Holistic medicine is an approach to healing that emphasizes the connection between mind, body and spirit. Holistic healers believe that medical treatment cannot take place in a void; if one part of the body is suffering, the person's total being must be treated for healing to take place. Many health care professionals, including medical doctors, practice holistic health care as part of their practice and seek to work in partnership with their patients to heal them. Their treatments support the body's natural healing while taking into account the patient's spiritual, emotional and physical state.
Instructions
Finding a Holistic MD
1. Look at the American Holistic Medical Association's website (see "References"). The AHMA encourages the use of holistic and integrative medicine and maintains an up-to-date listing of various medical professionals including allopaths (conventional MDs) who practice holistic medicine. Its list also includes practitioners of other alternative medicines; when looking for a holistic MD, it is critical to check the practitioner's credentials on the list to ascertain what kind of doctor she is.
2. Check the listings for holistic MDs at the The American College for Advancement in Medicine's website (see "References"). The ACAM promotes integrative medicine that combines conventional care with alternative medicine to improve patient care. It maintains an extensive listing of holistic MDs. Its website has a search tool that allows a search by location.
3. Contact a laboratory that does testing for alternative medicine nutritional testing. These laboratories are in constant contact with alternative practitioners and can suggest names of local MDs who practice holistic medicine. Laboratories can be located through an internet search for "alternative medicine nutritional testing."
4. Discuss the concepts of holistic medicine with the attending physician. Many doctors are willing to incorporate holistic healing practices into their own medical care and are open to learning more. The philosophy of holistic medicine is compatible with conventional medicine and many allopaths are interested in integrating holistic principles into the framework of their allopathic medical care.
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