This state of health will prevent further illness from occurring. This is the goal of Holistic Medicine and Naturopathy: Prevention of disease.

Alternative Medicine usually refers to a method you would use instead of a traditional medical treatment, say diet, exercise, meditation, and massage therapy instead of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer.

Traditional medical doctors often refer to the “alternative” techniques they use in their practice, like Massage Therapy, as “complementary” to the drug and surgical procedures they regularly use.

So Complementary Medicine is used “along with” Traditional Medicine whereas Alternative Medicine is used “instead of” Traditional Medicine.

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