Most people who consult their doctor are there to find an efficient solution to mitigate, or even eliminate, the symptoms that brought them there in the first place.
The waiting room possesses a nearly unwelcoming aroma and is reminiscent of the tension of a previous visit. You are called in, sat down and instructed to explain your symptoms as explicitly as possible. Just 20 to 30 minutes later, you leave with a script from the doctor advising you to seek out a specific treatment option. You pick it up after a long wait at your local Wegmans and are sent on your way. A week later, you begin to feel like yourself again and are content with the efficiency of what the doctor prescribed.
Omitted from the spotlight of the always flourishing pharmaceutical industry exists a $30 billion collective of corporations and small businesses that specialize in unconventional treatment methods — it’s called holistic medicine.
Alternative medicine is used widely across the United States to treat mental disorders and complement conventional approaches like therapy and medication.
Holistic practices include the wide array of alternative treatments used to prevent disease and mitigate various ailments. Unlike traditional medicinal practices, this takes into account the entirety of the individual. It focuses on four main areas — emotional well-being, physical health, mental state and spirituality — that determine one’s overall health.
The foundation of holistic philosophy works in a way that requires all four of the components to function in unison. Thus, causing an all-encompassing effect where ideal health is achieved.
“Holistic medicine” is an umbrella term for many types of alternative treatments. These treatments are used for both the physical and mental well-being of the individual. Holistic practitioners conduct evaluations that seek to determine the root of someone’s illness or illnesses.
Some holistic practices involve the use of herbs, or an extract of some kind — which are commonly known as herbalism and homeopathy, respectively — to better one or more of the four areas. There are a plethora of other treatment methods that fall under this category like deep breathing, dieting, acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, meditation, massages, hypnosis and many more.
According to CNN, most Americans who use holistic medicine to treat ailments do so to complement medications they are already taking. As of 2015, just around 5 percent of Americans used alternative medicine as their only form of treatment.
Ithaca-based entrepreneur Sandy Truth founded her alternative medicine business “For Claudia’s Sayke,” which she named after her first child, in 2003. She is a licensed Reiki Master and Cosmetologist. She also graduated from the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine. Truth explained that although holistic practices have the power to help people, they should be used to complement traditional medical treatments.
“I wouldn’t really put aside conventional medicine because there are times when that is appropriate and that is needed,” Truth said. “I think having an education on both things and bringing the two together would be a better approach because sometimes you do need to go to a doctor — you do need their professional opinion.”
Truth said she sees her customers as the people they are instead of the conditions they are often associated with. She said that she would often feel like someone who is only valued in the context of her condition when consulting with doctors.
“I did have experiences where they lacked compassion,” Truth said. “I knew that there was more that they could do to help me, but they weren’t trying — my experience has driven me to find more answers.”
Bramble, a retail store and tea bar located in downtown Ithaca, sells bulk-herbs/spices, tinctures and locally produced medicine- crafting supplies. Employee and herbalist Tori Oxalis said that most customers purchase dried herbs to make teas and other concoctions.
“We definitely have people that are using herbs to help with a particular ailment, whether it’s like something that’s chronic or something that’s acute,” Oxalis said. “We also have some people that are just interested in health and wellness that use herbal remedies — I would say it’s a spectrum, a broad spectrum.”
Customers can find varieties of mint on shelves as well as the controversial St. John’s Wort.
Just down the street from Bramble is the Sacred Root Kava Lounge and Tea Bar, which sells fair trade teas and hosts community-rooted performances. Kava may not be alcoholic but is still considered psychoactive and has the potential to conflict with medications. Thus, producing negative side effects. Contrary to popular belief, the use of homeopathic herbs and supplements is not risk-free.
The consumption and combination of seemingly harmless supplements with prescribed medications can pose a threat to overall well-being. Individuals who use too many treatment methods, or ones that are known to conflict with specific substances, can experience polypharmacy — which is the simultaneous use of numerous medications. The effects of this may vary from person to person, but can be potentially dangerous.
A less dangerous supplement called Tryptophan, or 5-HTP, has minimal side effects. Research into the benefits of using this amino acid to treat mental health is promising.
Anyone can use holistic medicine to improve their daily lives. It’s for people who are determined to find the source of what may be causing them any pain or dysfunction, and it could even be for you.
Before you take up a friend’s recommendation to try the next herbal remedy, be mindful of the effect it may have on your mind, body and SPIRIT.
This article was first published in the "SPIRIT" issue of Distinct, a student-run magazine at Ithaca College
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