Alternative Medicine, Complementary, Integrative, Wellness, Holistic ? What Do They All Mean?

Alternative medicine has grown in so many ways in North America. More people are visiting alternative medical practitioners than Western medical doctors. People spend more money on alternative medicine than they do out-of-pocket on Western medicine.

Another way that alternative medicine has grown is in the different labels. We have so many!

What do they all mean?

All these terms refer to a wide variety of healthcare practices originating from various countries and cultures. They include acupuncture, yoga, herbs, vitamin therapy, nutrition, exercise, reiki, reflexology, polarity and many, many other therapies.

However, each label also has its own unique twist when referring to this set of practices.

Let me take the labels one-by-one and give you a short description. Please note that these are my descriptions for each term, and other people may not agree. But I think I'm using the most widely-used definitions here.

Alternative Medicine

The term alternative medicine is probably the oldest and most widely used term. Unfortunately, it is also the most misleading.

Alternative medicine means that these healthcare practices (acupuncture, yoga, etc.) are used instead of Western medicine. A patient swears off any type of pharmaceutical drug or surgical technique and uses only Chinese medicine or homeopathy or whatever.

This hardly ever happens. Few patients are so myopic to close themselves off from all Western medical treatments. It really isn't advisable. I know many, many holistic practitioners and I've never heard any of them advise a patient to close themselves off from Western medicine. How silly! Western medicine has its own benefits to offer too, why ignore them.

But, that is the real definition of alternative medicine. You can see why it is being phased out slowly.

Complementary Medicine

A newer term is complementary medicine. This means that the practices I list above may be used as a complement to Western medicine. You go to your doctor, and he prescribes some drugs and/or surgery, then if that doesn't work, he asks you to try some other complementary approaches. Or, it may also mean when the above practices are used side-by-side with Western medicine. An example of this is when acupuncture is used for chemotherapy cancer patients to relieve the nausea and pain. This would be considered complementary medicine.

Be careful of the spelling here too. Complementary means a side-by-side approach to medicine. Complimentary means that it is free, no charge.

Integrative Medicine

A term pioneered by Dr. Andrew Weil from the University of Arizona is integrative medicine.

This means that physicians (Western and otherwise) have an integrated system of medicine that involves certain pieces of Western medicine and certain parts from the Chinese, Indian, etc. therapies that I listed above. All the therapies intermix and you have the best possible "super therapy" as a result.

As much as I like and respect Dr. Weil, I have to say that my experience says that truly integrative medicine does not yet exist anywhere yet. I've never seen a physician or any kind of practitioner who has an integrated plan for his patients that includes little bits of Western medicine and bits from multiple holistic practices.

This is probably the "Holy Grail" of medicine, but I think it will be a long time coming. The clinics that proclaim themselves to be "integrative medicine" centers are usually just a collection of different practitioners who share the rent together in one building. True integration would be great, I just haven't seen it happen.

Wellness

If the previous terms have been misleading or overly optimistic, this term is really succinct and accurate. The term wellness applies to everything a person does to stay well. It is all about prevention and achieving the greatest health a person can achieve.

This is extremely accurate in describing the Chinese or Indian systems of medicine. And it is the best possible advice for patients, to get them on the track of staying well, rather than fixing illnesses.

But, as you might guess, this term has a problem too. (Don't they all?) Wellness has been hijacked as a label for "early detection of disease." Many hospitals have a "Wellness Center" where they conduct cancer screenings and do unnecessary MRI scans to look for problems or potential problems. These are great profit centers for the hospitals, but unfortunately they have ZERO to do with wellness.

Wellness is about eating right, getting enough sleep, exercising, taking the right herbs and having great relationships. It is NOT about early detection of disease. That doesn't help you stay well, it just allows you to jump on an illness before it has the chance to become life-threatening. Valuable, sure, but it is not wellness.

Holistic Health

Finally, we come to the term holistic health. You could also call it holistic medicine or holistic practices. It is also sometimes spelled "wholistic."

Holistic comes from "the whole." It means to take a person as a whole being. The Chinese and Indian healing systems see a person, not just as a physical body, but as a body-mind-spirit. Their healing practices allow for all parts of the person and treat all parts equally. They have methodologies for solving problems in all three areas, and especially for finding problems that crisscross between body, mind and spirit (which most health problems do).

