Herbal Medicine vs. Holistic Medicine, What's the Difference?

How Does Holistic Medicine Work?

When the mind, body, and spirit find harmony, it results in overall better health. Holistic medicine seeks to restore this balance through methods such as:

• Diet and nutritional adjustments
• Stress management
• Detox from environmental hazards
• Herbal medicine

Unlike traditional medicine, holistic medicine seeks to understand all the mental, emotional, physical, and environmental factors affecting a person’s health. This broader view allows the treatment of the person, not just the person’s symptoms. All symptoms have causes, and holistic medicine often uncovers underlying conditions that traditional medicine would not consider. Where a conventional doctor might treat anxiety with medication, triggering unpleasant side effects, holistic medicine would consider many factors contributing to anxiety and help the person manage these with natural methods. 

Homeopathic vs holistic – what’s the difference?

Homeopathic and holistic medicine are different approaches with some shared ideas. Homeopathic vs holistic confuses many people. Homeopathy uses tiny doses of substances to trigger healing. Holistic medicine looks at the full person and uses many methods, including herbs, food, and stress support. Holistic care may include homeopathy, but they are not the same. In holistic vs naturopathic, naturopathy is a licensed system of holistic care using science-backed natural methods.

What is holistic medicine?

Holistic medicine is a whole-body approach that connects mental, physical, and emotional health. It aims to treat causes, not just symptoms. People ask, what does holistic medicine mean, or holistic medicine what is. It means care that restores body balance using food, herbs, stress care, and detox. At Cutler Integrative Medicine, this approach fits your unique health story.

What Can Herbal Medicine Do?

Many conventional medications were discovered first in plants. Plants offer a vast array of healing compounds, many too complex to be isolated and put in a pill. Herbal medicine, also known as botanical medicine, uses plants to restore and maintain good health. Many of the plants used today have served as medical treatments for people all over the world for thousands of years and still work just as well. 

Conditions often treated with herbal medicine include:

• Allergies
• Chronic fatigue
• Menopausal symptoms
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Migraines
• Asthma
• Eczema
• Arthritis
• Insomnia
• Inflammation
• Mood and anxiety

Naturopathic doctors may use herbal medicine as part of the treatment plan for these or any other health concerns. 

Who are herbal doctors and what do they do?

Herbal doctors, also called naturopathic or integrative doctors, use plants to support healing. At Cutler, your herbal MD creates custom plans. These include plant-based treatments and whole-body care. Many herbal doctors treat long-term issues like fatigue, IBS, and allergies. They use natural and holistic medicine with few side effects. Holistic medication may include teas, capsules, or tinctures made from plants. These are part of many holistic medicine treatments designed to improve overall health.

Am I a Good Candidate for Herbal and Holistic Medicine?

Holistic and herbal medicines are safe and effective for almost everyone. Because they focus on restoring health naturally, they do not have conventional medicine’s side effects or risks. Your treatment plan is designed around you and will consider any health conditions or risk factors as part of your overall wellness.