Modern Western medicine has made incredible progress in the treatment, prevention and maintenance of a wide range of diseases that were once considered death sentences. Patients diagnosed with HIV / AIDS just a few years ago were almost sure of a rapid deterioration and death, and they thought that the medicine had not yet been found, patients live long and healthy despite their diagnosis. Diabetics can manage and maintain blood sugar levels through diet and exercise along with modern medications. Even recipients of organ transplants have a very high success rate than a few years ago. While modern medicine has a long list of undeniable successes, it is also important to remember that there are areas in which it has not reached the mark.
The biggest trap of the so-called modern medicine may well be that it focuses on the pathology, the process of determining, diagnosing and treating a disease. Not excluding the importance of this complex process, it is also important to understand and accept that health and well-being are much more than just improving our lives when we are sick.
The whole process of seeking medical help has become a circus in itself. Taking into account that we would once visit a family doctor for any thoughts and pains that we had, now we need to see specialists for whom we must have previously approved referrals before treatment. This can be even more confusing when you come across more than one prescriber, sometimes for the same ailment.
The biggest problem with western medicine is fundamental, and it needs to be addressed at an early stage during medical training. In the West, our medical professionals spend year after year learning how to treat symptoms when they should treat people. An objective view of the whole person is not only important, it is necessary to achieve the root of any health problem that may be present.
The vision and understanding that the mind, body and spirit are three different and equal parts of the whole and should be treated as such is the first step towards a more holistic approach to health care. Healing the whole person is the only way to attain true health that will endure, and holism is by its very definition about uniting the mind, body, and spirit to facilitate healing.
For example: Massage Therapy is probably the most famous form of holistic medicine, but you may not even realize that it is considered holistic at all. Massages do more than just relieve muscle tension, help relax the body, increase proper blood flow, relieve stress, and revitalize the mind.
This is one of the best examples of how holistic medicine works, because massage therapy is so widely accepted. However, there are many other holistic therapies that are also beneficial for the body, mind, and soul — the entire body. Although not all treatments are suitable for all patients, everyone is obliged to be informed and educated.
MD or PhD after the name of your doctor does not make them ultimately responsible for your health. At the end of the day is responsible for you.
