nextSteps.org - January 2004

Holistic Medicine

Industry Profile -- by Berenice Gargus

We human beings have done some wacky things to ourselves in the pursuit of health and wellness. Think back chronologically to electroshock therapy, blood letting, and the ancient art of trephining, or boring holes in the skull.

What's even stranger is the fact these practices are all still in use today. Nurses draw blood for tests and transfusions, acupuncturists and physiotherapists use electrical charges to stimulate muscles, and brain surgeons wield drills and saws in modern ORs. It seems treatments that work stay in use.

It's unfortunate then, that a rift has opened between modern (allopathic) medicine and holistic medicine in the past few hundred years. A focus on allopathic medicine has shifted our health care away from identifying and treating the cause of illness to just treating the surface symptoms, usually with medications, surgery or radiation.

Gradually, people are starting to feel this is simply not enough and Holistic Medicine is again on the rise in developed countries. Alberta's OCCinfo website forecasts above average demand for chiropractors, kinesiologists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, medical doctors, and wellness consultants in the next four years.

Holistic medicine is the "art and science of healing that addresses the whole person - body, mind, and spirit - by integrating conventional or alternative therapies to prevent and treat disease, and to promote optimum health." *

Holistic medicine treats the whole person. Other terms for this type of care are alternative, complementary, or integrative medicine.

Holistic healing is thought to have originated in ancient China and India, but elements of both holistic and allopathic medicine come from Ancient Greece. That's where Hippocrates developed the standard medical oath and encouraged diagnosis based on analysis and fact instead of superstition.

Holistic medicine tries to strike an harmonious balance between all aspects of the person. Practitioners might use body manipulation, mental, emotional and spiritual work, or nutrition and herbology either alone or in combination.

Think of it like exercise. In your standard gym workout, you apply brute force to a heavy object repeatedly. Over time, you will build some muscle, but bulky biceps can't compensate for weak back muscles. You won't build cardio strength or flexibility and you might even suffer injuries from imbalances.

A holistic exercise like yoga or Tai Chi is a form of preventative medicine.

Yoga poses have been practiced and refined in India for over 5,000 years, so they're very effective for providing all-around tone, suppleness, balance, and fitness. When you move from pose to pose, you do more than just lengthen and strengthen muscles and ligaments. Concentrating your mind reduces stress and brings the benefits of meditation and relaxation.

In addition to teaching yoga, holistic healers might work with nutrition, suggesting dietary changes and herb/vitamin supplements or just trying to educate their clients on how to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Dr. Tris Trethart is an Edmonton MD who uses extensive nutritional screening to improve the health of his patients. Before you can see Dr. Trethart, you're asked to fill out a dietary survey of over 10 pages. After the first visit, you'll probably be sent for extensive blood tests that check for routine ailments and nutritional deficiencies. His clinic also offers live blood testing and hair analysis services and has shown incredible results in patients.

However, for this and other treatments to be effective, patients must be willing to take an active part in the healing process, and sometimes make substantial life changes to correct the imbalances. This can be difficult for the practitioner to enforce.

Good holistic practitioners will stay positive and try a variety of treatments, or combine treatments in new ways.

Dr. Keith Zukiwski, a psychologist with the Alberta Lung Association, has developed an holistic asthma treatment called Mind Your Asthma. His system combines visualization and hypnotherapy with conventional medication for some impressive results. Patients learn to reduce airway inflammation, control symptoms and keep calm during an attack.

Besides psychotherapy, other mind-body approaches involve meditation, prayer, and/or journaling.

Physical treatments include therapeutic massage (lymphatic, deep tissue), pressure point techniques (reflexology, acupressure), movement reeducation therapies, bioenergetic healing (therapeutic touch, Reiki), somatic psychology, structural bodywork (rolfing), and applied kinesiology.

Within the medical field today, chiropractic is the most well respected form of hands-on holistic healing. Chiropractic means "done by hand". By realigning the spine, chiropractic seeks to relieve discomfort and restore proper nerve function.

To find out more about chiropractic work, read our interview with Dr. Gary Klaudt.

Modern medicine uses pills and surgery as its chief weapons against disease. These can be highly effective, especially in emergencies, but tend to be reactive instead of proactive and treat the symptoms, not the cause.

The world's most ancient healing traditions also use a holistic approach to promote and maintain good health. Meditation, yoga, massage, and botanicals are used in Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine). Acupuncture, Tai Chi, and herbs are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

To find out more about TCM, read our interview with Sharon FitzGerald, a physiotherapist who specializes in Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

It is hopeful to see these examples of our society moving toward a medical system that incorporates both holistic and allopathic approaches. Alternative practices such as osteopathy (a blend of modern medicine, massage and chiropractic) are becoming more popular. As well, more forward-thinking doctors are presenting unique combinations of the forms.

Here in Calgary, the Integrative Medicine Institute strives to combine the best of alternative and conventional medicine by utilizing advanced medical technology in partnership with holistic Chinese, Ayurvedic, and Naturopathic medicines. In addition to direct patient care, IMI also conducts research - currently on alternative treatments for cancer.

Aromatherapy, biological dentistry, chelation therapy and detoxification/colonics are also practiced here in the city. The Wild Rose College has been teaching herbology both in-house and through distance education for 28 years.

For more advice on where to study for a career in massage therapy, read our Jump Start article. Our Hot Tip will provide advice on how to figure out which schools are the best and prepare you for a career in mindful health care.

Research sources

* The Guide to Holistic Health by Larry Trivieri, Jr. and The American Holistic Medicine Association, 2001

Medicine, part of the Eyewitness Science series, 1995

The World Wide Web (see links)

Alberta Occupational Profiles:

Chiropractor

Chiropractic Assistant

Naturopathic Doctor

Dietician (Nutritionist)

Massage Therapist

Kinesiologist

Wellness Consultant