Holistic health is not new, it has been around for thousands of years. It is just new to our health care system. It refers to the theory that whole entities such as human beings have an existence and a reality greater than the sum of their parts. Achieving and maintaining good health involves much more than just taking care of all the various components that make up the physical body.
When the concepts of holistic health are put into practice within the health care system, the approach to therapy takes on a new dimension. We see traditional medical care expanded to encompass a broad spectrum of therapies coordinated to meet that totality of a particular individual. The focus then is not just on the disease but the whole person.
The role of the patient changes in learning how choices, actions and attitudes affect the present condition, and how one can be an active participant in the healing process.
The goal is not just to be “well” in the physical body, but also to be in harmony with our environment and ourselves at all levels, body, mind, spirit and soul. Also, life-style, social responsibility and relationships are taken into consideration when creating the optimum health that Holistic is about.
The Holistic approach to health care is quite different. This philosophy states that you become sick when emotional, psychological, or spiritual stresses become overwhelming and weaken the immune system. Holistic medicine works by finding the cause of the stress in the patient's life, helping the patient cope with that stress, and supporting the body's natural healing process with things like proper nutrition, herbal supplementation, and other non-invasive techniques. The treatment always boosts the body's natural ability to heal itself.
Some refer to holistic medicine as "alternative" medicine, as in an alternative to traditional medicine. According to Carolyn Myss and Norman Shealy in their book "Creation of Health," the term "alternative" should actually apply to the various
The term "holistic" does not refer to a technique. It is an approach to health and healing that emphasizes the connection between mind, body, and spirit. The body is treated as a whole, with each state working in tandem with the others. Holistic Health requires a commitment to the healing process. It is not a quick fix; pop a pill, and go home. You're cured. It is a continuous striving toward optimal health, not just the absence of sickness.
The holistic approach empowers the patient to accept responsibility for his/her own health and treatment. The healthcare provider forms a partnership with the patient so that together they can develop the best possible treatment plan for the patient.