Holistic medication is the type of medication that focuses mainly on treating the whole body and not just symptoms or diseases. It brings the mind, spirit, and body into alignment, and this results in general healing of the whole body. Other terms used for holistic medicine are “natural healing”, “complementary medicine”, “integrative”, and “alternative” medicine. Generally, alternative medicine is anything outside of conventional medicine, although the meaning of conventional is wide. We provide holistic treatments, and we believe that people are made up of different parts and these include the physical, spiritual, emotional, and environmental. All these parts of human beings must be addressed and aligned or balanced to heal sicknesses, symptoms, and to make a person whole. As a holistic health provider, we do not discredit traditional medicine. Instead, we use it in combination with alternative and holistic methods. The main idea of holistic treatment is that the individual can take charge of his/her well-being and support and unconditional love are the best healers.
Ancient Roots of Holistic Treatments
All medicines have a holistic root, even Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine used natural means and emphasized the healing power of nature in his school of medicine. He was an advocate of self-healing, and he firmly believed that if the body is adequately supported, it can heal itself of most diseases. Also, Socrates, the Greek philosopher who is widely known as the father of western philosophy acknowledged the value of holistic thinking. He knew and understood that health was our responsibility and one of his famous quotes “an unexamined life is not worth living” is a pointer to his esteemed value of self-knowledge. Socrates also said “… the part can never be well unless the whole is well”. Holistic healing was the main foundation of all ancient medicine before western medicine took over. The three most popular ancient healing systems based on holistic medicine before the coming of Western medicine were Ayurveda medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Traditional European Medicine or Western Herbalism.
Now, the main challenge today is to reunite modern medicine with its holistic roots.
Principles of Holistic Treatments
Holistic treatments are carried out with guiding principles. Some of these principles are:
- Team approach as a priority. Everything is done as a team; the health care worker and patient combine to tackle the problems of the patient.
- The treatment is targeted majorly at the root cause rather than just the symptoms.
- Everyone has the potential to heal and better themselves (meaning everybody has an innate healing power)
- Each patient should be treated and regarded as a person and not as their disease or disorder (patients are people, not conditions.)
Methods of Holistic Treatments
There are several methods used in holistic medicine and the methods vary for every disorder. Most of these methods are a fine combination of medications, meditation, and traditional therapy. Some of these methods can be learned independently like meditations and body-mind practices while others are administered professionally, e.g. chiropractic methods.
Some of the methods of holistic treatments are:
Natural Therapies
Natural therapies or remedies make use of your diet to control and heal diseases and chronic conditions or to achieve a specific health goal or benefit. An example of this is the recent health trend of taking fresh fruits and vegetable juice in the early morning hours to increase energy levels and improve overall health. Other widely practiced natural therapies include drinking green tea regularly to strengthen the immune system, eliminating sugar and dairy from foods to fight acne, and adhering to an anti-inflammatory diet to resist and manage chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Body-mind Techniques
This involves practices like tai chi, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and meditation to heal conditions ranging from stress, depression to chronic diseases and provide a wide range of health benefits. These mind-body techniques are of great benefit to people with pains and pain-causing conditions, and lots of sources highlight a link between stress and pain.
Massage therapy
Massage has been practiced for thousands of years, and it has multiple variations. This therapy has a powerful effect on mental and physical health. Massage can and has been used to treat a lot of health problems like arthritis, chronic pain, anxiety, tension, headaches, depression, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, people without health problems get massages to boost their health and wellness. There are many types of massages. Some of them are deep tissue massage, Shiatsu, and Swedish massage.
Dietary supplements
This is the most frequently used holistic method. The term “supplements” refers to a wide range of products, including natural substances like fish oil, probiotics, antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and herbs. There are lots of supplements available and most of them are not certified, so you have to consult your health care provider or doctor before buying and using any product.
Acupuncture
Chinese Traditional Medicine has used acupuncture for thousands of years to treat a wide range of illnesses and chronic diseases. Acupuncture heals the body by stimulating the flow of vital energy in the body, this energy is referred to as “chi”. The process involves dipping very thin needles into parts of the body. The process is carried out by a trained acupuncturist. The principles of Chinese medicine states that these points are located at meridians (visible lines of energy flow) and they connect the organs to other parts of the body. Acupuncture is about the most widely studied of holistic methods and it is effective in treating a lot of painful conditions like osteoarthritis-related pains, neck pain, low-back pain, etc. There is evidence from studies showing that acupuncture effectively reduces the frequencies of migraines and tension headaches.
Benefits of Holistic Treatments
One significant benefit of holistic medicine is that it treats the whole body and not just the symptoms, for instance, in the case of drug addiction, it finds and treats the root cause of the addiction so that relapse is unlikely to happen. Although it is not a quick fix, it is a complete lifestyle change and requires patience and commitment from the patient. This, in turn, will heal the sickness and improve an addict’s general well-being. For the best life coach certification program go to iNLP Center life coach certification.
Holistic treatment at the Scottdale Recovery Center puts you firmly in the driver’s seat of your life. It is not harmful, and it is the most non-invasive method of treatment available. Holistic healthcare is more cost-effective because they mostly use natural therapies and mindfulness techniques. You will have control over your body and the healing process. At Scottsdale Recovery Center, we practice holistic medicine and give the best treatment that suits individual specific needs.
