Holistic healing is characterized by considering the whole person—mind, body, spirit, and emotions—when treating injury and illness. Providers who take a holistic approach to medicine aim to address the underlying causes of their patients’ issues as opposed to merely eliminating the accompanying symptoms. As such, it’s become incredibly popular in recent years. Here are some of the biggest ways holistic healing has been influencing modern medicine. 

More Personalized Care

In order to provide comprehensive holistic care, practitioners must spend a considerable amount of time with each and every patient. After all, they can't consider the whole person when diagnosing or treating patients if they don't get to know them first. For this reason, the growing popularity of holistic medicine has led to the development of person-centered medicine (PCM).

This approach addresses the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects that make up each patient, and it’s applied during both the diagnostic process and all subsequent treatments. In other words, providers care less about individual cells—including those that may be problematic—and more about the entire person to whom those cells belong. 

More Autonomous Treatments 

Modern medicine has long prioritized efficiency, which means targeting the problem and treating it in the fewest steps possible. Holistic care, on the other hand, might include a number of complementary therapies that facilitate optimal health in addition to treating the issue at hand.

Since these therapies don't necessarily require a prescription, patients can essentially take their health into their own hands. By gaining awareness of what lies behind medical issues, they can approach their lifestyle choices with a more powerful perspective.

Providers retain the responsibility to advise their patients, though, and discuss the advantages and risks of all such treatments, which include acupuncture, massage therapy, cupping, reiki, yoga, and various herbal remedies.

If you base your practice around holistic healing, turn to Metro Collaborative™ to meet other like-minded providers who do, too. Based in New York City, this health care networking group is proud to connect clinicians through peer-to-peer dinners and retreats. They also offer business coaching services for those in private practice. To learn more about their network, visit their website or call (609) 876-9163.