What is ‘Holistic Health’ & why are GPs recommending it as a way to combat stress?
As the world of wellness continues to boom, more people than ever, both women and men, young and old and from all walks of life are turning to mind and body classes, therapies and apps offering the likes of yoga, mindfulness, and natural remedies as a means to counter stress and restore inner balance.
And with the spotlight shining ever brighter on the issue of mass over-prescription of common drugs including painkillers, anti-depressants and sleeping pills and their associated side effects, the need for non-pharma alternatives has never been more significant.
The good news is that GPs are increasingly recommending more holistic routes such as osteopathy, talking therapies and even naturopathy to help their patients manage pain and injury, overcome depression or anxiety, aid sleep and improve general health. So, what exactly does the word holistic mean? And why is this more integrated approach gaining ground?
As defined by the Cambridge dictionary, ‘holistic’ means “dealing with or treating the whole of something or someone and not just a part”. Seed is just one of a growing number of companies offering this all-encompassing, ‘body-mind’ approach to health and wellbeing.
Seed’s GP, Ashvy Bhardwaj, has been incorporating functional medicine into her practise for the past 7 years. Said Ashvy, “I spent many years prescribing medication to my sick patients. However, over time I realised that just treating the symptoms wasn’t working.
“I began to look instead at the whole picture of the person, from their lifestyle to their emotional health to help me better identify why they were becoming ill in the first place so I could treat from there. The results were immediate and significant.”
The link between body and mind
Research is increasingly showing a link between stress and a range of health issues from insomnia and digestive issues to more severe conditions such as hypertension and heart disease. Many studies have concluded the same thing – that the stress response throws the whole human system out of balance and subsequently we are more prone to illness.
So how does this work?
When the stress response is triggered, the body goes into “fight or flight” mode, instantly releasing cortisol and adrenaline and triggering hormonal changes to help us react quickly and move out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, the body can overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening such as traffic jams, work pressure, family issues and our increasingly fast-paced lifestyles.
Over the years, researchers have gained insight into the long-term effects chronic stress has on both physical and psychological health, concluding that the repeated activation of the stress response takes its toll on the body, resulting in illness and even disease.
This includes raised blood pressure, heart disease, depression and addiction, inflammation (the basis for many illnesses), obesity and much more.
This research is continuing to highlight how each part of our human-ness, ie our bodies, our minds and our deeper ‘selves’, are interconnected and therefore we need to treat at all levels to aid true healing.
Said Sports Therapist, Phil Simmons, “Often I find that when I work on pain or injury with my clients, deeper emotions and even trauma start to surface. In certain cases, I will refer my patients to a counsellor who is more qualified to help them.”
Massage therapist, Charlotte Pearce, said, “Massage works on both a physical and emotional level. Tension stored in the muscles such as the back, neck, shoulders and even jaw is often due to stress and anxiety. It’s a classic case of our bodies speaking our minds.”
And Clinical Hypnotherapist, Debbie Milligan, said, “Many of my clients who come with an emotional pain or trauma are also dealing with some sort of physical problem such as back pain, recurring headaches and so on. Often as we delve a little deeper to process the emotional issues, we find that the physical symptoms presenting significantly diminish or even disappear.”
TREATING THE WHOLE
When it comes to bodywork, practitioners such as osteopaths, Bowen therapists, Myofascia and Sports therapists work on the idea of treating the body as one whole rather than working only on the site of pain. Said one friend who recently visited a Bowen therapist, “I hobbled in with a knee problem and she started working on my shoulder. As weird as it was, I walked out of the room and my knee pain was gone.”
So, rather than reaching for a quick fix in a prescribed pill, there are many other routes to explore that can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep and enhance health and wellbeing.
Said Ashvy, “If we wish to improve our quality of life, our health and our happiness long term, more often than not this is very achievable by making positive dietary and lifestyle changes, participating in activities that free our minds from daily pressures and trying more natural options that address the root cause of our health issues.”
For more information about how Functional Medicine can aid stress and anxiety please contact Ashvy.
Seed offers a range of holistic methods for relieving stress & anxiety as follows:
- Meditation / Mindfulness – These increasingly popular disciplines help us to transcend the monkey mind through awareness of the breath, which in turn helps to calm our nervous systems as we move from ‘fight or flight’ into a more peaceful ‘rest and digest’ mindset.
- Yoga & Breath Work – true stress relievers that are available to everybody. Slowing the breath is the easiest way to change the mindset and emotional state. Yoga combines movement with breath to achieve a state of relaxation. Specific breathwork classes are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, it’s being touted as the new yoga!
- Counselling & Life Coaching are proven alternatives to medication. Just having an impartial ear to offload in a non-judgemental space can help people experiencing trauma, bereavement, family breakdown, lack of self-esteem, health issues, work / career issues and more. This is great for both adults and also kids / teens in crisis. Coaching also adopts a strategic approach to help clients move forward and achieve set goals and objectives.
- Essential Oils – Increasing research shows the therapeutic benefits of diffusing oils in a room or adding to a bath such as Wild Orange for anxiety, Lavender for insomnia and Peppermint for low immunity. Brands such as doTerra are backed up with education and guarantees of potency and high quality.
- Bach Flower Remedies – subtle yet powerful, flower remedies offer a great way to balance the emotions.
- Reiki – ideal for treating stress and anxiety, this increasingly popular therapy works on our subtle ‘energy body’ to clear any blockages and thus alleviate negative emotions so we can flow with more ease in our lives.
- Reflexology – Otherwise known as acupuncture without needles, reflexology uses the foot as a map of the whole body, inducing deep relaxation and promoting homeostatis in body and mind, thus allowing the body to heal itself.
- Hypnotherapy – a great and proven method to access the sub-conscious mind from where much of our thoughts and behaviour originate. Using different techniques, hypnotherapy can transform the way we perceive and therefore respond to situations. It offers benefits far beyond those for which it is most known such as stopping smoking and overcoming phobias.
- Osteopathy, Bowen Therapy, Myofascial Release, Sports Therapy & Massage – different forms of bodywork using a holistic approach to reduce and alleviate pain and injury.
- Kinesiology – a complex therapy that uses muscle testing to identify the true cause of pain and then a range of techniques to reset the communication between brain and body. Ideal for both recurring injury and post-traumatic stress.
- Craniosacral Therapy – working on the cranium (head) where we carry lots of tension. Ideal for adults as well as babies and children to release stress, anxiety and trauma.
- Nutrition – research shows a direct link between the brain and the gut so eating the right foods in the right amounts helps to balance hormones and reduce anxiety.
- Laser Light Therapy – Stress can prevent the body’s cells from functioning properly. A simple energy source of light such as laser therapy brings energy and vibrancy to cells, encouraging healing. It is completely safe, painless and has no side effects.
- Naturopathy – Certain herbs and supplements are well know for lowering stress and bringing balance to body and mind.
