Alternative Medicine is Holistic, Western Medicine is Reductionist


The major difference between alternative medicine, or what I'll call holistic health, and Western medicine, is in approach.

A Western doctor, or MD, sees his duty as searching out disease, diagnosing it, and treating it. If he does that correctly and effectively, he's done his job. Most often, this means the doctor prescribing a pharmaceutical drug or a surgical procedure to remedy the situation. The patients is passive in all of this.

A holistic health practitioner sees her duty as an educator and a facilitator. She feels that the body can heal itself, and it doesn't necessarily need outside influences (drugs, surgery) to heal from an illness or to prevent an illness. In holistic health, the patient is an active participant.

This is the best and the worst thing about holistic health! The patient is actively involved in the healing process. Everything you know about your body says that this is the right approach. It makes so much sense. That's the good part. The bad thing about this is that it is HARD WORK for the patient. In most cases, the patient must make changes to their lifestyle. Change your diet, do more exercise, stop using sugar, do these stretches, stop negative thoughts, meditate twice a day, etc.

Making lifestyle changes is immensely difficult. The only time it's easy is when you are faced with a life-threatening disease. When you find out you have lung cancer, it's pretty easy to quit smoking. However, it's far too late by that time. Lifestyle changes need to come before the illness becomes manifest.

Let's examine one of the big differences between holistic health and Western medicine: holism versus reductionism.

Holistic versus Reductionist

This is a major shift in perspective. Taking a holistic perspective means that you cannot understand a single problem with a single part of the human body without looking at the whole person. We use the short-hand "mind, body, spirit" to refer to the whole person.

This is not how a Western doctor is taught to see a patient. He sees the patient as the disease. "This is an epileptic," it is not a whole person who has epilepsy. He feels that he can administer a drug or perform a surgery that will cure a person's liver without making any difference to the rest of the person. Of course, this is never possible, so when the inevitable "complications" arise, the Western doctor deals with those one at a time, often causing additional problems for the person, whether in body, mind or spirit.

Even those three parts of the person are treated by separate people in Western society. The body is the domain of the medical doctor. The mind is the domain of the psychiatrist. Spirit is left to the priest, rabbi or pastor. There is no overlap in roles, except for referrals from one to the other. In our bodies, of course, there is tremendous overlap. A loss of connection to God or the universe will cause no end of mental and physical problems. Mental stress causes many physical diseases, as we well know. Who can coordinate between these in the Western system? No one. Problems falling "through the cracks" between mind, body and spirit is a common failure of Western medicine.

A holistic practitioner understands the interconnections between mind, body and spirit. They work on the connections, and, although the practitioner may not be an expert in all three, they focus on the overlaps rather than ignoring them.

In my opinion, a holistic approach is better in almost every case for almost every person. Understanding the linkages between mind, body and spirit is essential to understanding how to stay well and how to heal. Western medicine can play a part within the scope of holistic health by offering emergency solutions to problems that arise quickly and need to be fixed immediately.


