With the first written record in approximately 2600 B. C. , (datesandevents. org) modern medicine is comparatively new to health care, when compared side-by-side to holistic medicine. Holistic medicine, also called homeopathy and integrative medicine, has been in practice since the beginning of time. Regardless of fundamental differences, modern medicine and holistic medicine can be successful when used jointly to create a synergistic health care plan for a greater well-being of patients.
The utilization of modern medicine and holistic medicine simultaneously, in both prevention and healing, will create a more beneficial treatment plan for the patient than either holistic healthcare or modern medicine could do alone. Holistic health care places the emphasis on giving knowledge, and ultimately the responsibility, to the individual in the treatment of healing. Holistic health care not only recognizes, but also works with the relationship between the body, mind, emotions and spirit. Holistic health care focuses on reducing stress, and buttressing the body’s own self-healing capabilities.
The importance in holistic health care is in recognizing the symptoms as they arise, at the same time eliminating the cause of the symptoms in the process of restoring health and energy in the shortest possible time. The healing for the patient takes place when the wellness factors coexist in alignment and balance. The role of a holistic practitioner is to mentor and guide the patient to do his or her own work toward wellness. In order to succeed in this endeavor, the adjustments suggested can include changing lifestyle, breaking old habits, and possibly even altering some long held beliefs to facilitate healing.
A variety of methods is used, ranging from meditation to medication. The focal point of modern medicine lies primarily in using modern technology to discern and diagnose an illness. However, in the last century, modern medicine has acquired the awareness of preventative measures and educating their patients on the importance of wellness has become more prevalent. In modern medicine, there is a disconnection of treatment between the body, mind, emotions, and spirit, creating separateness within a patient wellness or healing process.
There is no treatment provided for the patient’s spirit in modern medicine, other than referral to a hospital chaplain or priest. Psychiatrists will treat a patient’s mind with prescription medications including antipsychotics, anti-anxiety drugs, and antidepressants. The medications are intended to alleviate symptoms by altering the chemical composition of the patient’s brain. In addition, some psychiatrists will use invasive treatments, such as electric shock therapy. Psychologists will treat the patient’s emotions with psychotherapy. Medical doctors treat the body, but not the mind, emotions, or spirit.
Surgical procedures or prescription medications are often the first option offered as a cure by a medical doctor. Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), a chemist and microbiologist from France, is given credit for the foundation of prescription medications. (medicalnewstoday) Since that time, medical doctors have seen medications as the fundamental way of treating and curing all illnesses. Many medical doctors consider holistic medicine as pseudoscience, outright rejecting natural and homeopathic treatments or remedies. Neither holistic medicine nor modern medicine has all the answers to maintaining wellness and healing illnesses.
There remain many factors about the human species that continue to be discovered every day, and a great deal more that remain to be discovered. Since the primary objective of both modern medicine and holistic medicine is the same, which is to return the patient to optimum health and assist in maintaining the best possible wellness, the possibility exists for the two practices to work hand-in-hand to create the ultimate healthcare plan for the whole person. Let us examine an example of an adolescent with ADD or ADHD. The modern medical answer is to give the child prescription drugs, such as Adderall.
Many children complain of the side effects, reporting such symptoms as insomnia, dizziness, loss of appetite, weight loss, headache, irritability, nervousness, and addiction. Children often build a tolerance to Adderall, causing the physician to raise the dosage. Children are all different, with different wellness factors out of balance causing the ADD or ADHD. The physician could offer a more personalized holistic approach instead, by teaching the child meditation, nutrition, and alternative ways of learning to deal with the symptoms of ADD or ADHD.
By combining the practice of modern medicine and holistic medicine, the child could receive a more comprehensive health care plan, and perhaps lessen the symptoms, which could allow adjustment to lower doses of the medication that brings about the adverse side effects. An additional example would be someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. Modern medicine is quick to say, “We need to cut it out of you, and give you chemotherapy and radiation treatments. ” Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer will tell you that surgical removal is a wonderful option.
Cancer survivors will also tell you that radiation treatment and chemotherapy will cause you to wish you had gone ahead and died from the cancer. Holistic medicine can help people not only survive cancer, the treatments allow the patient to flourish. Holistic treatments, also known as integrative medicine, provide an improved quality of life for patients in the process of undergoing the more typical traditional cancer treatments such as radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Holistic medicine focuses on the whole person, treating the mind, body, and spirit.
Hospitals, clinics and wellness centers all across the globe are incorporating these harmonious therapies because they know the powerful effect of well-balanced mental, emotional, spiritual well-being has for a patient. Using the medical therapies and the holistic therapies together has had an impressive impact on pain management and the healing process. By combining the practices of modern medicine and holistic medicine, patients will reap the benefits. Medical health care professionals and holistic practitioners can work together, creating better wellness for their patients as a whole and more complete healing in general.
Talking openly about the body, mind, and spirit with health care professionals will enable patients to establish a cohesive balance between holistic medicine and modern medicine. Medical practitioners and holistic practitioners can learn from each other, and bring together their knowledge to work in tandem. 1)http://www. datesandevents. org/events-timelines/10-history-of-medicine-timeline. htm 2)http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/info/medicine/modern-medicine. php#. UfPk023leSo.