Overview
Americans are living longer than ever and presenting increasingly complex conditions to their health care providers. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., author of “Healthy Aging” and founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, the best approach for treating this population is to incorporate holistic medicine techniques, to combine Western diagnostic tool and critical care capability with more holistic ideas of prevention and self-healing.
About Holistic Medicine
Holistic medicine is more commonly described as complementary or alternative medicine. It refers to a practice of medicine which includes the body, mind and spirit as factors of illness, disease and healing. Holistic medicine tends to operate outside of the health care system and as such, offers a forum for longer and more detailed interactions between the practitioner and the patient. This may be useful for an aging population, whose multiple, overlapping conditions may require more time to discuss.
Aging and Symptoms
Older individuals may have a complicated history of symptoms, diagnoses, care and treatment outcomes. They may have taken or be currently taking multiple medications. As they continue to age, they may encounter new health complications, such as obesity, memory loss, decreases in coordination or sensory decline. Moreover, it may be difficult for an aging patient to fully describe her discomfort. The patient-focused nature of holistic medicine, with its broad timeline, may be particularly useful in these situations.
Aging and Individuality
As patients age, they may have limited financial resources or family support with which to deal with changes in health care. They may be aware of problems on multiple levels (social, environmental) but unable to address them all equally. Holistic medicine allows practitioners to approach each patient on an individual, case-by-case basis, validating their life experience. According to Dr. Weil, the physician-patient relationship is central to the healing process.
Medical Training and Practice
While traditional Western medical doctors may receive holistic training and certification, and holistic medical practitioners may receive training in Western medicine, the underlying philosophies are quite opposite. Holistic medical providers tend to view illness or disease as a manifestation of a larger imbalance. This can be reassuring to an older individual who is not satisfied with a pat diagnosis and treatment protocol. On the other hand, traditional Western medical providers are accustomed to tracking the manifestation of illness or disease, which can provide crucial and even life-saving information.
Conclusion
Holistic health care considers the cultural, social, and spiritual factors of health care conditions and can provide solace to individuals as their health fluctuates. However, holistic medicine may lack critical diagnostic devices (such as blood pressure monitors), which are present in most traditional Western care facilities. For this reason, integrative care, which fuses holistic and traditional Western care, may provide the most comprehensive and safe provision of care for aging individuals.
About this Author
Trina Lion has been a literacy consultant for 14 years: writing, proofreading and copyediting for an array of industries, and spearheading grant-funded literacy programs for families. Lion has written for Braille Bug, the children’s website of the American Foundation of the Blind, and “Acupuncture Today,” a journal for practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.
