What is Holistic?
We at HPC are proud that we specialize in balancing
modern technology with holistic practices. However, holistic medicine is a
large term that covers a vast assortment of specialties that many may not be
aware of. If you asked someone “what is holistic medicine,” how do you think
they would answer? How would you answer it? The buzz words like “natural”,
“alternative”, “herbal” come to mind with many, but the definition of holistic
explores much more.
“Holistic medicine” can defined as; treatment of the
whole person, taking into account mental, social, and environmental factors
rather than just symptoms of a disease.
Simply put, it means looking at the whole picture. If
you or your pet has a cough; instead of trying to treat just the cough, we seek
answers to: what is causing the cough? What is the environment like at home
when they cough? How are the lungs of the coughing patient? How is the immune
system of the coughing patient?
As when it is difficult to see the whole picture when
you focus on 1 aspect of a portrait, holistic medicine aims to take a step back
to see the whole picture to understand the deeper meanings to appreciate the
specific, smaller details.
Holistic medicine can be broken down further into 10
ideas or principles that go beyond general medicinal practice.
1.
Optimal health is the primary goal
-One
must always be pursing not just regular health care, but ensuring the body is
functioning at peak performance by balancing physical, mental, spiritual,
emotional, social and environmental health.
2.
Learning opportunities
-Life
is an ongoing experience that we must learn from. Every joy, heartbreak, loss
and recovery are chances to learn for patients, clients and practitioners.
3.
Lead by example
-Holistic
practitioners strive to live by the words they preach.
4.
Healing through love
-Practitioners
must have an open heart to greet their patients and clients because they are
living beings, not patients. They are beings with emotions, joys and fears; and
those fears must be met with compassion and love to achieve better health.
5.
Unity of the person
-The
body is a fusion of mind, body, spirit and various systems working together in
1 perfect unison. Every cell, muscle and electrical impulse are parts of 1
being.
6.
Prevention over treatment
-Actively
seek to prevent illness before it happens. Being proactive with removing stress
in our lives rather than seeing them as symptoms to a disease.
7.
Innate healing power
-The
body has a natural, innate power to heal itself. One must be aware and support
it so the body will recover on its own. Similar to how we naturally heal from a
cut; the body is always working to repair and improve itself.
8.
Individuality
-All
patients are unique with different nuances needed for help. Help the person
with the issue, instead of dealing with the issue the person has.
9.
Relationship centered care
-Practitioner
and patient must work together for the benefit of both. They are on the same
side for the patient’s benefit, while both learning from a shared experience.
10.
Integration of healing system
-Practitioners
embrace a lifetime of learning and experiences; aiming to use their knowledge
to find the safest, most effective treatments. They must be open to all forms
of medicine, including: lifestyle changes, conventional care or surgery. One
must not limit themselves to the potential knowledge around them.
http://nourishwellness.com/the-10-principles-of-integrative-holistic-medicine/
https://medicineinbalance.com/the-principles-of-holistic-medical-practice/