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What makes a therapy "holistic"?

To be fair though, are people who practice alternative therapies even meant to be diagnosing disease?

In my work as a Physical Therapist and Sports Massage Therapist, I would not say that I am diagnosing disease - musculoskeletal dysfunction/imbalances yes, but not disease per se. Whilst at university, I studied all the required medical modules and know when it is unsafe to work with someone and when to refer them back or on to others.

I would have thought that other practitioners would have training in this also? The taking of a case history is one major factor in highlighting problems such as this. I also include other assessments for myself, such as postural and range of movement exercises, but then I find I can get the most information by actually starting to work with someone and being able to feel what their underlying tissues are like.

After one treatment I performed, I did refer someone back to their GP and they were able to get the problem diagnosed and treated in the very early stages, so that they had no further problems. They were very grateful for this.
 
Physiotherapist said:
To be fair though, are people who practice alternative therapies even meant to be diagnosing disease?

In my work as a Physical Therapist and Sports Massage Therapist, I would not say that I am diagnosing disease - musculoskeletal dysfunction/imbalances yes, but not disease per se. Whilst at university, I studied all the required medical modules and know when it is unsafe to work with someone and when to refer them back or on to others.

I would have thought that other practitioners would have training in this also? The taking of a case history is one major factor in highlighting problems such as this. I also include other assessments for myself, such as postural and range of movement exercises, but then I find I can get the most information by actually starting to work with someone and being able to feel what their underlying tissues are like.

After one treatment I performed, I did refer someone back to their GP and they were able to get the problem diagnosed and treated in the very early stages, so that they had no further problems. They were very grateful for this.
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From my understanding, when you see a patient, they have already been diagnosed with a disease. You aren't really diagnosing but treating at that point.
Your effort at evaluating them to make sure the patient fits within the parameters of when your treatment will be beneficial is an effective way to catch a misdiagnosis by the GP.

Homeopaths don't refer to specialists. They don't presume that someone else might know how to handle a specific disease state. They diagnose and treat without considering that someone knows more. can do more can actually help the person better.

MDs are typically egomaniacs. Yet they have enough love and concern for their patient to take a hit to their ego and admit when they can't help or don't know, and will refer to someone who can help.
 
Yes, mainly this is true that in my practice of physical therapy, I am treating, however, in my sports massage practice I do get people coming in for treatment without a referral, which is why I do all the things that I do so that I can spot when things are not right and when I need to refer.

I always make it a rule of thumb that if after having treated someone three times and the bodywork interventions that I am using are not having the effects that I expect, I will always stop and re-evaluate and then refer them back to their GP to see what else is going on.
 
Physiotherapist said:
To be fair though, are people who practice alternative therapies even meant to be diagnosing disease?

In my work as a Physical Therapist and Sports Massage Therapist, I would not say that I am diagnosing disease - musculoskeletal dysfunction/imbalances yes, but not disease per se. Whilst at university, I studied all the required medical modules and know when it is unsafe to work with someone and when to refer them back or on to others.

I would have thought that other practitioners would have training in this also? The taking of a case history is one major factor in highlighting problems such as this. I also include other assessments for myself, such as postural and range of movement exercises, but then I find I can get the most information by actually starting to work with someone and being able to feel what their underlying tissues are like.

After one treatment I performed, I did refer someone back to their GP and they were able to get the problem diagnosed and treated in the very early stages, so that they had no further problems. They were very grateful for this.
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:cool: You and your field are part of the mainstream medicine that abides by ethical guidelines. So good to see your post.

sCAM practitioners mock doctors' dignosis', and give their own with their own treatment plan.

Cases in point:

Go to any homeopath, and they will diagnose you, and then offer you treatment for what they figure is wrong with you. They have done "provings" afterall. Heck, you're encouraged to diagnose yourself:
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/instructions.htm

Oh sure, there's the mandatory disclaimer here and there to protect their @rses, but just talk to a homeopath, and most will tell you to steer clear of MDs and their "poisons".

Most sCAM practitioners will pooh pooh an MD's diagnosis, and tell you to get off any treatment prescribed in favor of their "natural products".


http://www.ariplex.com/ama/amamiche.htm
Hamer makes her believe, that a conflict is the cause
of the illness, the cancer being the healing phase.
Hamer persuades her, that she must stop the chemo therapy.
Michaela trusts the lies of Hamer,
Michaela trusts the lies of his helpers,
Michaela trusts the lies of false friends -
and stops the chemo therapy.


Without the life-saving treatment the cancer blooms up again
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Well, okay, that's an MD saying his alternative medicine is the new way...​




But even chiros will attempt to diagnosis and treat you, and most won't refer to an MD, but they are begging for refferals from MDs. Heck, many will tell you all you need for any type of ailment is a good back cracking. DD Palmer based the whole practice on "curing" some guy's deafness.
The theory of chiropractic which Palmer developed states that all disease is caused by the misalignment of vertebrae. A vertebra that is out of alignment, known as a "subluxation", blocks the natural flow of the vital "Innate Intelligence" through the body; thus leading to disease.
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Palmer claimed to have cured a man of deafness (apparently after discussing it with him first) by realigning a vertebra that he found was out of place; he also claimed to have cured others of various diseases by the same method. Interestingly, the nerves that are involved with hearing do not connect to the brain via the spine.​
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Here's a board you can get advice from fellow homeopaths, herbalists, and their happy customers, and most will tell you to avoid "western meds", including vaccines:
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=553820​

Here's some advice a poster has about urine:​
It actually isn't waste at all. You can do it in many ways, even homeopathically. It can help all kinds of imbalances in the body. Here's a link.

http://home.bluegrass.net/~jclark/urine_therapy.htm

It has been used therapeutically for a LONG time.
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And holistic approaches to mental health:
http://www.health.loversenses.com/mental-illness/holistic-approach-to-mental-illness-therapy

​
 
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