Ask A Healer Holistic Wellbeing Series

The Difference Between Holistic Medicine and Allopathic Medicine
Copyright, Neva J. Howell

An alternative health practitioner's perspective on what constitutes true healing is different in many respects from that of the western medicine doctor.

The difference might be summed up in focus; a doctor looks for what's wrong with you; a holistic practitioner or quantum energy healing facilitator looks for what's right with you.

An allopathic medicine doctor will seek to ease symptoms first; a holistic facilitator will seek to find the core issues that preceded illness.

If you go to a doctor, you will be asked about symptoms. This is because allopathic medicine still tends to treat symptoms.

The huge popularity of heartburn medicines are a testament to that because most of them do nothing to heal the condition, other than giving the person a break from pain by temporarily stopping the symptoms.

Stopping the symptoms can be a definite health benefit because the body heals itself best when rested and at ease. However, I do not believe treating symptoms will correct underlying chronic conditions.

If you have a allopathic physician who is knowledgeable and supportive of preventative medicine, you may also be given some vitamins to take, or other health supplements, in addition to prescription drugs.

Preventative Medicine a Step in the Right Direction:

Preventative medicine is a branch of allopathic medicine I totally support but unfortunately, many doctors still do not make prevention a priority with their patients. The patient comes in with a symptom, and the doctor treats that.

If a doctor is educated enough about the difference between treating symptoms and treating underlying cause, and is a progressive healthcare professional who knows the role emotion and mental stress can play, then there might additionally be conversations about stress, emotional challenges, bowel movements and sleep patterns.

If a person has chosen a progressive physician to consult, words like meditation, stress reduction, biofeedback, relaxation and music therapy may enter the dialogue. Otherwise, a prescription drug to treat the symptoms of stress, nerves or insomnia will be prescribed.

Beyond that, it has been my experience (and the experience of most people I've counseled over the years) that traditional allopathic medicine still does not tend to address illness as a whole-being challenge.

In sharp contrast to eastern medicine traditions, western medicine does not yet embrace the mind, body spirit connections that result in physical and emotional illness.

The questions on this website, many of them, are first asked by a person with symptoms they don't understand. I do use the symptoms as a guideline, in determining the educational information I share with them but I don't suggest symptom treatment as the best option for regaining optimal health.

Going beyond symptomology for whole being wellness

To the alternative healer, we must go beyond symptoms and get at the core of an illness, for the body to be able to truly heal itself.

Beyond giving health information about the challenge, I strive also to go beyond the easing of symptoms and delve instead into the core issues that ly behind di-ease. This is a whole-being approach and it's not for everyone.