Integrative Medicine Clinic for Holistic Health, London

What is Holistic medicine?

Holistic medicine means consideration of the complete person, physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually, in the management and prevention of disease. It is underpinned by the concept that there is a link between our physical health and our more general ‘well-being’. In a holistic approach to medicine, there is the belief that our well-being relies not just on what is going on in our body physically in terms of illness or disease, but also on the close inter-relation of this with our psychological, emotional, social, spiritual and environmental state. These different states can be equally important. They should be managed together so that a person is treated as a whole. In fact, some feel that the word holistic should really be spelt ‘wholistic’. A holistic approach means that the doctor is informed about a patient’s whole life situation.

The Principles Of Holistic Medicine.

Conventional and alternative therapies may be combined to treat and prevent disease so more patients can enjoy optimal health. A holistic health practitioner will look beyond symptoms and will also consider the impact of lifestyle, spiritual, nutritional, emotional, environmental, and physical aspects of life.

Guiding principles include:

Whole-person integration. Patients are not viewed as their symptoms; they are considered as a whole (mind, body, spirit).
Holistic medicine seeks to find the cause of disease rather than how to treat symptoms.
Significant effort is expended on establishing a clear understanding of the factors that may contribute to a person’s disease state.
Illness is not isolated from the patient but rather a manifestation of dysfunction within the whole person.
The patient-practitioner relationship is a significant factor in determining healing outcomes.
The professional relationship considers the needs and objectives of the patient as well as their personal insights and awareness of both patient and practitioner.
The body has an innate ability to heal; the practitioner’s intent is to facilitate this.
Holistic practitioners continually explore safe and effective options for diagnosing and treating a variety of conditions.

What Can Holistic Medicine Treat?

Holistic therapies can address numerous health issues. We provide personalized health care to patients who want to improve their physical and mental health, as well as those who have specific medical concerns. Some of the conditions that can be addressed with a holistic approach include:

Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Thyroid disease
Adrenal and pituitary disorders
Weight concerns
PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome
Neuropathy

Benefits Of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

There are several reasons why alternative medical care is appealing, including:

Receive personal attention. Holistic medicine emphasizes both mind and body as a way to understand and achieve whole-body health. To achieve this, practitioners spend time getting to know the various aspects of their patient’s lives.
Well-rounded care. The disease is not separate from the person who carries it. Alternative medicine does not focus on the disease, then, it considers all aspects of physical wellness as well as each patient’s emotional and spiritual health.
Alternative medicine treats the cause. A holistic approach questions the many factors that may be involved in disease to unearth the originating causes. This could be diet, stress, immune suppression, or other triggers. By finding the cause, the need to treat symptoms decreases.
Treatment is flexible. Conventional medicine treats symptoms, often with medication. Even in light of lifestyle changes, a course of treatment may not change. Holistic medicine is more fluid, closely following the response to various therapies and lifestyle modifications and adjusting as needed.
Holistic therapies seek to improve the way the body functions naturally. This decreases the chance of becoming reliant on medication.