Holistic medicine centers on treating the entire person—mind and body—regardless of the malady. This is an effort to better prevent and fight health problems. The benefits of holistic medicine (practiced responsibly) might have many advantages not only for the patient, but for family and friends who may be affected by a friend’s condition, as well.
Understanding Health Problems Better
Rather than a doctor telling you, “Take two of these and call me in the morning,” a key principal of holistic medicine is to involve the patient in his or her recovery. This provides benefits such as decreasing fear and stress, which can suppress the immune system and cause more illness.
More two-way communication often results in the patient volunteering important information she may not have thought was relevant, or which a traditional doctor may not have learned through standard treatment.
More Emphasis on Prevention
One of the benefits of holistic medicine is that it tries to treat the causes of illness to prevent future outbreaks of a condition. Even while treating an outbreak, a doctor who deals with the root of a problem allows patients to get a one-two punch to existing maladies. Practicing preventive care also allows you to spot warning signs of conditions you want to prevent.
Natural Health Treatments
Using natural treatments, such as herbs and whole foods, holistic medicine reduces the amount of toxins and the side effects of synthetic medicines, conventional treatments and surgeries. Getting vitamin C from an orange, for example, allows the nutrients to absorb into the body better than a synthetic vitamin C supplement (and costs less).
Mind Power Actually Works
Our thoughts (fear, sadness, happiness, anger) cause our brains to release both helpful and potentially harmful brain hormones, They include the “fight or flight” hormones released during stress. These chemicals affect your central nervous system and can raise your heart rate and blood pressure, for example.
Just think about your physical reactions to standing up in front of a room of people to give a speech, or when you see a police car’s lights in your rearview mirror pulling you over. Using the mind-body connection in positive ways can help reduce stress and increase the release of positive brain chemicals to help avoid immune system suppression.
More Resources
National Institutes of Health: Holistic Medicine: Advances and Shortcomings
