A member asked:
What is holistic medicine
8 doctor answers • 23 doctors weighed in
Dr. Richard Bensingeranswered
Ophthalmology 53 years experience
Marketing: Holistic medicine is a term implying that "other" practitioners focus on one aspect of health while holistic people deal with the body as a whole. It turns out to be a front in many cases for the sale of supplements. It also has been co-opted by non-medical people like naturopaths who indicate that their approach is holistic, not like the narrowness of conventional M.D.S.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Larry Armstrong commented
Neurosurgery 28 years experience
Quality MD's and DO's all use holistic approaches with patients. We each want the best for our patients and treat the entire person- not just part.
Feb 17, 2012
Dr. Theodore Coleanswered
Specializes in Family Medicine
A philosophy: As a residency trained and board certified physician, i take a holistic approach to health care. I prescribe medications, but also use other therapies and tests. To me it means finding the cause of problems and not just treating symptoms. There is a great deal of research available in these areas that support their effectiveness, including nutrition, vitamins/minerals, chelation, homeopathy, etc.
6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Pamela Pappasanswered
Psychiatry 43 years experience
Holistic Medicine: At its heart, all good medicine is holistic -- whether practiced by md's, do's, or nd's. To me it's sad when physicians of any background forget the need to attend to the whole patient in their work, and overlook the role that healing plays in patient outcomes. Relationship is essential to this process. I believe we all can do better, and that patients like you need to remind us. Thank you.
5.8k viewsReviewed Sep 30, 2020
Dr. Robert Kornfeldanswered
42 years experience
Holistic medicine: It is the practice of medicine that takes into consideration the "whole person" in diagnosis and treatment. The causes of pathology are addressed through diet, lifestyle and environmental factors and treatments are designed to support the body and optimize the health of the patient.
5.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Alan Alianswered
Psychiatry 33 years experience
Holistic Medicine: Is a form of healing that considers the whole person (body, mind, spirit, & emotions), to achieve optimal health & wellness. This is achieved by gaining proper balance in life. For example, if persons suffers headaches, treatments would involve looking at modifying diet, sleep habits, medications, stress, spiritual practices, etc. , in order to bring back the balance.
5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Erik Borncampanswered
Wound care 26 years experience
Treats the whole pt : Holistic implies that the complete individual is treated, not just the disease. That is, the stress, living situation, nutrition etc are taken into consideration when treating , say, the flu. This can be a good thing. Problem is it opens the door to many intuitively hoped-for but scientifically unproven theories such as ' energy imbalances or imaginary toxins., etc.
Check http://NCCIH.nih.org
790 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Idelle Brandanswered
Dentistry 41 years experience
Natural healthcare: Holistic medicine is a term used to describe therapies that attempt to treat the patient as a whole person. Instead of treating an illness, holistic medicine looks at an individual's overall physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing and natural biocompatible remedies are used to fuind the cause of suymptoms and heal it.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
Dr. James Wrightanswered
Dentistry 34 years experience
Inclusive: One way to describe it ... Holistic medicine includes the physical, mental emotional, social and spiritual aspects. It may include natural supplements, vitamins, herbs and homeopathic solutions. Many holistic practitioners prefer to stay away from antibiotics when possible. These days many doctors are including treatments which previously may have been considered alternative treatments.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years agoMerged
Similar questions
A 32-year-old member asked:
How effective is holistic medicine?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Randy Bakeranswered
Holistic Medicine 41 years experience
Very effective for..: This, of course, depends to some degree on what you are treating. Some conditions are incurable, even with holistic medicine, but i've seen holistic approaches cure conditions that conventional medicine considers incurable & a holistic approach can ease suffering in incurable conditions. Holistic medicine encompasses a wide variety of modalities & the answer depends some on the modality & condition.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
Whats holistic medicine?
3 doctor answers • 13 doctors weighed in
Dr. Randy Bakeranswered
Holistic Medicine 41 years experience
Treats whole person: Holistic practitioners address the whole person: mind, body & spirit, in the context of his/her family, relationships & environment. They attempt to address the underlying cause of illness rather than just treat symptoms. They often combine complementary therapies like herbs, nutritional supplements & homeopathic medicines with mainstream approaches. See www.Abihm.Org/about-us/principles &comment:.
5.7k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Randy Baker commented
Holistic Medicine 41 years experience
Provided original answer
While holistic practitioners are much more likely to integrate complementary/alternative therapies into their practices, the heart of holistic medicine is addressing the whole person. A surgeon might be holistic while an acupuncturist might treat people on a superficial level (though a good acupuncturist will, of course, be holistic). I believe everyone can benefit from a holistic approach.
Jul 28, 2012
Last updated Sep 30, 2020
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