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Integrated
Medicine
The way in which the
treatments were
chosen for
integrated medicine,
in many cases,
derives from
considerations of
convenience or
‘supply and demand’
and not from
treatment rationale.
Integrated medicine
means the
integration of
different treatment
methods (holistic
and scientific) in
the treatment
‘basket’ so as to
provide a solution
for the helping of
body-mind in four
dimensions:
spiritual,
intellectual,
emotional, and
physical .
Over human history,
many researchers
have presented an
attitude on
integrated medicine
but never has this
subject been a focus
of attention in
practice as in
contemporary times.
The Book of Creation
, which is ascribed
to the Patriarch
Abraham, was the
first to instruct in
the integrated
approach. The
relationship between
numbers and letters
(male and female)
and the creation of
the four dimensions
– spiritual,
intellectual,
emotional, and
physical, senses,
inner forces,
outside impacts, and
the relations
between the desire
to give and the
desire to receive,
relations between
the body limbs and
the seasons of the
year, the zodiac,
the stars,
measurements, human
traits and
intelligences –
everything is
related, everything
is one (Lousky,
2005). This can be
seen as the
determination of
basic rules for
integrated medicine.
Reference to health
in a holistic
approach is also
found in Socrates,
who warned two
thousand four
hundred years ago
that a part cannot
be healthy unless
the whole is
healthy. Jan Sumitz
in 1926 proposed to
see life as an
entity that is
greater than and
different from the
sum of its parts.
According to him,
when things are
limited to a certain
perspective, some
are lost. Even if it
is possible to
examine every part
separately, the
perspective of the
whole, which is
above everything,
will still be
absent.
The model of the
four dimensions,
which describes the
whole person
(physical,
emotional,
intellectual, and
spiritual) appears
in Eastern doctrines
– Buddhism of Buddha
(the eight paths,
2500 BC) and Taoism
of Confucius (Cong
Fu Ze, 551-479 BC)
(Pearle, 2000) . The
pattern model for
the description of
the whole is an
inseparable part of
the holistic methods
of treatment. The
four dimensions for
the description of
the whole are found
in Jewish medicine
and in Western
philosophy.
Complementary
medicine, which is
also called holistic
(whole) medicine,
has a number of
treatment methods at
the basis of which
are two essential
principles:
1. The person is one
whole entity in
which there are
dynamic reciprocal
relations between
body and mind in
four dimensions –
physical, emotional,
intellectual, and
spiritual.
2. Every person has
inner healing powers
that can be
intensified and
directed to perform
the healing work.
An illness is linked
to the disruption of
the delicate balance
that exists between
body and mind.
Therefore, the first
aspiration in the
healing process is
to reach the point
of equilibrium to
allow the inner
healing powers in
every person a good
platform and
appropriate
conditions to act.
The aspiration to
harmony and balance
exists not only in
times of illness but
is essential even
more to maintain the
health and avert the
development of
illnesses. The body
mind relationship
and reciprocal
relations between
them have been
scientifically
proved (Shechter,
2004) . The
scientific field of
research that
engages in these
relations is called
psycho-neuro-immunology
(psycho – brain,
neuro – neurons or
nervous system,
immuno – the
activity of the
immune system, logy
– science). Many
researches have
proved that there is
a relationship
between science that
examines the mind
and the immune
systems and that
there is a
relationship between
stress and the
activity of every
system in the body.
According to
Shechter (2004),
there is scientific
proof that stress
harms the heart’s
activity, increases
the risk of getting
sick, and impairs
the chances of
recovery. Other
researches found
that it is possible
to improve the
activity of the
immune system
through simple means
such as physical
activity, correct
sleeping and eating
habits, optimism,
and even laughter.
Researches that
examined the
relationship between
optimistic thinking
and recuperation
from severe
illnesses, such as
heart disease, brain
strokes, and cancer
found that there is
a direct
relationship between
a positive approach
and believe in the
ability to
recuperate and the
recovery itself.
Shechter (2004)
maintains that
people who believed
that they would
recover or whose
mental situation was
better coped better
with illness and
their chances of
recovery were
greater. Hence,
these are not
conflicting
approaches – it is
definitely possible
to phrase a good
formula that
combines between
scientific medicine
and holistic
medicine.
Dr. Dany Lousky
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