Comparing traditional Western & Nontraditional holistic medicine: an integrative approach to health& wellness

Comparing traditional western and nontraditional holistic medicine will provide an integrative approach to health and wellness. The current American healthcare system primarily utilizes a western medicine approach to combat the majority of health issues and largely lacks an emphasis on wellness and overall prevention. I aim to shift the mentality of "this versus that" to one that is more open minded to integrating both traditional and nontraditional means of healing to obtain better overall health outcomes. The barriers and opportunities of adopting a more holistic approach to address one's physical and emotional well-being must be addressed. Traditionally, Americans have the tendency to rule out non traditional means of healing if it is not seen as efficient and profitable. The western medicine approach of prescribing medications, many of which contain a long list of potentially dangerous side effects, produces quick short term results. Dependency issues arise because the symptoms only remain physiologically masked as long as the medicine remains within the body. If we were to adopt new types of health and preventative care approaches, it makes us beg the question: could we see better healthcare and overall wellness? This thesis aims to explore the compatibility and incompatibility of integrating the most useful parts of holistic non-traditional medicine with the widely used traditional approaches primarily being used in America.