Holistic Medicine – What is it?

Holistic Medicine – What is it?

Holistic medicine is a different one health approach philosophy which sees man as a complete entity and not as heart, lungs, bones, etc. Classical medicine has made leaps and bounds in recent decades, but to achieve this fragmented into many small and fragmented sections. There is the heart specialist, for pressure, for sugar, for bones, for the stomach, etc. Every specialist is perfect in dealing with them diseases concerning the organ he knows well, but is indifferent to the rest of the body. The Holistic Physician will see the person as a whole and will treat the person and not just the heart, lungs, kidneys, etc..

In Holistic Medicine, symptoms are considered the expression of the disease, and not the disease itself. Symptoms are, of course, evaluated and taken into account, but the goal is not only their absence, but overall health. In the context of health, the absence of symptoms is important, but not the only thing that should concern the physician.

The holistic practitioner has done studies in classical medicine and considers it very useful and utilizes it in his daily practice with laboratory, imaging and other tests, diagnoses and in some cases even with drugs (fortunately, rarely). The main difference with the classic family doctor is that tries to avoid or delay or limit the use of chemical drugs and considers prevention of disease more important than treatment and attaches great importance to it. Holistic medicine makes use of all possible forms of treatment, both through natural means (diet, acupuncture, homeopathy, hormonal harmonization, exercise, counseling, nutrition, etc.) as well as using preparations (food supplements, herbs,homeopathically medicines). Finally, when the holistic practitioner deems it necessary, he will even use chemical drugs, although this is usually significantly limited with the rest of the therapeutic interventions.

The treatment methods used by holistic practitioners vary according to their field of study, are individualized for each patient, and often include the use of food intolerance test, her homeopathy medicine, acupuncture, of vitamins, herbs and nutritional supplements, etc.

source: Doctor Stelios Pantazis, Center for Holistic Medicine