Traditional medicines try to treat the physical illness or symptom. This type of reactive treatment tries to stop the disease by working backwards. It tries to treat the symptom or the damage first then work its way up to treating the disease. Holistic methods on the other hand try to treat the entire being of a person in order to prevent the disease from every infiltrating the body.
The holistic mindset says that if the mind, body and spirit are healthy then it is easier for the person to guard themselves against illness of all kinds. This approach tackles mental and spiritual health as well as the physical well being of a person whereas traditional medicines just treat the physical symptoms. The interesting thing is that as doctors discover the actual benefits of holistic health methods the more they use them in their routine with their patients.
One example, and probably the most popular one, of holistic health being used by doctors is when they tell you to drink lots of water. Water helps keep the body hydrated and by doing so it can properly fight off many illnesses and disease that otherwise would find refuge in us. Staying hydrated allows the body to flush toxins regularly that we get from eating all the processed foods that we consume. It also allows our skin to stay healthier and fight off acne better.
Another example of a holistic health practice getting more praise from doctors for its usefulness is the ancient practice of getting a massage. For those that have had a massage you don’t need to be told of the wonderful healing effects it can have on the body but also the mind and spirit. As Americans, we live in a very stress filled world more so than any other country. This stress is self imposed but it can also claim our life if we let it infiltrate our daily routine. By massaging our bodies we can alleviate this stress and regain some sort of balance to our well being.
Holistic health practices have been around for centuries and only in the past 20 years or so has it been working its way into our everyday lives. So before you pass off this method as a hokey idea think about some of the “treatments” for prevention that your doctor gives you and really examine where they originate you may be surprised to find that it is from the same hokey idea.
