When discussing looking after your health, you may picture hospitals and clinics. The healthcare industry addresses only one aspect of healthy living, not all.
That is why when it comes to maintaining and managing your health, there are numerous factors that you need to address. Your health is defined by your complete well-being, from physical to mental, to how you feel in social settings.
If one of these is imbalanced, it can make you unsettled and sick. That is where holistic health comes to play. Holistic health works with different aspects of your well-being to ensure you heal completely. This concept aims to engage your mind, body, soul, and emotions until you recover completely. But what makes this practice so popular, and why is it on the rise? Here’s what you need to know:
What is Holistic Health?
Holistic health is an approach toward wellness that addresses the emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual aspects of your well-being. Instead of sticking to traditional medication, if you opt for holistic treatments, you’ll experience various therapeutic techniques to make you feel better. It may include getting acupuncture, massage, and space to pray and talk about your emotional blockages. In recent times holistic healthcare has also become common among healthcare providers. That is because several medical providers observed the benefits of holistic healthcare and saw marked improvement in their patients.
For example, the role of family nurse practitioner is to diagnose and treat a patient. Many family nurse practitioners also incorporate faith healing, discussing spirituality, and advising patients to check in with a mental health practitioner.
So, don’t be surprised if you find a nurse helping their sick patient pray. Or if you see them sitting by their bedside or discussing their mental health with them at length instead of merely prescribing medications. Holistic health pushes the idea that the body is one continuous entity and one part impacts the other.
Why is Holistic Health Popular?
According to a National Institute of Health survey, nearly one out of three people in the US are using holistic care to get treated. The idea of treating your body like one whole being instead of targeting specific areas is appealing to the broader population, and here’s why:
1. Holistic Medicine is Accessible
It is easier for the community to get holistic treatments than visiting the doctor or checking in the hospital. Anyone can perform holistic care as long as they have the tools and knowledge. A client seeking holistic care is analyzed from head to toe. They’re asked about the environment they’re living in alongside their mental health, and their physical being is treated like one entity.
For example, suppose a person feels fatigued. In that case, holistic medicine providers will try to narrow down the cause of fatigue, like poor lifestyle, lack of proper food, or stress, and act accordingly. Engaging completely with the patient has become a part of western medicine. Numerous healthcare centers like Yale, John Hopkins, and Duke offer holistic therapies, including acupuncture, Chinese herbal therapy, and meditation, to their patients.
2. It Empowers Patients
Holistic healing encourages patients to understand their ability to heal and get better. It emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle and prioritizing self-care. It also motivates patients to take charge of their well-being and work on getting better. Consequently, patients are less dependent on doctors and nurses to find an answer about their health and try independently fixing themselves first.
Removing helplessness from the equation boosts a patient’s mental health. When the patient is in a vigorous emotional state, they’re far more rational and logical. It allows them to think, plan and try to make a difference in their well-being instead of despairing.
3. Little to No Use of Medication
Holistic healing steers clear of medication unless they’re necessary. This practice works with your body’s natural biochemical reactions that boost recovery. You’ll get treated using nutritious meals, herbal remedies, and techniques like a massage that encourages blood circulation. When your body gets the nutrition and energy it needs, you’ll start feeling better. Your practitioner may ask you to take cold baths, sleep longer and practice meditation. All of these factors reduce inflammation, allow your body to heal, and give you peace which is essential for recovery.
Likewise, healthy eating is crucial to well-being, and holistic care prioritizes it immensely. Many ingredients, like ginger, are great for flu and colds. Adding it to your diet helps you recover fast and gives you access to essential vitamins that are good for circulation and preventing body aches.
4. Cost Effective
Healthcare is expensive. Without insurance, even basic scans can cost up to $400. It leads to insurmountable debt and financial stress that can further impact a patient’s health. The rising cost of healthcare is also why most patients prefer not to go to the hospital, no matter how critical their case may be. Holistic medicine works differently. Most methods are pocket-friendly and far less expensive for patients than traditional ones.
Professionals like chiropractors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists charge a reasonable and affordable amount that saves costly bills. It allows patients to feel better in a budget-friendly manner, freeing them of financial stress. So, if you’re struggling with monetary issues but are unwell, look into holistic care.
Final thoughts
No one likes to feel sick, which is why you want an instant cure when you’re under the weather. But your health doesn’t work that way. Numerous factors are at play inside your body that make you feel unwell. Traditional medicine only targets specific areas of your health and gives you the appropriate medication to deal with them. On the other hand, holistic medicine is all about working on your whole body and giving you relief. This empowering practice lets you decide how you wish to be treated. You control what happens to your body and have your entire health examined carefully.
In holistic care, techniques like massage and chiropractor work by engaging your body and tracking your source of pain. It allows practitioners to work on your whole body and give you the relief you seek. That is why holistic medicine is on the rise. It is affordable and accessible and gives patients ultimate control without needing chemical intervention through pills.