What are Healing Practices and Their Importance to Our Well-Being
Nowadays, there are several healing practices that fall outside pharmaceutical or surgical treatments, and the terms that would hear would be like alternative medicine, complementary therapies, holistic practices, natural healthcare and integrative medicine. The general examples of these terms are massage, meditation and acupuncture.
Some years ago, medical schools or mainstream hospitals did not offer complementary and alternative medicine which were defined as therapies. This seclusion does not apply any longer today since hospitals and clinics are now offering these complementary and alternative therapies, thus the use and acceptance of these practices are increasing steadfastly. Thus, in many healthcare settings, you will learn a new name of integrative therapies to refer to these practices.
So, whether the name you hear is holistic practice or integrative or complementary therapies and others, these all refer to the same thing which is a wide variety of healing practices that are outside the pure treatments through surgical or pharmaceutical.
Instead of the conventional medicine, a person can use these practices and therapies. Just bear in mind that you do not really abandon the conventional treatment in treating serious illnesses for a botanical medicine for example. In case you are undergoing chemotherapy for example, it will make sense to go and see a massage or healing touch therapist to help your body recuperate.
In this case, it is acceptable that we can consider as a complementary to conventional care these holistic healing practices, for they will form key parts of integrative healthcare.
It is now the idea that integrative healthcare is the goal of giving the best outcome for a patient, where the best of both conventional therapies and holistic healing can work together and made available for all.
This goal is supported by the fact that many nurses and physicians are now recommending botanical medicines or chiropractic practices as patients are now demanding the best of both worlds.
Know that there are literally hundreds of holistic healing practices, with new therapies coming out often, and if you are starting out, this could be overwhelming to know. Since there are several of these therapies and practices, it is suggested that you know what are these and their key characteristics to be able to use what is best for your condition.
One type are the alternative medical systems developed outside the western biomedical approach, such as the traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. Another kind are the mind-body interventions that cover behavioral, psychological, social and spiritual approaches, like cancer support groups and relaxation classes.
Next type of these therapies are the biologically based therapies using plant and other biological materials like herbal medicines and aromatherapy. Further therapies to mention are the manipulative and body based methods and energy therapies.