Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Holistic Health, and Integrative Healing: Applications in Health Education

Abstract

Alternative medicine, holistic health and integrative healing are terms that are not new to the health education field. The practice of health education is based on a holistic understanding of the essence of human life, as well as an identification of the multidimensional nature of health. Although these terms traditionally have been part of the health education vocabulary, they have gained a new meaning since the movement for the recognition of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States started in the early 1980s. This movement had its roots in the historical acknowledgement of the influence of spirituality on health and the validation of the relevance of cultural competence and proficiency for health care providers.