Holistic health has gone big, and many people are realizing what it’s like to be in control of their physical, emotional, and social health. Holistic approaches to health combine traditional and medical medicine and find a middle ground rather than one extreme over another. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are starting to embrace several holistic health methods, and so are many of their patients, who might suggest holistic health methods to their doctor as a potential way forward.

What Are Holistic Approaches to Health?

Holistic Approaches: What They Are

Holistic health describes any health practice that is considered to be outside the scope of science, or just not yet studied at length by science yet. While holistic health relies on traditional or unconventional treatments, they must be combined with medical science to achieve true balance.

Acupuncture is one example of a holistic health approach. While science knows much about the benefits of acupuncture, it’s not common for a hospital to step back and say that someone needs acupuncture. However, this does not mean that acupuncture is not effective!

Many doctors, surgeons, nurses, and therapists are willing to combine traditional holistic methods with medical approaches

If you are a patient who would like to try a holistic approach to your health, one of the most important things you can do is to approach your primary medical care professional.

Medical and Traditional: What’s the Difference?

Medical and traditional medicine can go together well with holistic medicine, but they have to work as complementary methods. Holistic medicine helps to support the body, while medical science can do the rest.

Holistic medicine when used on its own is not the best solution. In fact, holistic medicine on its own can have worse results – and depending on the method chosen, could be more dangerous to your health.

Never forego medical science for holistic methods. Instead, use them together.

Holistic Ways to Health

When the term ‘holistic’ is used anywhere, you can expect the term to refer to methods of health like acupuncture – or Ayurvedic dietary programs.

Methods that can be called ‘ancient’ or ‘traditional’ health are often classed as holistic methods too. This is true even though science has begun to recognize these methods as effective and more studies have been done.

Acupuncture is one of the most popular holistic health approaches that can be used to describe what holistic means, and how studies have shown it to be effective.

Acupuncture isn’t just about needles, but about pressure points and nerve endings.

People will seek acupuncture treatment for pain relief, as well as everything from anxiety to nerve pain.

Science has a lot to say about how effective acupuncture can be. However, acupuncture is still often called nontraditional or holistic.

Examples of Holistic Health Approaches

Holistic approaches include but are not limited to:

• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Biofeedback
• Massage therapy
• Chiropractic physicians
• Manual therapy
• Naturopathic physicians
• Meditation
• Guided imagery
• Yoga,
• Therapeutic touch
• Reiki and other energy therapies
• Ayurveda

Additional Information: Well-Being Concepts

Southlake Natural Family Wellness

Our mission is to support the health and well-being of our patients by offering individualized, comprehensive holistic care including acupuncture, herbal recommendations, customized nutritional counseling, allergy elimination (NAET), whole food supplements, lifestyle suggestions, moxibustion, and cupping, as well as helping couples get pregnant and STAY pregnant by supporting all the paths to conception.

About Farrah Hamraie

Farrah Hamraie, L.Ac, MOM, Dipl.OM (NCCAOM), is licensed and board-certified in Acupuncture and Herbal medicine in the State of Texas with a Masters of Oriental Medicine from the Dallas College of Oriental Medicine. She is also a Diplomat of NCCAOM (the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), a Board Certified Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist, and a member of the American Association of Oriental Medicine.