Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The Discipline of Whole Body Medical Arts

By Teresa Baum

The concept of holistic medicine is using natural methods, procedures and therapies to help heal the body as one unitary system. Holistic medicine has been practiced in many forms and in virtually all parts of the world. There is the concept of the medicine man, shaman or healer. In the absence of the scientific method, most medical treatments were practiced with a holistic or systems viewpoint.

These traditional practices have sprung up around the world with the development of different societies through time. A common theme running through them is the holistic viewpoint of healing the body. Many of these practices have been used for hundreds and hundreds of years. Western science is just beginning to get to the tip of the iceberg of traditional medicine.

Holistic medicine is a rather broad descriptive term for a healing philosophy. Holistic medicine includes healing traditions that promote the protection and restoration of health based on a systems perspective of the body. This is the foundation of many of the traditional medical practices throughout the world.

One of the top health problems in the United States is back pain. It is estimated that over $50 billion a year is spent on the treating and diagnosing of back related problems. Chiropractors have grown tremendously in this market for treating the spine. Insurance companies are now beginning to cover many of these chiropractic treatments.

Chiropractic doctors are trained in natural treatments of back related problems. These types of doctors can trace their roots back to the ancient Egyptians. Since those times, many of the techniques have been upgraded and modified to increase their efficiency. Chiropractors all the use natural treatments to restore the health of the spine and do not make prescriptions.

Massage therapy is another alternative form of holistic medicine. It uses different movements and pressures on muscles and soft tissue areas. This form of treatment helps to reduce stiffness, tension and relieve pain. There are many different forms of massage therapy found throughout the world.

The use of acupoints is another traditional medical practice originating in China. In ancient Chinese medicine acupoints were used to stimulate and restore health in the body. Two schools of practice evolved from the use of acupoints. One branch is acupressure and the other branch is acupuncture.

Acupressure is the use of stimulating the acupoints with pressure and movement. This helps to activate the acupoints which is believed to initiate the healing process in certain specific areas of the body. Acupuncture relies on the use of small needles directed at the acupoints. The needle is inserted to stimulate the acupoints and initiate the healing process.

Many of these treatments are now being combined into many chiropractic and medical environments. Just as globalization is making the world smaller, many medical and traditional treatments are being combined in successful ways. This is an important step of validation for many of these holistic methods.

A better balance is now being struck between Western medical science and traditional holistic medicine. For almost a century, Western medicine has shunned traditional medicine. Now it is beginning to be integrated as valid practices. Many of these practices simply have not been studied to date.

The age of the holistic medicine is just beginning to develop. The merging of both Western medical science and holistic treatments is a positive sign. Both of these branches can provide tremendous benefit to patients. Now, or of these traditional practices RBN offered as routine services and many health environments.

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