The holistic approach in medicine is mainly achieved through the complementary or alternative therapies and medicine. They provide the non-conventional ways to relieve the symptoms and improve the quality of life. They include the use of acupuncture, herbal medicine, oriental massage, ayurvedic medicines, homeopathic medicines and naturopathic medicines.
The holistic approach in medicine is based on holistic stimulus. Holistic stimulus is the stimulus to the body to persuade it to heal itself. That is, patient's body is stimulated to continue with the job of healing.
There are many holistic stimuli in holistic approaches such as eating habits, stress release and regular exercise. Food is an important raw material for the body to regenerate itself. Hence a change in eating habits can result in major changes in health and amelioration of symptoms.
Stress is the main cause of many illnesses such as the irritable bowel syndrome, stomach ulcers, chronic headaches and high blood pressure. Meditation, breathing techniques, relaxation tapes and autogenic training are some of the effective stress releasing techniques in holistic approaches.
Regular exercise usually results in an improvement in many of the symptoms and it also makes the patients feel fitter and vibrant in themselves. Yoga is one of the effective forms of physical education in holistic approach that stimulates heart, lungs, muscles and other internal organs of the body. Renewed energy and positive attitude are the essential holistic stimulus on the patient's body to activate the healing processes in holistic approaches.
Holistic medicines are the wellness-based approaches in medicine and it usually involve the analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. In all these holistic approaches in medicine, patients play an important role in applying the holistic stimulus to them. Holistic approaches in medicine usually include all the modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery.
A holistic approach in medicine stresses on education and responsibility by personal efforts to achieve balance and well-being. While assessing patient's body, holistic practitioners examine the nutritional status, exercise level, and environmental exposures of the patient. The aim of the holistic practitioner is to help the patient to find ways to become healthier and to enhance and strengthen the body's immune system. In contrast, conventional medicines have focused more on the treatment of the disease and the symptoms rather than the treatment of the person as a whole.
With rising incidences of non-curable diseases and illnesses as diagnosed by conventional medicines, more and more people are keen to seek a holistic approach in medicine to healing. It is good to know that many have reported successes.
As baby boomers we are reaching the time in our lives that we are analyzing where we are, how we got there, and where we want to go. For some of us we only begin to take a hard look at our life as we face a major life challenge. This may be the loss of a dream, a chronic illness, or even the death of a loved one; or it could be retirement.
Whatever the life challenge is it does not have to be all negative. Instead, consider the challenge as an opportunity for a positive change. As you carefully consider where you are in life you will no doubt be forced to reckon with the fact that life is precious and it should be treated with respect.
That means living in a way that promotes health and happiness with an all around positive mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Wow, that sounds awesome, but it also sounds like a tremendous challenge in itself. So how can you get started on that quest?
Since all facets of your being are going to be improved you will be taking a holistic approach. This simply means that rather than focusing on one aspect of your life you will consider all aspects as a whole; keeping in mind that one area of your life will have a definite impact on the others.
Most people want to begin with their physical health, and obviously this will be a major focus. When thinking about making improvements to your health a significant point of concern is a healthy diet. If you are over-weight you will want to shed the excess pounds. To do that you will want to utilize a holistic approach, which will consider for example, why you are over-weight.
It is easy to say that people gain weight because they eat too much and exercise too little, but a holistic approach will go much deeper than that. To begin, there may be a medical issue that led to the weight problem. If so that should be addressed right away. It may be that you eat out of boredom or stress...maybe you eat the right foods, just too much of them or they are eaten at the wrong times.
Perhaps you do not exercise because you do not have the energy. Is it possible that the lack of energy is related to a lack of sleep? Or maybe you are so busy that you find it difficult to incorporate exercise into your daily routines.
Because the ultimate goal is better health and happiness you may also consider reading some personal development or self-improvement books. A positive attitude will go a long ways toward making you a happier person. Learn about the Laws of Attraction and limit contact with negativity.
You may find that the later years of life are the best years of your life!
Both Evelyn Lim & Debbie Allen are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.