The Holistic Approach to Chronic Illness

By Jane Sheppard Harris

We all want our children to be vibrantly healthy and happy. Children will inevitably get sick at times, but some children are dealing with infections on a continual basis. Unfortunately, an increasing number of children are burdened with chronic illnesses or disorders that can make their lives pretty challenging.

The current system of conventional health care can be enormously frustrating and lacking in real answers for children diagnosed with asthma, autism, multiple allergies, attention deficit disorder, recurring infections, or other chronic health problems. Visits to the doctor may result in drug prescriptions with which you may not feel comfortable. The medication may keep the symptoms in check, but what you really want is for your child to completely heal and reclaim health and vitality.

The holistic approach to health does not reject conventional medicine, but is a sensible, complete form of healing that considers your child’s entire picture of health and uses the best and most appropriate options for healing. It is a process of strengthening every system of the mind-body and allowing your child’s natural healing potential to flourish. Many of the chronic health problems that affect children will respond best when addressed from a holistic point of view.

Holistic is defined as pertaining to all aspects of human nature – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. To approach health holistically is to consider the mind, emotions, spirit, and entire body when addressing the health of a person, not just the area that is manifesting the symptoms. The underlying foundation and prerequisite for true healing is compassion for the patient, and consideration of all aspects of the patient’s nature, including the family, culture and community. Taking all this into consideration, holistic practitioners choose therapies that are most appropriate for the individual child.

Alternative medicine covers a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies that can be used alone, in combination with other alternative therapies, or along with conventional medicine. Most homeopaths, naturopaths, and doctors of oriental medicine are holistic practitioners, considering all aspects of their patients and assisting them in achieving a vibrant state of health. But not all alternative practitioners can be considered holistic, nor is a conventional medical doctor necessarily not holistic. Alternative practitioners who believe that all disease is caused by vitamin deficiencies or spinal misalignments are no more holistic than a medical doctor who believes that all illness is caused by germs.

When it comes to medicine, it is beneficial to not have an either/or attitude. Both conventional and alternative have an important place in health care and can make a powerful team in certain situations. Integrative medicine (another word for holistic medicine) is an emerging system of health care practiced by medical doctors who respect all valid systems of healing, recognizing the value of each one. Alternative and conventional treatments are combined in order to meet the needs of the patient on all levels of healing. The treatments that are the most effective in helping the patient are the ones used. It is not a matter of what type of medicine is better. It is a matter of what works for each patient.

Doctors who practice integrative or holistic medicine establish healing partnerships with their patients and emphasize prevention and self-care. They consider the patient’s thoughts, feelings and beliefs when prescribing treatment. They may incorporate one or several alternative therapies into their practices and/or work in partnership with alternative practitioners either through referrals or by working directly with them. More and more medical doctors are aligning with integrative medicine and you may be able to find such a doctor in your area. You can conduct personal interviews with potential doctors first to get a sense of their philosophy and how they work.

Finding a holistic doctor can be important, but good health really begins at home with breastfeeding, good nutrition, quality food, a non-toxic environment, natural remedies to strengthen immunity, and mental, emotional and spiritual nurturing. Parents are the coordinators of holistic health care for children. You know your child’s body, mind, emotions, and spirit better than anyone else. By carefully assessing your children in each of these areas, you can prioritize their needs and focus on what may be diminishing their health. If you need help from a health professional, you can choose the form of health care that is most appropriate and coordinate the different therapies so your children can receive integrated, whole-person health care.

Healing vs. Curing

We have been taught to look outside ourselves and to call upon doctors or other health care practitioners to cure us. It is important to acknowledge that there is a difference between curing and healing. Curing means the elimination of symptoms or signs of a disease. Treatment with drugs, surgery, herbs, or other methods may cure you by relieving the symptoms of discomfort, pain, or disease. However, unless the underlying pattern of dysfunction is stopped, the symptoms may recur. Healing goes deeper than curing, and occurs when the root cause is overcome and the systems of the mind-body, including emotions and spirit, are strong and vital. Although health care professionals can help facilitate healing, the ability to heal ultimately comes from within.

Consider, for instance, recurring infections. Simply taking antibiotics or an herbal remedy may cure the present infection. But if the body is overloaded with toxins and the immune system is weak, the infections may continue. The impaired immune system and all the other affected systems of the mind-body must ultimately be healed internally. To address the problem holistically, there are many factors to explore. First, the toxic assault on the body needs to be discontinued by changing the diet and reducing chemical exposures as much as possible.

Next, all the systems of the body and overall health must be strengthened. In order to function effectively, the immune system relies on neurotransmitter activity from the nervous system, as well as nutrients and hormones from the digestive and endocrine systems. If the other systems of the body are blocked in some way, there may be problems with immunity. Furthermore, the immune system is strongly affected by thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. If your child is frequently sad or angry, the immune system will become compromised to some extent. Likewise, plenty of laughter and joy has been shown to strengthen immunity. So all the systems of the mind-body, including thoughts, feelings, and beliefs need to be considered.

