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Natural and Holistic Health Degrees

By Sarah Clark
Learning & Life Columnist

According to the National Institutes of Health, 36 percent of adults in the United States are using some form of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). That number rises to 62 percent when megavitamin therapy and prayer specifically for health reasons are included in the definition of CAM. To prepare health professionals to treat patients who seek CAM therapies, a variety of degrees, certificates, and other education programs in all areas of natural and holistic health have emerged.

What is Natural and Holistic Health?

First, what exactly does natural and holistic health mean? A variety of words and phrases are used in reference to alternative health care treatments. Knowing the most common terms used and what they mean can help demystify the field.

The American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA) defines holistic health care as "the art and science of healing that addresses care of the whole person--body, mind and spirit." The AHMA recognizes alternative therapies that include, but are not limited to, nutrition, herbal medicine, relaxation training, biofeedback, and acupuncture.

Natural health refers to treatments that have been around "since the time of Hippocrates," says Dr. Robert Wickiewicz M.D., a practicing radiologist in upstate New York and Secretary of the AHMA. Dr. Wickiewicz defines natural health care as treatments that "avoid invasive procedures and rely on naturally occurring products in the environment."

Natural Health Defined

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines and categorizes natural and holistic health approaches a little more broadly. The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science.

The NIH regards natural and holistic health as types of "complementary and alternative medicine," or "CAM". The NCCAM defines CAM as "approaches to health care that are outside the realm of conventional medicine as practiced in the United States."

The NCCAM's list of CAM therapies currently includes alternative medical systems, such as homeopathic medicine, naturopathic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda. It also includes manipulative or body-based methods such as chiropractic manipulation and massage, and energy therapies such as qi gong, reiki, and therapeutic touch. The NCCAM also recognizes biologically-based therapies, such as the use of herbs, foods, and vitamins to treat illness.

Natural and Holistic Health Degree Programs

The following list provides descriptions from the NCCAM web site of various CAM health care modalities. This list also represents areas of focus of many credential programs in the field of alternative medicine or natural and holistic health.

• Ayurveda is an alternative medical system traditionally practiced in the Indian subcontinent that includes diet and herbal remedies and emphasizes the use of body, mind, and spirit in disease prevention and treatment.
• Chiropractic is an alternative medical system that focuses on the relationship between bodily structure (mostly that of the spine) and function, and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.
• Homeopathic medicine is an alternative medical system based on the belief that "like cures like," suggesting that small, diluted quantities of medicinal substances can cure the same symptoms that the substance is responsible for creating at higher doses.
• Naturopathy proposes that there is a healing power in the body that establishes, maintains, and restores health. Naturopathic remedies rely on nutrition, dietary supplements, medicinal plants, exercise, homeopathy, and treatments from traditional Chinese medicine.
• Traditional Chinese medicine is an ancient medical system from China that is based on a concept of balanced energy that is believed to flow in the body. Treatments employed may include herbal and nutritional therapy, restorative physical exercises, meditation, and acupuncture.

Degrees, certificates and other professional designations in the field of natural and holistic health are as diverse as the myriad complementary and alternative health care therapies that are available.

According to Dr. Wickiewicz, "various modalities tend to have their own licensing boards," noting that currently there is no "overriding licensing or credential body" in the area of natural and holistic health. This makes choosing a program a potentially challenging task. Having a sense of which area within the broad field of alternative health care will facilitate your navigation through this emerging field.

Sources:

• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine http://nccam.nih.gov
• American Holistic Medical Association http://www.holisticmedicine.org

About the Author
Sarah Clark is a freelance writer specializing in career development and postsecondary education.

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