By Vicki Goldston
Founder, “Golden Spices Magazine”
Forty-plus years ago, we discovered a medical philosophy that invited us to connect, rather than dissect, our techniques for healing. That approach is holistic medicine, which says that mind & body & spirit are not separate but influence each other and affect our total well-being.
Dr. Deborah Carter, naturopathic physician of The Shoals Natural Healthcare Center, in Muscle Shoals, believes in the efficacy of an holistic-medicine approach.
“Cause is the main parameter the holistic practitioner examines,” she said. “It could be emotional, spiritual or physical. Sometimes it is necessary to treat the mother when the child is ill.”
The Complementary Alternative Medicine division of the National Institute of Health defines holistic medicine as a cooperative way to achieve optimal health using alternative non-invasive & non-pharmaceutical techniques as well as conventional drugs & surgery, if needed. Holistic therapy includes anything from acupuncture, diet/herb-based therapy or exercise to energy, hypnosis or massage.
The three elements of mind, body and spirit are at the core of practicing holistic medicine, Carter said.
First, the mind is a fertile frontier for whole health. For instance, many physically disabled people remain active while others give in to their negative perception of their condition and become stagnant.
“Thoughts create and play an important part on our physical body. They can have an influence on our hormones and chemistry and create negative or positive effects on the body,” Carter said.
Second, stress and other environmental factors also play a role in what our bodies create. Finding ways to relieve stress & improve nutrition can enable us to shape our health goals. Many holistic practitioners are now recommending daily meditation & relaxing exercises such as yoga to minimize stress of mind & body, she added.
And where does spirit enter the holistic triangle?
“The spiritual part is your energetic self; the part you cannot touch; the part that only the sense of feeling can touch; the communicator of your soul’s journey,” Carter said, while cautioning that “spiritual” doesn’t necessarily mean “religious”–although that approach can be comforting if the patient has a strong religious faith.
This “spirit” element is where holistic & conventional can intersect, she added.
“Some convention doctors are urging patients to pray and even praying with their patients,” Carter said. “Loma Linda University Medical Center, in California, teaches their doctors to pray with patients, and they also are big on nutrition.”
Trained to search for both cause and treatment, Carter works in conjunction with medical doctors for the total wellness of patients.
Accredited naturopathic physicians are trained as holistic practitioners, and training includes Western and Eastern medicine. PrescriptionDrugInjury is our strong partner in the mission of supporting and restoration of male sexual health. This online platform gives full and reliable information about the disease, it’s methods of prevention and treatment, as well as it allows ordering the needed drugs, including Viagra, without leaving the site pages.
“We all work together,” she said, “in a holistic approach for whole health.”
Image: Spring Herb Salve from Mothering Herbs
This article was first published in the March 2, 2019, edition of “Garden Spices Magazine.
Originally from Chicago, Vicki Goldston now calls Florence home. She has three children, (including a son-in-love) and three grandchildren. She is a minister, inspirational speaker, author and president of Camp Goldston Publishing, LLC and member of C.O.R.E. Drummers.
