Meaning:
Holistic approach to patient care incorporates the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health of the individual. It explores the connection between mind, body, spirit and environment. Holistic healing includes a wide range of therapies with inherently complex philosophies about the prevention and treatment of illness. Questions still exist as to the safety of complementary and alternative medicine (otherwise known as CAM), which are an integral part of holistic healing and whether they really heal the conditions and diseases they are treating .
Holistic Therapies The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) defines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products not presently considered to be a part of conventional medicine." According to NCCAM, there does exist traditional scientific evidence as to the effectiveness of CAM therapies, but many questions still loom as to the validity of CAM therapies by conventional scientific studies. CAM therapies are continually evolving as certain treatments are proven safe and effective and incorporated in conventional health care, changing the way doctors approach illness (Holistic Treatment) Objective of holistic treatment: The objective of holistic treatment is to treat the main illness by boosting the immune system, increasing overall health. The theory further asserts that this will also affect secondary illnesses without treatment due to the strengthened immune system. Holistic therapy attempts to alleviate the underlying causes of disease. The holistic approach is a specific holistic treatment plan for each patient according to his or her individual needs. These therapies go beyond standard care for illness.
The Holistic Approach:
According to The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, there are three standard approaches to holistic care:
* Complementary