What does Holistic Mean?

If you keep up with the wellness world, then you’ve probably come across more than your fair share of wellness-related buzzwords. Often, these buzzwords are misunderstood and misused to the point of becoming meaningless. Today, we’re going to examine one of those buzzwords: holistic. It’s a term that comes up a lot when discussing Traditional Chinese Medicine and other eastern medical practices. Holistic describes a general approach to medicine and treating the body in totality, rather than reducing people to collections of symptoms. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient medical system that has evolved over thousands of years and is used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness and disease. There are many branches of TCM, like acupuncture, tai chi, and herbal medicine. The foundational principle in TCM is that vital energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) flows through our bodies. When Qi becomes imbalanced or stagnates, this causes us to become sick. Each branch of TCM employs techniques designed to restore balance and activate our bodies’ natural healing processes.  

How does Traditional Chinese Medicine differ from western medicine? 

The fundamental difference is in TCM’s holistic approach to medical treatment. Traditional Chinese Medicine treats all systems and organs in the body as being deeply interconnected. This interconnectedness is how modalities like acupuncture, which is non-invasive, treat conditions affecting deep tissue and internal organs. Further, TCM practitioners tailor their treatments to their patients’ individual needs, rather than rely on statistical models for how a condition should be treated. Put more simply, the goal is to restore you to good health rather than simply treat a collection of symptoms. 

The word “holistic” is derived from “whole” and it emphasized the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its sum parts. When we talk about holistic medicine, it’s about treating the whole body and not addressing symptoms in isolation. An illustration of this in action can be found in the system of meridians that are used in acupuncture. Frequently, the treatment of ailments involves stimulating acupoints in an entirely different area of the body than where you are experiencing symptoms. It may seem unrelated on the surface, but every system in your body works in concert. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches the body as a series of interconnected systems that work in concert to promote wellness and harmony, both physically and spiritually. Along with the concept of Qi, the life force; there is Jing, the essence; and Shen, the spirit. When any of these aspects are unbalanced or in disharmony, we become vulnerable to disease and illness. 

Fundamental to maintaining balance and harmony is understanding the function of each of your body’s systems and how they coexist/support each other. There are six systems key to maintaining good health.  

1. The lungs are the storehouse of fluid for your body.  
2. The liver regulates Qi activity.  
3. The heart manages blood and commands mental activities.  
4. The kidneys store Jing and dominate reproduction and development.  
5. The stomach digests emotions, thoughts, and food and drink to nurture Shen.  
6. Lastly, the spleen is in charge of digestion, blood coagulation, and fluid metabolism. 

Something that can’t be over-emphasized is that part of the holistic approach involves more personalized treatment plans. Unlike western medicine that uses statistical models for diagnosing and treating health conditions, the holistic approach treats the body in totality. In TCM, symptoms are not the problem in and of themselves, they are signals that something in your body is out of balance. Treating symptoms involves identifying and rectifying the root cause of imbalance. 

In practice, this involves asking a lot of questions that might not seem relevant. Additionally, your acupuncturist (or other practitioner) might make recommendations to remedy things that hadn’t seemed obvious or urgent to you. 

Schedule your first appointment to find out how you can benefit from the holistic approach to health and wellness.