Donita Robards, RN, Parish Nurse
Holistic health, also known as integrative health, interlinks mind, body, and spirit together to create wholeness within. Orthodox medicine, also called allopathic medicine, is the absence of disease. Allopathic medicine is very helpful in treating illness through medications and surgery, and it has its place firmly rooted in our society. Integrative health however, is not so well known or widely used in the western culture. Historically, the allopathic society made several attempts to shut down holistic health, making it illegal to practice. In reality, the two can work together to provide a unique plan for each individual patient.
It is always a good idea to see your physician if you are sick. Your doctor can evaluate your symptoms, and possibly order lab work and tests to diagnose your illness. You can make better decisions for yourself once you have all the appropriate information. For serious illness, medication and surgery may be the best course of action. However, some people may choose to forgo that route to consider a more holistic approach.
Here is an example of using the two practices for the same illness: Let’s say you are feeling fatigued, gaining weight and having trouble sleeping at night. Your doctor would likely order some lab work to see if your thyroid is working effectively. The results come in, and you discover that you do indeed have a disease called hypothyroidism. Your physician will probably want to prescribe medication for this problem. You decide you want to see what else you can do for this condition. You may research online for proper nutrition, homeopathic solutions to improve your sleep patterns, and begin a yoga class.
There are a few homeopathic physicians in the Western Michigan area. It is important to note that there are many well respected integrative care specialists just as there are quacks. Do your research to make sure that the advice you receive is appropriate and accurate. Each person has different needs, and every illness is different. Just because you seek a holistic health care approach for one illness doesn’t mean it will be the best choice for the next one. If you know what your choices are you will be in a good position to make the best one for you.