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An introduction to the development of Holistic therapies
Although the application of the word ‘holistic’ is relatively new, the concept of this type of care and therapy goes back at least 2500 years. Hippocrates, the father of holistic medicine, believed that health was restored by facilitating a state of equilibrium within the fluid essences of the human body. He placed great emphasis on lifestyle and diet, and used drug therapy to support healing, rather than to cure disease. The opposing school of thought to Hippocrates, believed that a disease could be overcome with a specific cure (later a drug).
In the nineteenth century during the scientific revolution, new drugs appeared and the holistic concept of restoring balance and harmony was abandoned in favour of drugs that seemed spectacular by relieving pain and symptoms. Unfortunately a lot of modern drugs have terrible side effects, hence the debate between conventional and complementary medicine.
Conventional medicine defines ill health as specific identifiable symptoms, suppressed or cured by specific treatment and/or drugs. However, Complimentary medicine sees illness as a primary imbalance and disharmony within the body that manifests itself with secondary physical symptoms. We all know someone who has become ill after a period of stress. Therefore, the holistic view on health is a synergistic harmony of physical, mental and social well-being working with existing symptoms and not against them.
Holistic practitioners help client’s to examine their individual lifestyle patterns as well as bodily symptoms working towards a long term approach to health care and restored balance, rather than a short term response.
Therefore many stress related diseases and disorders are known to respond well to various holistic therapies. Indeed complementary health practitioners are now starting to be recognised as health professionals in their own right as more and more doctors admit that, although they would love to know more about the various therapies, the field is very diverse and one which requires specific skills, knowledge and training alongside anatomy and physiology. More and more professional governing bodies are being set up to separate the highly trained practitioner from the so called ‘Quack’.
Although the application of the word ‘holistic’ is relatively new, the concept of this type of care and therapy goes back at least 2500 years. Hippocrates, the father of holistic medicine, believed that health was restored by facilitating a state of equilibrium within the fluid essences of the human body. He placed great emphasis on lifestyle and diet, and used drug therapy to support healing, rather than to cure disease. The opposing school of thought to Hippocrates, believed that a disease could be overcome with a specific cure (later a drug).
In the nineteenth century during the scientific revolution, new drugs appeared and the holistic concept of restoring balance and harmony was abandoned in favour of drugs that seemed spectacular by relieving pain and symptoms. Unfortunately a lot of modern drugs have terrible side effects, hence the debate between conventional and complementary medicine.
Conventional medicine defines ill health as specific identifiable symptoms, suppressed or cured by specific treatment and/or drugs. However, Complimentary medicine sees illness as a primary imbalance and disharmony within the body that manifests itself with secondary physical symptoms. We all know someone who has become ill after a period of stress. Therefore, the holistic view on health is a synergistic harmony of physical, mental and social well-being working with existing symptoms and not against them.
Holistic practitioners help client’s to examine their individual lifestyle patterns as well as bodily symptoms working towards a long term approach to health care and restored balance, rather than a short term response.
Therefore many stress related diseases and disorders are known to respond well to various holistic therapies. Indeed complementary health practitioners are now starting to be recognised as health professionals in their own right as more and more doctors admit that, although they would love to know more about the various therapies, the field is very diverse and one which requires specific skills, knowledge and training alongside anatomy and physiology. More and more professional governing bodies are being set up to separate the highly trained practitioner from the so called ‘Quack’.
