Table of Contents
What Is Holistic Medicine?
Holistic medicine means using natural treatments in place of drugs to address health and healing. The phrase originated in the 1800s and has been around throughout the years. Now, holistic care is one of the most popular ways for people to address their health, with many states passing new legislation that will allow any doctor to offer it as an option.
This is a break from standard medical care, which uses drugs to treat illnesses. Holistic medicine attempts to work with one’s immune system as well as the environment surrounding one in order to ward off or fight an illness.
While individual doctors will have different opinions on how best to help people heal, holistic doctors will usually be more aligned with the concept of prevention rather than recovery; their goal is to help a person keep healthy and maintain good health. A holistic approach can incorporate medical, nutritional, psychological, and healing practices working together.
What Does Holistic Medicine Include?
Holistic medicine is a wide-ranging term that can be used to describe many different treatments, and some doctors will incorporate more than one of these into the treatment process. They may help with things like:
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Physical Healing
Physical health problems can be addressed with herbs, vitamins, food supplements, or acupuncture, among other methods.
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Nutrition
They can help with problems like anemia or dietary concerns when used in conjunction with traditional medical care.
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Meditation
Some holistic doctors teach meditation, stress reduction, and other ways to lower the likelihood of illness.
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Acupuncture
This physically invasive therapy is meant to unblock the flow of energy through the body or remove negative energy from a person’s system.
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Massage Therapy
A massage therapist can help relax muscle tension or rid a person of headaches with physical manipulations.
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Mindful Awareness
Holistic health practitioners will often include some form of mindful awareness exercise, like meditation, in order to help patients relax and reduce stress.
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Essential Oils
These are used, among other treatments, to help with digestive issues. – Supplements – Herbs and vitamins are still a part of holistic health care today, and they’ve been used throughout history to fight disease.
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Religious Beliefs or Practice
Many holistic doctors incorporate religious beliefs or practices into their treatment because of how important they are in many people’s lives. For instance, many Wiccan doctors are holistic doctors that incorporate various forms of meditation into their treatment plans.
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Mind-Body Connection
This is the idea that the mind and body are inseparable and rely on one another in order to be healthy. Some practitioners use exercises to help participants develop their relationship with their bodies and learn how to release negative emotions.
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Positive Psychology
Holistic health practitioners use positive psychology techniques like meditation or journaling because these approaches help a person feel better while also improving their physical and mental health.
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Counseling
Holistic doctors may utilize counseling as a part of their treatment plan if the patient would prefer it to traditional medical care.
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Exercise
Exercising is a lifestyle change, so it plays a major role in holistic medicine by helping people lead healthier lives.
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Emotional Healing
The mind-body connection and emotional healing are often intertwined, so holistic doctors will likely incorporate one into the treatment plan for patients who are struggling with an emotional issue.
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Homeopathy
This is one of the oldest systems of holistic medicine, and traditional homeopathic doctors are some of the most common today. Some homeopathic doctors will give patients remedies that go beyond traditional medicine, while others emphasize natural healing through herbs and vitamins. This approach is often used to treat common problems like allergies or headaches.
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Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a medical treatment in itself, so it’s not surprising that many holistic doctors incorporate this practice into their treatment plans. The idea is to use meditation and visualization to help patients manage their stress and anxiety. – Chiropractic – Holistic doctors may recommend chiropractic care for their patients since this treatment helps people with spinal dysfunctions. This can be a good option for people with chronic pain or postural problems.
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Nutritional Therapy
Some holistic doctors believe that treating certain health conditions requires using specific supplements to balance a patient’s diet, while others opt for natural treatments using herbs or vitamins.
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Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat various health problems, so it’s not surprising that modern holistic doctors utilize this practice as part of their treatment plans.
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Aromatherapy
Some holistic doctors will also recommend essential oils to help relieve stress and treat anxiety. Of course, if you’re looking to use aromatherapy, you should talk to your doctor about what to use and how much.
The Breathing and Relaxation Program makes a valuable contribution to the management of stress, anxiety, and depression. You will probably find that it is both relaxing and energizing. It is also an effective treatment for insomnia or other sleep disorders. The program helps you improve your ability to relax and focus your thoughts. It promotes physical health and energy, as well as emotional stability.
When you have a medical problem, you probably seek out a medical doctor who treats the symptoms with anti-inflammatory drugs, negative side effects, and high cost. Research shows that there is now an alternative way to treat inflammation – without drugs or surgery and with no negative side effects.
This method is Inflammation Reduction, which is a non-invasive and natural way to treat inflammation, the underlying cause of many illnesses.