Chronic Pain? Think Holistically!

Holistic medicine is defined as medical practice that seeks to treat an individual as a whole--body, mind, emotions, and spirit--as opposed to treatment that is focused on a specific malady. The holistic approach to medicine emerged in the 1970s. Traditional western medicine scoffed at what we now know as complementary or alternative practices; since that time these practices have become more widely accepted and integrated into modern medical practice.

The principles of holistic medicine embrace a team approach to patient care. Holistic practitioners believe that every individual possesses an innate ability to heal themselves. They see the patient as a person rather than a disease state. In an attempt to treat the patient, holistic practitioners are members of a team that strives to correct the underlying cause of the patients condition as opposed to simply alleviating symptoms.

There are many types of treatments that come under the auspices of holistic medicine. These include traditional Western medicine, nutritional support, chiropractic medicine, naturopathy, spiritual counseling, and others. If you are considering holistic care for yourself or a loved one, it is important to do some research before you proceed. One thing you can do is ask family, members, or friends if they have ever used the holistic approach…what providers have they used…and what was the outcome? If outcome was good, what practices and/or practitioners do they recommend?

Another good resource is the American Holistic Health Association (click link to go to the web site). This site has a lot of useful information about the holistic approach to medical treatment. This includes a searchable database of holistic health care providers, along with self help articles, videos, books, Cd's, etc.

Sources: ahha.org; WebMD; Wikipedia; Flickr

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