More Resources

Self Hypnosis CD Recordings
The purpose of this article is not to offer an opinion about the efficacy of hypnosis as used by any hypnotherapist. The BMA has long since acknowledged its place as a useful psychological intervention method.
Herbal Products
HERBAL PRODUCTS are comprised of herbal care remedies, such as ointments like Tea Tree ointment. Tea Tree ointment has the ability to help and cure dermatitis, excema and fungal infections.
Basilic : A Priceless Uplifter
"The smell of basil is good for the heart, it taketh away sorrowfulness, which commeth of melancholy and maketh a man merry and glad". (John Gerard)History of BasilThe history of basil is shrouded in a kaleidoscope of age-old stories and legends.
Neuro Emotional Technique
NET or Neuro Emotional Technique is one of the newer "power therapies" and stress reduction techniques that along with TFT (Thought Field Therapy), and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) have become popular in the last ten years. These therapies seem to work quicker than traditional talk therapies.
Teas From Plants Around You and Their Benefits
All teas unless specified are brewed with 1 teaspoon dry material or 2 teaspoons fresh material to 1 cup of water. Always steep.
Alternative Medicine and Therapies - What, Why and How of it
Alternative Therapies and alternative medicine has been gaining ground along with conventional treatments. Alternative therapies have been practiced for thousand of years especially in the east commonly known as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Magnetic Therapy, How And Why Magnets Effect The Body
Have you ever read or have been told that "it is not known why magnets work"? Well, this is untrue. All human and animal bodies are electromagnetic in nature and this fact is closely allied to the chemical balance of the body which can be in either a healthy or an unhealthy state.
Stuttering Self Help
I am Stephen Hill from Birmingham in England. I started to stutter in childhood at the age of four or five.
Watch Out for Alternative Medicine Charlatans!
Forget those CrystalsAs an integrative medical practitioner, I keep an open mind to new modalities of evaluating illness and treating disease. My interest and pursuit of complementary or alternative medical therapies has led me to selectively incorporate some of what I have come across.
Visualization For Self Healing
Visualization and guided imagery are two of the mostpowerful healing powers of your mind. All you needto do is use your imagination for some astonishingresults.
Neroli: The Fragrance that Exudes Contentment
One whiff of this unique fragrance will be enough to make anyone feel immensely contented. Particularly effective for insomnia and depression, it lingers in the air, leaving a sweet exquisite scent behind.
Detoxification and Your Health: The Bodies 7 Channels of Elimination!
If you want to be healthy you need to understand the seven systems that the body uses to eliminate waste and toxic matters.When these systems are working effectively the result is good health.
Hypnotherapy - Does It Really Work?
Okay, so some of you are familiar with hypnotherapy. You've heard it can be used for curing a number of ailments including stress, alcoholism and the like.
Heres Hope for Parkinsons Disease
Frank's 85 year-old father was in advanced stages of Parkinson's.Confined to a wheelchair.
Lead Poisoning in Environment and Our Children
Pollution is generallyy defined as the release of harmful environmental contaminants. Pollution can take two major forms: local pollution and global pollution.
Focus Your Light: Earning Money From Home When You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome /Fibromyalgia makes you extremely tired, exhausted and weak. It means you only have a fraction of the waking hours that most people enjoy - and even those waking hours are often spent feeling exhausted and with brain fog.
Gout Pain Relief With Cherry Power - How To Ease Pain By Eating Fruit
We can all learn something new every day! And good doctors are constantly alert to learning from all of their patients. It takes a lot to surprise me after twenty years in medicine but - I hold my hand up - this is a new one!I had never heard of cherry juice or fresh cherries being used to treat gout or for gout pain relief until I heard it recently from a patient (who had been told it by his pharmacist, who had heard it from a relative etc etc).
A Stitch In Time Saves Nine - Prevention not Cure
It is a sad fact that most people pay little attention to their health until it is at risk. It is only then that people truly realise that health and wellbeing is far more important than money, and that all the money in the world cannot always buy health.
Natural Pain Relief Through Magnetic Therapy is Possible
No one can deny the power of magnets, racing pigeons find their way home across thousands of miles, and Salmon use the earth's magnetic pulses to travel through oceans to make their way back to their spawning grounds. The ancient Celts built their places of worship at points where the earth's magnetic ley lines intersect.
Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Symptoms
Urinary tract infection is caused by bacteria in one of the tracts through which urine passes. The infection can occur in the urethra, ureters, or the urinary bladder.

More Alternative Information:

