Holistic Health is a philosophy of medical care that views physical, mental and spiritual aspects of life as closely interconnected and equally important approaches to treatment. While frequently associated with complementary therapy or alternative medicine, it is also increasingly used in mainstream medical practice as part of a broad view of patient care.

Holistic Health care as a health concept has long existed outside of academic circles, but only relatively recently has the modern medical establishment begun to integrate into the mainstream health care system.

Holistic Health care is not itself a method of treatment, but is an approach to how treatment should be applied. Holistic Health care concepts of fitness view achieving and maintaining good health as requiring more than just taking care of the various singular components that make up the physical body, additionally incorporating aspects such as emotional and spiritual well-being. The goal is a wellness that encompasses the entire person, rather than just the lack of physical pain or disease.

This means that not feeling sick does not necessarily mean you are well, just that you are somewhere between well and sick. When symptoms develop, it is often long after the cause of the symptoms occurred.

The Holistic Health approach contrasts with the medical model that focuses on treating symptoms and syndromes without attempting to address functioning beyond the absence of disease, the Holistic Health approach focuses on the cause.

The holistic process offers individuals the opportunity to be the creators of their own reality of health and wellbeing, through an understanding of all levels of health and a balanced lifestyle.

Treatment of clients

Holistic Health is now moving more into the medical mainstream in the US as seen in the work of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Veterans Medical Centers provide a comprehensive patient manual Healthwise for life. This Medical Self Care manual has a section on Mind-Body Wellness and a section on Complementary Medicine, including sections on: Acupuncture, High-Dose Vitamin and Mineral Therapy, Homeopathy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Herbal Medicine, Naturopathy, Tai Chi, Qui Gong, Yoga and Chiropractic Treatment.

In the Complementary Medicine section under the heading Benefits the manual states:

“Holistic Approach: When you see your conventional provider, your visit generally lasts 10 to 15 minutes. People who provide alternative treatments often take one hour or more to find out all about you. Many health problems, especially chronic diseases, are more likely to respond to treatment when the whole person is taken into consideration.”

Under the heading “Healing”: the manual mentions Spiritual Healing and Therapeutic Touch stating: “Nurses may use therapeutic touch in conventional medical settings to help heal and comfort their patients.”

Holistic Health Care is simply about responsible health care. Responsible health care is working fully with the whole persons Spirit, Mind and Body.

“Dimensions of Holistic healing- New frontiers in the treatment of the whole person”, the authors define Holistic health as “treating the whole person, helping the person to bring the mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual dimensions of his or her being into greater harmony, using the basic principles and elements of holistic healing and, as much as possible, placing reliance on treatment modalities that foster the self regenerative and self reparatory processes of natural healing,” (Otto and Knight, 1979 p. 3).

Source: Wikipedia

Author: Liz Knox