Holistic vs. Reductionism

The Holistic approach refers to the science (yes science) of viewing not just the parts of the body, but the body as a whole.

Simply put; the holistic approach looks at how all body systems reacts together. For example; how the heart or colon react with respect to other body parts.

This approach is used by health care professional such as:

• Doctors of Chiropractic
• Naturopath Doctors
• Acupuncturists & Doctors of Oriental Medicine
• Homeopaths & Doctors of Homeopathy

All are, referred to as “quacks” by skeptics and, sadly, by many medical doctors.

The Reductionism approach (or Allistic approach) refers to the science of viewing the separate parts of something alone; for example the heart or colon as separate parts independent of each other. In this approach, the idea is to “reduce” the body, to their separate parts and disregard the interconnections between the parts.

This approach is used by health care professional such as:

• Medical Doctors and All Branches under the Medical Umbrella

In the reductionism approach, there is little thought on how a pharmaceutical drug will affect the entire body system, but rather focuses only on the effect of a single outcome.  And when this is the approach, the undeniable avalanche of pharmaceutical drug side-effects is the result.

Only if the body is viewed as a whole, will this onslaught of drug induced side-effects cease to exist. 

To put this is very simple terms, it really brings to light the saying, “Can’t see the forest for the trees!”  In other words, it cannot be “broken down” into single parts because the human body is extremely complicated.

“Can’t see the forest for the trees!”

Let’s see if we can get a handle on the concept here.

On an elementary level, the reduction approach seems to make perfect sense. That if you experience “X” symptom and if “X” drug eliminates that “X” symptom, then logically, taking the “X” drug would seem to be the thing to do.

However, though logical, this approach fails due to the complexity of the human body.

Who hasn’t experienced headache, right? I’ll go out on a limb and say at least 99% of us. And let’s say for the sake of argument, we decide to take an aspirin to get rid of the pain.  When you took that aspirin, you took it to stop the pain you were having in your head; however, because all the systems in your body are interconnected, the effect of the aspirin goes far beyond than the pain receptors relating to just your head. In fact the aspirin’s effect is throughout your entire body; whether or not it is needed.

So, although the pain in head has stopped, possible bleeding in the stomach may occur, which was caused by the drug.

Better known as a “side effect”.

Benefit of the Side-Effect: Money!

This example demonstrates that the problem with side-effects isn’t because we don’t understand the details of how the separate systems of our body works, but rather because our body’s systems possesses much redundancy. Meaning the drug, whatever it may be, doesn’t know to only work in the specific area you want it to; it effects are felt everywhere.

In essence, the use of over-the-counter or pharmaceutical drugs is sort of like old adage of “Stealing from Peter to pay for Paul”.

To play “devil’s advocate”, there is some light in the reductionist approach. It does allow for the in-depth study of the separate parts. Without such an approach, we would learn little about the human body. After all, its great to understand the hearts function with respect to the whole body, but to really understand the heart itself, we must study its function separate it from the whole.

But ultimately the bridge between separate and whole must be connected, because the human body is simply too complex a life system to be understood by putting into neatly organized boxes.

Remember, the heart separate from the whole body equals the death of the body!

The pharmaceutical drugs of today are far less effective then they claim to be. However, the wide range of unwanted side effects do seem to make the drug effective indeed –  if you look at this in “side-ways sort of way”.

Side-effects do allow for something very unique: The need and utilization of more pharmaceutical drugs to combat each of those side-effects!

Don’t you just love the irony?

Other Related Articles

• Modern Medicine is not a science
• Nature, Truth and Modern Medicine
• Arrogance of Modern Medicine

Dr. Michelle Kmiec

is a board-certified Chiropractic Physician and Life Coach who also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Biology, and a minor in Medical Research. She is a life-long athlete who after curing herself 100% naturally from MS and anxiety, became an avid nutrition health researcher/promoter.

She has been featured in many Health magazines and has been a guest on radio talk shows in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. She is the author of Health Freedom Revolution: Exposing the Lies, Deceit and Greed of the Medical Profession, Founder of Online Holistic Health, and a contributing writer for other popular informative health website/blogs.

She is the host of Holistic Health Radio – where she discusses how she recovered her health as well as other hot health topics, and she is also co-founder of Crazy Meets Common Sense! –  The Podcast that Makes Sense Out of the Crazy, to Help You Live a More Healthy, Fulfilling and Empowering Life!