Practical Use of This Philosophy

Healing is usually not as simple as taking a pill or a natural remedy. Children are all different and their mind-bodies are complex. You may hear of a supplement, herb or treatment that has worked for another child, but this does not necessarily mean it will help your unique child.

How do you decide which therapies to use for your child’s particular health condition? It helps to first get a diagnosis to determine where to begin. Particularly if your child is experiencing symptoms that are unusually persistent or severe, have him or her checked out by a doctor first. Then you can focus on specific pieces of the puzzle and take a look at each aspect of your child to determine the specific needs. Keep in mind that the body, mind, emotions, and spirit are all interrelated, each one impacting the others. Some treatments will affect several or all aspects of your child’s health. Massage therapy, for example, can positively affect the circulatory, lymphatic, nervous, muscular, skeletal, digestive and immune systems as well as providing emotional security and mental relaxation.

The Holistic Health Assessment

The following factors are important to consider in determining your child’s entire picture of health. Many chronic illnesses can be alleviated or healed completely after making certain changes in these critical areas. Keep in mind that although nutritional, environmental and structural problems may seem physical in nature, these factors can greatly affect your child’s mental and emotional health. Likewise, mental and emotional nurturing can positively affect the physical body. Your child is one mind-body with all these interrelated, interactive systems, and emotional stress, environmental toxins and processed food will impact his or her entire being.

Nutritional

Nutrients are needed to provide energy and assist in the functioning of your children’s many body processes. Food is a vital part of health, and diet can be a substantial factor in the cause as well as the treatment of many health problems. Take a look at what your children eat on a regular basis. Does their diet give them enough of the nutrients they need for good health? Do they eat a lot of processed foods that contain sugar, hydrogenated oils, additives, or white flour? Is their food mostly organic? Pesticides and other chemicals can diminish the functioning of the body, particularly the nervous, hormonal and immune systems

Simple changes to your children’s diet can improve their health considerably. In addition, you may want to supplement the diet with vitamins, minerals and herbs. There has been much research done in this area, and it is best to find out all you can before purchasing any supplements (see nutritional supplement articles in the healthychild.com searchable database). A child who has been ill for some time may need nutritional supplementation under the supervision of a health professional. A certified or licensed nutritionist, naturopathic physician, medical doctor specializing in nutritional medicine, traditional Chinese medical doctor, or herbalist can assist you with nutritional assessment, diet and/or supplementation.

Even if a healthy diet is eaten, the metabolism may not be functioning optimally. The food a child eats may not be absorbed into the body properly, causing the cells and tissues to be lacking in the nutrients needed. Food sensitivities or allergies can be a major factor for a child dealing with chronic congestion, behavior problems, ear infections, or many other puzzling ailments (see Allergies and Environmental Illness in the healthychild.com searchable database). A doctor specializing in environmental medicine, a qualified homeopath, or a practitioner of NAET may be helpful in these situations.

Structural

The structure of the body includes the muscular, skeletal and nervous systems. The components of these systems give the body support to stand upright and move around in all directions. The nervous system controls nerve impulses from the brain that stimulate important organs and tissue of the body. Improper spinal alignment may cause patterns of strain and impede the flow of nerve impulses and energy to certain organs and tissues, which can result in pain or disease. Chiropractic adjustments can be beneficial in aligning the spine and unblocking the nerve flow.

The head is made up of many bones that are supposed to move gently in synchronization with one another to allow for the proper movement of fluids. Many things can affect the movement of the bones in the head, including falls, recurrent infections, and birth trauma (especially if forceps were used). Fluid that accumulates behind the eardrum can result in chronic ear infections. Gentle movement of the bones of the head to allow drainage of the fluid can prevent and cure the infections. Craniosacral work is the gentle movement of the bones of the head and sacrum. Practitioners who do this work are usually chiropractors or osteopaths who can also do gentle spinal manipulations for children. There are also craniosacral therapists that do this treatment alone or combine it with other therapies.

Many forms of massage and bodywork can help to correct structural imbalances and alleviate symptoms of pain and tension. Alleviating the stress in your child’s life is an important aspect of maintaining structural health and strengthening the nervous and immune systems. Exercise is a necessity, and yoga can be helpful. Deep breathing, relaxation techniques, and meditation have been shown to decrease stress and pain by promoting deep relaxation. Children can easily learn to do regular yoga, deep breathing and/or meditation.

Unexpressed emotions, physical trauma, poor diet, pollution and stress can cause the flow of energy in the body to become blocked or stagnated. This can weaken your child’s immune and other systems. Acupuncture or acupressure can be helpful in releasing the blocked energy and strengthening immunity and overall health. Reiki, therapeutic touch, or energy work can positively affect physical health as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Environmental

In addition to outdoor pollution, children are continually exposed to toxins in their food, water, schools, and homes. Extensive research done over the last 30 years shows a definite link between environmental toxins and disease. Exposures to synthetic chemicals and natural allergens, such as dust, molds, and pollen can trigger serious physical, neurological, and psychological problems. In addition to typical allergy symptoms such as asthma, eczema, hives and hay fever, environmental toxins can directly cause, contribute to, or aggravate the following health problems: fatigue, arthritis, recurrent infections, stomach aches, constant congestion, headaches, muscle or joint pain, hyperactivity, depression, bowel problems, bad breath, twitches, auto-immune diseases, behavioral problems, memory problems, learning problems, and emotional problems.

