Are you looking for a form of treatment that will heal your body, mind, and spirit?
In the pursuit of optimal health and wellness, holistic medicine may include all forms of healthcare, from alternative therapies to conventional medication.
What’s unique about holistic medicine?
In holistic medicine, your mind and spirit are treated with much importance as your body.
Giving your spirit, body, and mind equal attention stimulates your body’s natural ability to heal and regenerate.
Holistic health practices look at all aspects of the person to treat their ailments. Learn more about holistic medicine and how it can greatly benefit you.
Holistic Medicine Practices
What are some main holistic practices today?
1. Acupuncture
Do you suffer from frequent headaches, migraines, or other nerve related disorders? Acupuncture is a holistic treatment method suitable for you.
It’s part of Traditional Chinese Medicine that aims at treating your body and balancing your energy.
Acupuncture involves inserting needles at strategic places on your body where nerves, connective tissues, and muscles are stimulated.
The stimulation increases your blood flow and activates your body’s natural painkillers. Acupuncture treats diseases like headaches, hypertension, and among others.
However, you ought to be careful with acupuncture treatment for it has some risks. For instance, if a needle is inserted deeply into the upper back or chest, you risk having a collapsed lung. Also, the needles can cause infections if they are unsterilized.
2. Massage
Massage therapy is the most popular method of holistic medicine. Think of those times you felt anxious, tense, and tired and got a good massage afterward. How did you feel? Massages help stimulate your muscles and nerves and making them relax.
During a massage therapy session, your parasympathetic response increases, which cause a calming effect. This translates to decreased anxiety and reduced fatigue.
Do you have trouble sleeping? Get a good massage which will help you sleep better.
3. Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils as healing agents. This healing method has been practiced for thousands of years.
It’s used to treat a wide variety of conditions e.g., depression, anxiety, stress, acne, body pain, bladder infections, among others.
When aromatherapy is combined with conventional medicine, patients tend to make full recoveries quickly.
Are you undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy? Try inhaling a blend of frankincense oils and lavender before your appointments. It will ease anxiety and reduce nausea.
It will also subdue the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and you will quickly recover.
4. Homeopathy
Homeopathy involves using natural substances in small doses to stimulate your body’s healing process. Such substances include special plants, plant extracts, and minerals.
Depending on your conditions, the substances can be customized to suit your needs. For example, if a child suffers from painful teething, a small amount of chamomile can be applied for a soothing effect instead of using painkillers, which can have side effects.
5. Balneotherapy
When you take a shower after a long intensive day, you feel relaxed and fresh. This’ because water has therapeutic benefits that are known to relax your body and freshen your mind.
Balneotherapy can boost your immune system. Water therapy has benefits that help with conditions such as inflammation, anxiety, pain, and acne.
Water therapy is applied in conventional medicine in pain relief, particularly while treating burns. Other uses involve mineral baths and underwater massage, which also relieve pain and muscle cramps.
6. Healing Environment
What comes to mind when you think of a healing environment? A Japanese garden, or natural stream, a spa? Some might think of health institutions.
In holistic medicine, a healing environment is a place of peace and comfort where you can meditate and relax.
This center for regenerative medicine creates an atmosphere where you can find peace and comfort for your body mind and spirit.
If you’re dealing with depression, emotional instability, or anxiety, healing environments provide the best therapy.
Benefits of Holistic Medicine Practices
Just like conventional medicine, holistic medicine has effects. Here are some benefits of holistic medicine.
1. Holistic Medicine Helps in Achieving a Well-Balanced Lifestyle
Holistic treatments focus on healing the body as a whole. The interaction of your body mind and spirit helps you gain balance, which stimulates the body’s natural healing process.
Holistic medicine practitioners help their patients in attaining a balanced lifestyle.
2. It Improves Your General Health
When your mind and spirit is at peace, your body develops a healthy immune system. You can withstand many types of infections, and your body will naturally heal.
Holistic practices involve changes in lifestyle, such as healthy eating habits and having therapeutic practices.
The therapy in holistic medicine aims at ‘the whole self’ as opposed to targeting one area during treatment.
If carried out in the wrong way, holistic medicine practices can have severe side effects. Therefore you need a licensed practitioner to guide you while using holistic medicine.
Side Effects
They include but not limited to:
1. Mechanical Injuries
Following acupuncture treatments, you can suffer from a spinal injury, cardiac tamponade, or pneumothorax.
This can occur if the needles are inserted too deeply in the skin. Infectious complications would include bacterial endocarditis and hepatitis, especially if the needles were unsterilized before use.
2. Organ Toxicity
Some herbal treatments used in homeopathy and aromatherapy can cause allergic reactions within your body.
This leads to organ toxicity in your liver, heart, or kidneys. Cross check with your doctor about your allergies and what might affect you before you use holistic medicine practices.
3. Some Herbs Have Cancerogenic Properties
Some herbs used in holistic practices can cause cancer. However, you can only get cancer from prolonged use of these herbs.
You need to do thorough research on the chemical properties of the herbal treatments used in holistic practices. Consult with your doctor first before you try out anything.
Can Holistic Medicine Be Used While on Other Medication?
In some instances, you can use holistic medicine while you are on conventional medication. However, beware it might affect how the drugs work. It’s not advisable to use certain holistic practices such as acupuncture if you’re on blood thinners.
Also, some herbs can become toxic when mixed with conventional drugs. The best way to know when to use holistic medicine is by consulting your doctor.
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