If asked to describe a holistic healer, most people would picture a person who debunks the use of traditional medicines and medical practices and relies on the use of herbs, crystals and incense to heal the sick. In reality, holistic medicine is simply based on the belief that while traditional medicine focuses on healing the physical body, holistic healing takes the entire person into account. This entire person still includes the physical body, but also includes the mind, the spirit and the emotions.
The holistic approach does not leave out any particular healing method as long as it contributes to the overall balance of the 4 separate parts that make up the whole of a person.
Physical - obviously the most visible part of traditional health care is the healing of the physical body. Through a process of examination, diagnosis, prognosis and prescribed treatment, medical professionals are able to look at symptoms and identify and treat the ailment. However with a holistic approach the practitioner looks further into what caused the ailment in the first place. Instead of just prescribing a medicine to heal an ulcer, the holistic healer will look to identify stresses or other problems in the patient's life that caused it and heal that as well.
Spiritual - an often overlooked area of a person's life with traditional medicine is the person's spirituality. Whether a person is very religious, close to nature or whatever other connection they have that they hold sacred, prayer, meditation, or just a walk in the park can do wonders for bringing peace and comfort to the patient.
Mind - There is an old ad campaign that said "A mind is a terrible thing to waste". There is no time that this is more important than in a healing situation. A patient who is allowed to have an idle mind will not only not focus on the things that are good and important to them, but will focus on their illness or injuries which can lead to stress, depression and other imbalance in the 4 areas of holistic healing and thereby hinder the healing process.
Emotion - Most people who are in a situation of needing medical care will experience a large range of emotions including anger, depression and fear. One other very common emotion is guilt for putting a burden on their family. In order to heal properly, this part of the holistic care must also be addressed and managed.
Modern medicine and nursing are recognizing the importance of this whole person holistic approach to healing. By addressing all 4 areas and keeping them balanced, practitioners are able to find the balance that allows true healing to begin.
Is your knee stiff and painful every morning when you get out of bed? Perhaps, you sometimes feel a grinding sensation in your knee. If you can relate to this frustrating situation, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis. Thankfully, several treatments are available for this joint condition. Sometimes, physicians recommend patients battling osteoarthritis of the knee take a prescription painkiller. Doctors also often encourage patients to lose weight and start a low-impact exercise program. Swimming and walking are both great forms of low-impact exercise. On this blog, I hope you will discover how to effectively and quickly relieve the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Enjoy!