A holistic approach to health encompasses a broad view of health and wellness that views the body as a whole instead of as individual parts. Holistic practices have been around for thousands of years. Still, the term itself didn’t appear until the early 20th century when it was introduced as a translation from its original German word, “holismus.” In Western culture, there is still some debate about what exactly this expression means. Healthcare providers tend to favor different takes on the idea — one that promotes complete well-being or another that focuses more narrowly on organic foods and eliminates antibiotics and other modern medications.
While there isn’t a widely accepted definition of “holistic” regarding medicine and health care, many people use it to refer to therapeutic approaches that consider the patient’s entire life situation. This includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual factors to achieve optimal health.
Holistic Health in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an approach that incorporates holistic methods into its practice. The TCM theory of balance focuses on the body’s vital force, or qi, which must be kept flowing properly for good health. When something goes wrong with this process, it results in illness. To restore harmony, complementary therapies are often used along with herbal remedies to help manage symptoms and promote healing. Although acupuncture is perhaps the best-known therapy associated with TCM, many others include massage therapy, herbology, dietary therapy, and lifestyle counseling.
The Benefits of Holistic Practices
Holistic health care has many benefits, including:
Greater acceptance of the body’s natural state can help people develop healthier habits to improve overall wellness. For example, holistic practitioners are less likely than conventional doctors to prescribe antibiotics for colds or flu because they don’t believe in suppressing symptoms, especially when the body is trying to heal itself. Instead, they recommend using more natural therapies to ease discomfort while giving the immune system a chance to do its job. A holistic approach to health often focuses on preventing illness by encouraging healthy living practices through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. This can lead to better outcomes down the road. With many integrative treatments, you can get the best of both worlds. While conventional medicine focuses on symptom management, holistic health practices consider the body’s natural capacity to heal itself by addressing underlying issues that can ultimately improve your well-being in the long run.
As the focus is on prevention at all costs, there are often fewer side effects associated with holistic practices than modern medical treatments for similar conditions. This is because holistic practitioners tend to use natural remedies or non-invasive approaches instead of drugs or other invasive therapies when possible. Patients also have more control over their care plans when using alternative remedies because they are not being prescribed a limited number of medications from just one pharmaceutical company.
