Have you heard the term holistic health or holistic medicine before, but wondered what it is and how it works? You’re not alone. I’ve been doing my own research about a holistic approach to medicine and the philosophy makes a lot of sense to me.
A holistic approach to wellness focuses on the whole person – body, mind, spirit and emotions – in the journey for optimal health. The philosophy states that achieving the best possible health is dependent upon keeping these in balance. Practitioners of holistic medicine believe that our physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing is dependent on one another. If one isn’t working properly the remaining parts will be affected.
Holistic practitioners use all forms of health care, from traditional medication to alternative, natural therapies. While naturopathy (or natural remedies such as herbal medicine or acupuncture) is a type of holistic medicine, holistic practitioners typically also use conventional medication and treatments as well. Holistic practitioners use a variety of techniques, including education on lifestyle changes and self-care for wellness (diet, exercise, psychotherapy, relationship and spiritual counseling, etc.) in conjunction with alternative complementing therapies (acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, homeopathy and naturopathy) and traditional medication or surgery.
My fiancé, Larry, is a D.O., which means he is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. It’s the equivalent to an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) with all of the same training and licensing, however, a D.O. is additionally trained in manual medicine (manipulation of tissue and joints). An osteopathic doctor uses a whole-body approach to their patients and believes that all body parts and systems are connected and affect one another when it comes to health and healing. While him and I agree on the connected body philosophy and approach to medicine, Larry has a harder time getting onboard with some of the natural remedies and treatments I continue to find and try. He can agree that some non-medical approaches are well researched, but others, like IV vitamin treatments, have little to no scientific evidence to support real health benefits.
At its core, holistic medicine is based on the concept that the “patient is a person, not a disease,” and I would say that is the root of my biggest frustration with my own health journey. Medicine is taught based on statistics, and so treatment is based on data that shows what works for most people – “most” being the important word. If anyone overheard my and Larry’s lengthy discussions on healthcare, most of them are centered around the fact that health and medicine should take an individualized approach and yet feel connected. In my opinion, diagnostics in traditional medicine feels incredibly disconnected from the patient perspective. Personally, I have bounced from one specialist to another trying to rule out other health issues, and it feels like you are starting from scratch with each one. All too often, I leave doctor’s appointments feeling rushed, dismissed and completely misunderstood. I’m tired of taking medication to treat symptoms when no one wants to acknowledge or treat the condition causing my symptoms. No one seems to want to look at the bigger picture, but that’s precisely what a holistic practitioner will do.
For example, a person suffering from migraines may be prescribed medication from a traditional doctor, but a holistic practitioner will want review all the things in that patient’s life that could be causing the migraines (like other health problems, diet and sleep habits, stress and personal problems, as well as the patient’s spiritual practices). While a holistic practitioner will also most likely prescribe medication to treat the migraines, they will additionally discuss lifestyle changes with the patient to prevent the migraines from returning.
It's important to acknowledge that even though some holistic practitioners do hold medical degrees and are licensed (such as Integrative M.D. physicians, Naturopathic N.D. doctors, Osteopath D.O. physicians, and Chiropractors D.C.), not all are considered medical doctors (such as ayurvedic doctors in the US or traditional Chinese medical practitioners) , but do have a place on the interdisciplinary team for your health and wellbeing.
If you’re interested in finding a holistic practitioner, visit the American Holistic Health Association website to find one local to you. Like with any new doctor, it’s important to find someone who is reputable, knowledgeable, trustworthy, and a good fit for you. Make sure you feel comfortable, and that you leave your appointment feeling listened to, respected and heard.
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