Conventional vs. Holistic Health Care

Alternative health care encompasses the mind, body,  spirit,  and soul. Most physicians will roll their eyes merely at the discussion of holistic treatment being used to help a patient. Many physicians feel that holistic treatment is menial in comparison to traditional medical care. Physicians also feel  that individuals that seek holistic treatments are poorly acquainted with the treatment methods they are being offered.

The definition of holistic, is the treatment of the whole individual- looking at their physical condition as well as mental and social health. The holistic practitioner may use several different modalities to help heal an individual. In an ideal world conventional and holistic treatments would coexist . For example a 40 year old male who just had a massive coronary due to genetics, dietary issues, stress and smoking would have a surgeon correct his heart disease through surgery and he would see the cardiologist for review of medications needed to treat the disease. After those visits and in conjunction he would see a holistic nutritionist who would go over his food journal of what he normally eats  on a daily basis. The nutritionist would make suggestions on lowering the intake of sodium, high triglyceride and cholesterol foods. After that visit he would see the hypnotherapist for smoking cessation. He would also be enrolled in a meditation class to help him de stress his life.

Ideally holistic and conventional medicine would join together  to treat the patient, Duke university has established a plan to blend the two modalities, and currently works with integrative health coaches to help the patient with lifelong well being that includes treating them as a whole by bridging the void between conventional and holistic medical care.

Today we still have dis joined medical care, we have a way to go before the two are co existing. There has been a  movement of people wanting more than a prescription choice, people are now  genuinely more interested in treating their  mind, body ,and souls.

With insurance companies decreasing the physicians contracted rates more than ever and doctors unsure of what other changes from the government are going to be implemented, there has been a shift in the focus of how they treat the patient. A  company named Wellness International Network  has their supplements FDA approved to be in the Physicians Desk Reference,  they also prefer physicians to distribute their supplements. This is one shift of thinking for physicians. Even if the initial reason is for profit over time the physicians will see that their patients stay well and now we have a shift in thinking.

Coexistence of traditional and holistic medicine will help the overall health and well being of the people, with maximum benefits coming from the blend of the two separate ways of thinking and treating.

Bibliography:

"Home - Duke Integrative Medicine." Duke Integrative Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2013.