Healthcare is not a new idea. For thousands of years, different cultures have practiced a plethora of ways to treat ailments and cure disease. Conventional measures have not always proved to be the most effective, and some of the invasive procedures might not always heal what truly ills the individual. Another kind of wellness has risen from the past into our society recently—a more holistic way that returns to the roots.
What Is Holistic Wellness?
According to this website, holistic wellness is a more comprehensive perspective on healthcare that includes every facet of health and looks at the human body as an entire system where everything is dependent on the other components. Therefore, this type of wellness addresses the whole, not just a single part.
By this definition, holistic wellness brings balance to life. By focusing on the elements that make up a healthy individual, it allows you to achieve your innate potential. Think of it this way: Without a sound mind and body, you would be unable to what you enjoy. Your physical heath would suffer, and that would cause your mind to also darken. The same relationship can be seen with those who are depressed and feel too weak to move.
How Are Holistic Medicine Practitioners Different?
Holistic wellness practitioners feel that the whole person is made up of interdependent sections. When one part of the body is affected, other parts are too. Thus, if one sphere of health, whether it is spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, environment, or so on, is imbalanced, then the rest of the spheres are disturbed.
Holistic practitioners and doctors may prescribe all kinds of health care, from conventional means to the more complementary therapies for their patients. For example, if a person is depressed, a holistic wellness doctor might not only prescribe a better diet and exercise, they might tell the client to go take dancing lessons or spend 20 minutes outside every day. Someone who has back pain might be given medication but also be told to visit the acupuncturist.
In short, the care not only solves the immediate medical symptom, it also works to balance those spheres of health and help you find equilibrium again.
Types of Holistic Options
As mentioned above, holistic practitioners utilize a number of alternatives and techniques to help their patients achieve the complete spectrum of wellness and wellbeing. Depending on the practitioner’s history and training, they may prescribe the following:
- Diet and exercise changes
- Psychotherapy
- Spiritual counseling
- Self-care
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy
- Acupuncture
- Chiropractic care
- Massage therapy
- Naturopathy
- Western medication
- Surgical procedures
- and similar therapies
With that in mind, you might be wondering if holistic medicine is right for you. As you can see, there are dozens of modalities to help you through whatever troubles you are having, regardless of the condition or problem. You can find a mixture of Western and Eastern medicine that will help you find your center and remove the pain from your life.
Nina Smith 
Kim Marks