Be aware of what your children are breathing, touching, applying to their skin, and eating. Remember to take environmental factors into account when you are determining the cause of any disease. There are numerous tests you can do on your own or with a doctor. (See the resource section for more information on environmental illness). A doctor practicing environmental medicine will do a thorough environment and nutrition history, as well as a physical examination, in order to uncover possible contributing factors to your child’s health problems. Homeopathy, when prescribed by a qualified classical homeopath, can be very helpful in assisting the body to recover from environmental insults. NAET can eliminate the body’s allergic reaction to a substance.

Mental-Emotional

There has been an enormous amount of research done on how thoughts and emotions affect the cells, organs and tissues of the body. Many researchers and clinicians have reported the negative health effects of hopelessness, depression and the bottling up of emotions. Thoughts and emotions actually generate physiological substances that affect the processes in the body.

The field of psychoneuroimmunology is helping us to better understand how the nervous, immune and endocrine systems communicate. Neuropeptides and neurotransmitters are messengers released by the brain that influence the cellular activity in the body. White blood cells (key factors in getting rid of bacteria and cancer cells) receive direct messages from the brain through the nervous system. These are just some of the communication paths between the mind and body. Through research and experience, it is becoming increasingly evident that the mind and body are one and the same. Your child’s state of mind definitely influences the development of and the healing of illness.

Emotional health needs to be nurtured throughout pregnancy, birth and childhood. Listening to your children and honoring their feelings promotes healthy expression of emotions. Nurturing touch communicates love, the main ingredient for emotional growth and well-being. Babies need to be breastfed, held, carried, rocked and cuddled on a continuous basis.

Does your child freely express his or her feelings and have a strong sense of self-worth? Has there been a loss of a close relative, teacher, friend, or pet and has he or she been able to fully grieve the loss? Has there been any type of physical or emotional trauma or a traumatic birth? These emotional states can definitely affect the state of a child’s health.

If needed, a psychotherapist can provide support for and be a guide for your child’s mental and emotional healing. Art or music therapy can be very helpful for children to get in touch with their feelings. Imagery is a fun and powerful mental technique that allows children to use their imagination to influence their health. They can use guided imagery to calm themselves down, relieve pain, increase immunity to disease, increase body image, increase learning or athletic potential, and promote healing.

Spiritual

Beyond the mind-body connection, there is a source of inspiration that you can access. This is your spiritual connection. Working with spirit means reaching beyond your understanding of your own limits to access a greater healing power. You can bring this healing power into your life and your child’s healing. It can take the form of prayer, inspiration, intuition or insight. In his book The Healing Journey, O. Carl Simonton, M.D., oncologist and director of the Simonton Cancer Center states “our work with patients has demonstrated that health involves body, mind, and spirit. And while the mind alone can be used to influence the physical state, it is used most effectively when it is aware of spirit.”

It is not necessary to subscribe to a particular religion in order to work with spirit. You can explore your own beliefs about what spirit means to you. Intuition, gut feelings, hunches, meditation, and prayer are only a few of many spiritual processes. When you pay attention to these “gifts”, you can increase your awareness of your child’s health condition and gain important insights to help you in your parenting decisions. You can help your children to access their spiritual connection by teaching them to pray, discussing your beliefs, reading spiritual books, attending church, helping others in need, creating rituals, attuning to the moon and the seasons, and taking walks in nature. Nature is a potent healing force and an essential part of the healing process. Meditation is suitable for children and can be as simple as observing or counting breaths. Teaching children prayer or meditation trains them to tune in to their spiritual lives and to notice the many ways in which they are blessed. The Whole Parenting Guide, by Alan Reder, Phil Catalfo, and Stephanie Renfrow Hamilton (Broadway Books, 1999), provides ways to teach children different types of prayer and meditation.

A recent double-blind study looked at the effects of prayer on heart attack patients. These patients all received the same high-tech coronary care, but half were also prayed for by name by prayer groups across the country. The group that was prayed for had fewer deaths, faster recovery and used fewer medications. (Randolph C. Byrd, Positive Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer in a Coronary Care Unit Population, Southern Medical Journal, Vol. 81, no.7, July 1993, pp. 826-29) This is one of many studies done that suggest a healing connection to prayer. Larry Dossey, M.D, author of the best-selling books Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine and Prayer is Good Medicine, has looked at 160 of these studies. In talking about prayer, he notes, “…interestingly, the studies on prayer show no correlation between religious affiliation and the effects of prayer in the laboratory. The factors that seem to work are love, compassion, empathy and deep caring.”

In summary, approaching health holistically means that you strive not only to be free from disease, but also to create deeper healing on all levels. Preventive measures of holistic health can become a way of life for the whole family.