Related Articles

Plastic Acupuncture?
Plastic Acupuncture, abbreviated as (P.Ac) is not really a new development.
The Writer As Activist
Almost two years ago, before the release of my first book, "Short of a Picnic," I began writing nonfiction Internet essays that, like the book itself, deal with mental health. I say "deal" with mental health instead of "dealt" with mental health because these essays, five or six of them altogether, continue to be read.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine, also referred to as Herbalism or Botanical Medicine, is the oldest healthcare known to mankind. Herbal medicine is the utilization of herbs for therapy or medicinal purposes.
Dangers of Dehydration - And The Importance of Kidney Cleansing
The human body is composed of 75 percent water and 25 percent solid matter. To provide nourishment, eliminate waste and regulate all the functions in the body, we need water.
A Better Hope for Alcohol & Drug Problems
People with alcohol and drug problems have been done a disservice by being labeled "diseased." Although that viewpoint has helped caregivers become more compassionate, it has also given many people the mistaken belief that they cannot be helped.
The 7 Best Ways To Use Your Subconscious for Pain Relief
Your subconscious has influence over 7 different factors that could be causing your pain. Here's what you need to know about them so you can try to get relief.
Health in the Self
What is health?Is health the absence of disease? Is health a birth right or simply luck? According to Ayuveda, India's ancient art of healing, the meaning of health is a single word: Swastha. Swa = self + Stha = established.
Laughter and Your Health
Alternative medicine: jokes and humor for your healthWhen thinking about alternative medicine, most people picture plants, crystals, needles, maybe some bugs and leeches, but few realize that jokes, humor and comedy are truly medicines, in their own right. It has long been established that optimists live longer than pessimists, but now there is some hard evidence that people with a better sense of humor also have longer and healthier lives.
The Facts About Glutathione and Parkinsons Disease
Parkinson's Disease (PD), a devastating illness, occurs in one of every 100 people over 65.It is a slowly progressing disease of the nervous system that results in progressive destruction of brain cells (neurons) in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra.
What is Hypnosis?
Before anyone experiences hypnosis and starts using it to make wonderful, beneficial changes in their life, this article is designed to perhaps to answer a few questions you may have and also to dispel a few myths and misconceptions about hypnosis.You know, I still meet people that believe that experiencing hypnosis is like being unconscious.
A Grounded Look at the Nature of Healing
In "Evidence for the Sixth Sense", Hazel Courteney interviews an American scientist, Gary Schwartz, regarding the nature of energy and its relationship with the physical world. He explains three worldviews; one, that matter produces energy, it is a side effect of the physical world.
Stopping Colds in Their Tracks
We all know the nasty sensation of coming down with a cold: when you feel like your head is stopped up, when your nose is constantly running, and when nothing tastes right.Most of what we call colds are technically known rhinitis, and are caused by various micro-organisms settling on nasal or throat surfaces, and the body's reacting to them.
Allergies: Why Do You Have Them?
Next time you reach for your Claritin, think about this:Allergies are totally abnormal. Sure, tons of people have them.
The Many Uses of Mint
There are many varieties of mint plants. If you want to brew tea, you go Swiss mint, apple mint or variegated peppermint.
Urinary Tract Infections Helped with Cranberry Juice
Cranberry Juice is very rich in Antioxidants and Nutrients which can help to prevent degenerative illnesses and diseases, particularly those associated with the eyes, it is a well known supplement that is frequently used in overcoming UTIs or Urinary Tract Infections, and it could be called a vitamin that boosts the immune system, by increasing and improving cellular communication within the body.Cranberries are very popular in the United States, especially around Thanksgiving Day, because it has become traditional to have it as a sauce with the Thanksgiving Turkey.
How to Benefit from The Mind-Body Connection
Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of "Love, Medicine and Miracles" was once a distraught surgeon who fretted over his inability to effectively serve his cancer patients.
What Is Reflexology?
For the Reflexologist, the feet are a microcosm of the human body and every organ and body part is represented in the feet. Where there are two organs in the body they will be represented on both feet, e.
5 Simple Steps For Ridding Yourself Of Back Pain
Millions of people suffer from back pain unnecessarily when there is actually a very simple solution, according to Jesse Cannone , certified personal trainer and back pain specialist. "Unfortunately, many people are led to believe that back pain is normal and were all supposed to experience it.
Reduce Asthma And Breathe Free
Asthma can be a serous and often frightening condition that is typified by a tightening of the chest, wheezing and difficulty breathing. Asthma is made up of two underlying components: inflammation and constriction.
Tai Chi Breathing Reduces Residual Air in Ineffective Retention Space
Breathing is the source of life: if breathing stops, do does life. On average, an adult breathe 16-18 times per minutes, each time about 500ml of air exchanged in the lungs.