Prescribed for Treatment in Western Medicine
Prescribed for Treatment in Ayurveda Medicine
The season of giving and gifting is just around the corner, and it would remain incomplete if you didn’t give yourself and the people around you a chance at a healthier, holistic life. The healthcare industry rose to prominence during the global pandemic. However, people realized that a physically fit body
didn’t necessarily equate with happiness and joy. Locked in the four walls, people realized how stress and poor mental health affected their daily routine and, in many ways, contributed to minor/major illnesses.
We are now in an era where people understand the importance of mental and spiritual health as well as physical health. While bodily ailments are still on the rise, people are slowly becoming more aware of how the underlying causes might be rooted in bad mental health.
This mindset stems from holistic medicine, which is an alternative to western medicine. If you, too, have heard both terms and want to delve deeper into the topic to understand the two, you have arrived at the right place. In this article, we’ll look at western and holistic medicine to understand what is more beneficial for you as an individual. Let’s dive in right now!
What is Western Medicine and Holistic Medicine?
Western medicine is the traditional healthcare system based on a set of practices and techniques. It is the syllabus for anyone studying medicine and majorly involves treating a set of illnesses in the same templated format. On the other hand, holistic medicine treats the human body as a whole. The treatment for the illness differs from person to person based on their lifestyle, habits, and issues they are facing. The idea is to not merely prescribe drugs or medication to rid the illness but to find and treat the root cause.
In recent times, people have started opting for holistic medicine over western medicine due to its ability not just to cure a disease but to improve the lifestyle ‘holistically.’
What Comes Under Holistic Medicine?
Holistic Medicine Involves Three Main Aspects:
Primary Treatment
This is the majority of the treatment that will occur during the course. Based on the condition, it may involve transformation of diet, exercise, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, spiritual counseling, and more. It will bring stability to your overall health and even act as a preventive measure for diseases that may occur in the future.
Secondary/Complementary Treatment
This involves alternative therapies such as acupuncture, massage therapy, homeopathy, naturopathy, Ayurveda, yoga, chiropractic care, and more. These will enable your body to be more receptive to the primary treatment while also enabling your mind to become stronger and healthier.
Western Medicine
Several times, holistic medicine also involves techniques and measures from western medicine if the patient requires it.
The three facets of holistic medicine come together and elevate the health of mind, body, heart and soul. In the upcoming section, we’ll look at the benefits of holistic medicine.
Benefits of Holistic Medicine:
On a fundamental level, holistic medicine is about enabling a patient rather than curing or treating them. This form of healthcare helps the patient understand themselves and become aware of their being, thus helping them work on themselves much after the treatment is done. Here are the following benefits of holistic medicine:
Balance Stress
The treatment process for patients can be quite stressful due to several reasons and circumstances. The uncertainty of outcomes, the expenditure, the trials, and more. Depending on how serious the illness is, the holistic medicine practitioner will incorporate certain exercises and practices that will help patients reduce their stress and find more positivity in their daily routines.
Stress can be a major issue that inhibits the impact of the ongoing treatment. Thus, the practitioner will help patients find more balance and peace in their day-to-day lives, increasing the chances of a positive impact of the treatment.
Affordable
Unlike traditional or western medicine, holistic medicine is much more affordable and accessible to people. Although several health insurance policies do not cover holistic healthcare, it is much more budget-friendly and economical for those who cannot afford traditional medicine. Considering how expensive healthcare in the USA is, holistic medicine acts as a good option for people to treat their illnesses and become fit in mind, body and spirit.
Preventive Nature
Holistic medicine doesn’t merely cure or treat a disease after a person suffers from it. This is because holistic medicine catalyzes lifestyle, habitual, and behavioral changes, enabling them to transform their lifestyle into a more healthy one. Thus, holistic medicine helps prevent diseases from affecting a person in the future.
Learning Opportunity
Holistic medicine allows the patient to learn about themselves and listen to their mind, body and soul. As our mind develops, we can channel its energy to listen to the body to understand its needs in terms of what is healthy for it and what is not. Holistic medicine practitioners, through a variety of techniques such as meditation, pranayama and different forms of yoga, help patients tap into that mind space. This gives them the opportunity to connect with themself and become aware of their mind, body and spirit.
Why is Holistic Medicine Becoming More Popular Than Western Medicine?
In recent times, the western medicine industry has become quite expensive and also seems to have several gaps in the system. People’s trust in it is starting to wear off due to several reasons and circumstances. As people look for alternatives, holistic medicine is rising to prominence and coming to the forefront as practitioners are spreading more awareness about this method and helping people integrate alternative practices and modalities. Thus, people are slowly shifting toward holistic medicine as it is more affordable, and there’s more importance given to the holistic growth of individuals now than ever before.
So this holiday season, give yourself and the people around you the gift of holistic medicine and usher into the new year with heightened awareness and health for your mind, body, and soul.