What is an Holistic Doctor?
An holistic doctor is a fully trained medical doctor just like your GP who also has training in one or more areas of complementary medicine. Sometimes holistic doctors are also known as an integrative medicine doctors. An holistic doctor treats their patients holistically, looking at the whole person, not just their symptoms and strives to find the underlying cause of any symptoms or disease, treat them and bring the body back to a state of wellness.
They will use and integrate both pharmaceutical and complementary medicines as part of their treatment. Holistic doctors consider all factors that can influence health and will not only address your physical health but also address your emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. An holistic doctor may still prescribe medications and refer for surgery when absolutely necessary but will also support you with a combination of vitamins, nutrients, herbal medicine and dietary and lifestyle changes.
What can an Holistic Doctor help you with?
Holistic doctors perform complex, in-depth and thorough testing which enables them to get a comprehensive overview of your health. Some testing they may do includes vitamin and mineral levels, biochemical assessments (amino acid, antioxidant, fatty acid levels), heavy metal levels, in-depth hormonal assays, allergy and food intolerance assessments, tests of you digestive function as well as general testing like a full blood count, blood sugar and cholesterol levels and so on.
Holistic doctors have longer appointment times than tradition GPs so they are able to spend time with you, explain the tests they are performing and go through the results, answer your questions and go through their recommended treatment.
Some holistic doctors specialise in certain areas such as:
cancer support, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases, degenerative disease, natural and bio-identical hormones, heavy metal toxicity, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia, chronic health conditions and thyroid and adrenal disorders just to name a few. Some holistic doctors can also perform oral or intravenous chelation therapy and give intramuscular or intravenous supplements. If you are looking for holistic comprehensive care and a doctor who is open to and uses both conventional and complementary medicine, then a holistic doctor is for you!
