Holistic Medicine in Mansfield

Treating The Body as a Unified Whole

Holistic medicine is a field of alternative medicine that emphasizes the overall wellness of a person as a whole. Usually, medical problems are treated in isolation. The holistic health approach emphasizes the importance of the whole, rather than focusing exclusively on the part. All of the cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems of a human body work together to form the whole. If one part is not working correctly, it can affect the system in its entirety. Holistic medicine also emphasizes the importance of mental and spiritual wellness in ensuring and maintaining physical wellness.

Principles of Holistic Medicine

The American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA), the major American organization for practitioners of holistic medicine, has compiled a list of Principles of Holistic Medicine. These principles include:

·         Searching for the underlying cause of a disease is better than treating the symptoms alone.

·         What kind of patient has a disease is as important as what kind of disease the patient has.

·         Prevention is the best approach to treatment.

·         Illness is a manifestation of a dysfunction of a whole person, not just an isolated part of that person.

·         The quality of the relationship between a patient and healthcare provider is important to the outcome of treatment.

·         A physician-patient relationship should take into consideration the needs, desires, awareness, and insight of the patient, as well as the physician.

·         Physicians influence patients by their example.

·         Illness, pain, and the dying process can be learning opportunities for physicians and patients alike.

·         Holistic physicians encourage patients to embrace positive emotions and a positive outlook, and to let go of greed, anger, fear, and other forms of negativity.

·         Physicians should strive to practice unconditional love for themselves and their patients

·         Health is more than the absence of sickness. It is a pursuit of the highest qualities of physical, mental, spiritual, and environmental aspects of the human experience.

hOLISTIC MEDICINE IN MANSFIELD