Holistic health is my favorite term. It too has problems, though. Sometimes, holistic health is perceived as a "New Age" term, evoking angels and witches and crystal balls. These off-beat practices can certainly be included as part of holistic health, but they are not at its center. Practices like naturopathy, homeopathy, Chinese medicine, Indian ayurveda are truly about holistic health.

But it will be hard to shake the New Age association for people who use the term holistic health.

There's your whirlwind tour of definitions for alternative medicine. I hope this has been helpful. Use the definition that makes most sense to you. And be well!

Daryl Kulak is the author of Health Insurance Off the Grid, a book that provides a simple, effective plan to reduce insurance costs for the self-employed, unemployed and underinsured. The book puts the new Health Savings Account (HSA) together with alternative medicine to create a workable, cost-effective plan for many Americans. The book is available at the Website http://www.healthoffthegrid.com

---

Feeling Frisky? Herbs for Fertility

For thousands of years knowledge of the herbs and wild... Read More

Treat Cold Sores, Sore Throats, and Warts Naturally

Tired of costly medications, prescriptions and time lost for doctor's... Read More

Crystal Healing

Ask and you shall receive!! Persuaded by popular demand, I... Read More

The Honeybush Miracle

Perhaps a little eclipsed by the world-wide success of Rooibos,... Read More

Why Use An Aromatherapy Diffuser?

We breathe 22,000 times a day, inhaling 400 cubic feet... Read More

Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells

First showers of monsoon are heartily welcomed by everyone after... Read More

Precious Gems of Wisdom

The New Age should also be called The Stone Age,... Read More

Cliff Kuhn M.D.s Fun Commandments Unlock Humors Amazingly Powerful Natural Medicine

My Fun Commandments are more relevant today than ever before... Read More

Do-Sa-Do: Square Dancing and Mindfulness

When I was 12, one of my best friends was... Read More

What Is Oral Chelation And How Can It Help Prevent Heart Disease

Oral ChelationOral chelation is the solubilization of a metal salt... Read More

Understanding Herbology

The use of herbs as early forms of medicine or... Read More

How to Cure Allergy Naturally?

When the immune system in our body finds or realizes... Read More

Herbal Therapy

Herbal Therapy, also referred to as Herbalism, is one of... Read More

Health Benefits of Hemp Oil

Hemp oil has long been recognised as one of the... Read More

Teas From Plants Around You and Their Benefits

All teas unless specified are brewed with 1 teaspoon dry... Read More

Snoring - A Small Change Can Make A Big Difference

We all know how annoying snoring can be, both for... Read More

Cleaners And Our Health

Many people use strong cleaners or acid cleaners to make... Read More

You Cant Fool Mother Nature

In the 1970's, there was a margarine commercial with the... Read More

How Pain Relief Visualization Statements Work

Visualization statements represent the specific language that your subconscious wants... Read More

Using the Subconscious for Pain Relief - What?s In It For You?

If you're in chronic pain, you probably want 7 things.... Read More

Basic Reiki

This is a very simplified primer on basic Reiki. It's... Read More

Green Bamboo: Strength in Flexibility

Those who have watched the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"... Read More

Fixing it with Hypnosis

There are many fears and misunderstandings about the use of... Read More

The 5 Hidden Dangers In Toothpaste

A Must Read if You Have Children!Would you allow your... Read More

Limitations You Should Know About When Using the Subconscious For Pain Relief

As powerful as the subconscious can be in relieving pain,... Read More

3 Quick Herbal Remedies

In recent years the issue of Alternative Healing has skyrocketed... Read More

Mud Baths at Your Home Spa- the Pros and Cons

"If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere"... Read More

Body Mass Index Is Not The Only Focus of Your Weight Loss Plan. Think About The Stress in Your Mind

The first of January will bring a new group of... Read More

Healing Heartburn Holistically

Everyone at some point in time has experienced some form... Read More

How Toxic Is Your Home?

We like to think of our homes as being a... Read More

Too Clean?A Critical Look At The Alleged Link Between Asthma and Cleanliness

Americans are ridiculed around the world for our attention to... Read More

New Age Torture

I'll admit it ... I'm a spiritual tramp. I've spent... Read More

Will This Years Flu Paralyze The US And Canada?

According to the Associated Press on August 26th, the US... Read More