I'm going to dive into this thread ... after having read the whole thing.
There is a difference between homeopathic, holistic and alternative / natural medicines.
Definition of Homeopathic Medicine
Definition: Homeopathic medicine is a form of
alternative medicine that uses very small amounts of natural substances, which in higher amounts would cause a disease. The theory behind this form of medicine is that "like cures like," and that a substance that causes an illness in a healthy person might cure those symptoms in someone who is ill.
Homeopathic medicine differs from
allopathic (or mainstream, conventional) medicine, which uses agents (medicines, chemotherapy, surgery, etc.) that produce a different effect than the disease.
What Is Holistic Medicine?
What Is Holistic Medicine?
Holistic Medicine is defined by the Canadian Holistic Medical Association as follows.
- Holistic medicine is a system of health care which fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health.
It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.
Suzan Walter, President of the American Holistic Health Association (AHHA), put together an excellent summary of the principals of
Holistic Health. The summary can be found on the
AHHA Web Page. For those unfamiliar with Holistic Medicine, I strongly encourage reading this short summary.
Other Terms Associated with Holistic Medicine
Alternative Medicine is often used by the general public and some healthcare practitioners to refer to medical techniques which are not known or accepted by the majority "conventional" or "allopathic" medical practitioners (usually M.D.'s). Such techniques could include non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques such as Medical Herbalism, Acupunture, Homeopathy, Reiki, and many others. However, the term Alternative Medicine can also refer to any experimental drug or non-drug technique that is not currently accepted by "conventional" medical practitioners. As non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques become popular and accepted by large number of "conventional" practitioners, these techniques will no longer be considered Alternative Medicine.
Alternative Medicine refers to techniques that are not currently accepted by "conventional" practitioners, but what is currently accepted is quickly changing. Even the definition of "conventional practitioners" is quickly changing. Therefore, techniques that are now considered part of Alternative Medicine will soon be considered part of "conventional" medicine. The terms Holistic Healing and Holistic Medicine are slightly more stable than Alternative Medicine and are therefore preferable.
- Complementary Medicine is often used by "conventional" medical practitioners to refer to non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques used as a complement to "conventional" medical treatments such as drugs and surgery. The term implies that "conventional" medicine is used as a primary tool and the non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical techniques are used as a supplement when needed.
In many cases, properly chosen non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical healing techniques plus properly chosen lifestyle changes can completely and safely heal both acute and chronic illnesses. In other cases, "conventional" medicine is only needed in emergencies or when the safer non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical methods fail. In some cases "conventional" medicine will be a major part of a Holistic Healing Plan, but in some cases it is not needed at all.
- Natural Healing usually refers to the use of non-invasive and non-pharmaceuticals techniques to help heal the patient. When most people use the term Natural Healing, they are usually referring to physical healing techniques only.
After losing two cats, a dog and 3 ferrets to "modern veterinary medicine", I started searching high and low for a better way to treat my animals.
I use the holistic method - the WHOLE of the being. I use this for myself and for all of my animals. I have found a huge difference in myself since I quit eating processed foods, don't drink and exercise regularly. And by processed foods, I mean, I eat nothing that comes out of a container / box / package. I have one exception ... one coffee a day.
I feed my animals the same way ... and I use a holistic approach to "heal" my animals. I use minimal to no vaccines and ALL of my animals are extremely healthy.
One of my cats became diabetic from eating commercial cat food RECOMMENDED by the vet. He almost died following "modern" medication. I switched to home made food, and holistic healing and his diabetes was reversed and he was healthier than he had ever been.
My last dog was raw fed, had one set of vaccines in her life (as a puppy, at different times). She was titered at age 3 ... still fine, no vaccines needed. I brought her in at age 6.5 to have her titered again. My vet was on holidays, no problem, have the techs draw the blood and send it out. While they were drawing blood for titers a vet VACCINATED her b/c she was "unvaccinated".
She died in my arms 24 hours later, in convulsions, on the way back to the vet.
There are awesome vets and there are horrible vets. I've certainly run into my share of both.
There is "modern medicine" and then there is medicine that has been around for thousands of years. That "old" medicine has helped "mankind" and animals for a lot more years than new technology has. New medicine certainly has its benefits. A torn ACL can be surgically repaired and the dog back in shape in 6 months, there are many other examples.
BUT ... with the crappy commercial food that people are feeding their dogs, the over vaccination that goes on constantly - the amount of toxins that are dumped into a dog ... and people wonder why our dogs are sicker now than they were 50 years ago?
What's changed? The only answer I have - vaccines and food ... and neither of them are for the better. People are fatter than they used to be, less exercise, eat more junk food than they are supposed to, eat more processed food ... and people as a whole are worse off health wise than we were 50 years ago. And yet, we've done the same thing to our pets.
Holistic medicine treats the WHOLE ... not just the "problem" ... modern medicine treats the problem, and forgets about the root. That is the MAJOR difference.