Holistic health
Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine.[1] A different definition, claiming that disease is a result of physical, emotional, spiritual, social and environmental imbalance, is used in alternative medicine.[2]
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[edit] Alternative medicine
In alternative medicine, it is believed that the spiritual aspect should also be taken into account when assessing a person's overall well-being.[3] This spiritual aspect is claimed not to be associated with any religious ideology.[4]
[edit] Holistic health practices
Some of the practices of alternative holistic health include, but are not limited to:
- natural diet and herbal remedies
- nutritional supplements
- exercise
- relaxation
- psycho-spiritual counseling
- meditation
- breathing exercises
- acupuncture
- homeopathy
- massage therapy - including Chi Nei Tsang
[edit] Criticism
There have been no published scientific studies that prove the efficacy, beyond the Placebo Effect, of holistic medicine in treating any known disease as the pharmaceutical companies dominating the medical market are reluctant to investigate remedies which cannot be lisenced and sold for profit.[6] Major medical organizations recommend that if holistic medicine is to be used at all, it should be used only in conjunction with conventional medicine and not as a replacement.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ Biomed Central The perceived meaning of a (w)holistic view among general practitioners and district nurses in Swedish primary care: a qualitative study
- ^ American Holistic Medical Association
- ^ American Holistic Medical Association
- ^ Holistic Health Solutions
- ^ http://www.holistic.com/holistic/learning.nsf/ed8732a8bed2f2a4872569060015ca74/6d6ad242c4e75c9c87256b8f00021919!OpenDocument
- ^ http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/MindBodyandSpirit/holistic-medicine
- ^ http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/guidelines-for-using-complementary-and-alternative-methods
[edit] External links
[edit] Medical publications
- http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1744-859X-9-S1-S35.pdf
- http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/holistic-medicine
[edit] Alternative publications
[edit] Holistic health resources
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