A Guide to Holistic Health Care
The advancements in medicine have bought about so many amazing, life-saving benefits; however, there is one particular downside. The majority of health care on offer today focuses not on the whole body, but rather on its individual ailments. While this practice is the most effective way of curing specific injuries and illnesses, it rejects the importance of focusing on an individual’s overall health. This is where holistic health care comes into its own.
Table of Contents
What is Holistic Health Care?
Holistic health care dates back to ancient times. It was used in various forms for centuries, but the specific form of holistic health most popular today was established in the 1960s.
Holistic health is a practice that is focused on achieving true wellness, believing that the only way this can be obtained is by focusing on the whole person, their mind, body, and spirit. Optimal health and wellness do not come simply from a lack of illness but from a proper balance. Since the physical, emotional, and spiritual are intrinsically connected, if one is not working correctly, an imbalance is created, which will, in turn, bring negative health benefits.
What are the Principles of Holistic Health Care?
Since holistic health care is both a philosophy and a practical approach to physical and mental well-being, it has a mixture of both hands-on and spiritual principles at its core:
- Every individual has their own innate healing powers
- It believes in relationship-centered care: having an equal and open patient-practitioner relationship is essential for the healing process to occur
- A patient is a person, not just a disease
- Successful treatment comes from fixing the root cause of the issue, rather than simply alleviating symptoms
Types of Treatments
There are many different types of treatments on offer. Below they have been broken down to suit the specific parts of the body; however, it is important that they are used in conjunction with one another to achieve optimal health.
Physical Treatments:
- Chiropractors: with all the physical treatments that involve working with a medical practitioner to fully achieve wellness, it is necessary to find an establishment that understands this approach to health. Look for local professional locations; for example, a chiropractor Orlando. Also, look for chiropractors that are able to work with you with holistic health in mind.
- Neuropathy: such as massage therapy, or acupuncture
- Herbal medicines and Ayurvedic medicines
- A nutrient-dense, highly plant-based diet which avoids processed foods
- 8 hours of restorative sleep to enable the most efficient healing
Spiritual Treatments:
- Spending time in nature, both to move the body and appreciate surroundings
- Practice mediation and mindfulness, both these practices really help to improve the mind-body connection
- Practice Yoga, this will improve spiritual well-being, help to reduce stress and improve physical health
Mental Treatments:
- Challenge the brain and keep an active mind by learning new things and taking part in problem-solving activities
- Make time for personal connections, both individually and at a community level. This could be simply taking time for people or volunteering with an organization
- Form boundaries against stress-inducing people or environments
- Avoid excessive drinking and smoking
- Consider using therapy