Is Acupuncture Considered Holistic

[CaliforniaGreys]

I don't really understand what "holistic" means in terms of treatment. I've always thought it meant all natural but I'm not sure. I hear people refer to acupuncture as a holistic practice.I've had acupuncture really help with my dogs but the vet who does the acupuncture is not a holistic vet. Would someone be willing to explain it? Thank you

[galgrey]

Acupuncture is just one of the treatment modalities that is frequently used by a holistic medical practitioner. Other non-traditional modalities include: homeopathy, chiropractic, herbal medicine, etc. See this LINK for additional information. I also just posted something about this in the other link about Holistic Medicine.

 

This is from the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association website:

"At the core of this issue lies the very essence of the word "(w)holistic". It means taking in the whole picture of the patient—the environment, the disease pattern, the relationship of pet with owner—and developing a treatment protocol using a wide range of therapies for healing the patient."

 

"Holistic (or Integrative or Complementary) Veterinary Medicine is the examination and diagnosis of an animal, considering all aspects of the animal's life and employing all of the practitioner's senses, as well as the combination of conventional and alternative (or complementary) modalities of treatment. When a holistic veterinarian sees a pet, besides giving it a comprehensive physical examination, he/she wants to find out all about its behaviors, distant medical and dietary history, and its environment including diet, emotional stresses, and other factors."

 

Hope this helps.

 

edited 'cause I can't type.

Edited March 6, 2008 by galgrey

[CaliforniaGreys]

Thank you for taking the time and the explanation