Holistic Medicine

Holistic medicine involves the consideration of the complete person, physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually, in the management and prevention of diseases and disorders. It is underpinned by the concept that there is a link between our physical health and our more general 'wellbeing'. In the holistic approach to medicine, there is the belief that our wellbeing relies not just on what is going on in our body physically in terms of illnesses, but also on the close interrelation of this with our psychological, emotional, social, spiritual and environmental state. These different states may be equally important. They should be managed together so that a person is treated as a whole. In fact, some feel that the word holistic should really be spelled 'wholistic'. A holistic approach means that the doctor is informed about a patient's whole life situation.