According to Holistic Medicine a human being is a unity consisting of a body, mind and psyche. Nowadays a negative impact of civilization, long work done in a sitting position, lack of physical exercise, wrong diet, side effects of pharmacotherapy lead to an increase in the number of people who are resistant to antibiotics, chronically ill, suffering from spinal pain, depression, diseases of the c
ardiovascular system. In holistic medicine, before initiating a treatment, it is important to identify the cause of the disease, not only to relieve its symptoms or effects, and also to restore the balance of the body, so called homeostasis, by the application of any and all possible methods of health care, starting with conventional medicine, therapies offered by spa centres, psychotherapy and finishing with alternative medical procedures, hirudotherapy, larval therapy, acupuncture or herbal treatment. An advocate of holistic medicine was Hippocrates (c. 460 377 BC), a famous Greek doctor, the father of medicine, the most prominent representative of medical school from the Isle of Kos. His fundamental principle was “primum non nocere” – first do no harm. Hippocrates’ medical practice was based on a rational evidence, in-depth observation of the patient and experience, which allowed him to establish a diagnosis and select the best possible methods of treatment. In his profession he cared about the health of his patients as he believed that “salus aegroti suprema est” – the well-being of the patient shall be the most important law”. Hippocrates’ treatment methods involved supporting natural healing processes.
