Research into the experience of holism and wellness in chiropractic health care

Abstract

This study was aimed at establishing the degree to which the concept of holism and the practise of well ness formed part of chiropractic health care. It set out to discover how patients and practitioners perceived holism, and to determine the degree to which the practice of well ness was incorporated into patient management programmes. The study ultimately integrated and evaluated the responses of two questionnaires. One was directed at patients in order to recognize how they perceived holism and well ness in chiropractic health care, and the other was directed to practitioners to discover the extent to which holism and the practice of well ness were incorporated into their patient management programmes. Throughout this study/holism was viewed as a philosophical concept acknowledging an interdependence of mind and body. On the other hand.the term wellness was used in reference to a form of patient management based on the practical application of holistic approach, as opposed to a purely philosophical concept . . For the purpose of this study the concept of holism was evaluated in terms of the following factors; exercise, stress management, religion, emotional well-being, diet and nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, medication and drug use and occupational hazards. The data generated by the questionnaires was analyzed by means of frequency tabulation and cross-tabulation. The results were discussed and displayed by means of bar-charts and frequency tables. These results revealed that both patients and practitioners were very aware of the concept of holism in their personal lives. However, it also revealed that there were inconsistencies between the patients' experience of wellness and the holistic approach supposedly offered by their practitioners. Areas of inconsistency included discussion in the following areas: a) medication and drug use, b) alcohol consumption, c) occupational hazards and d) emotional well-being of patients. In the final chapter recommendations were made with regards to research methodology for future studies of a similar nature, as well as suggestions for the development of a holistic approach in chiropractic education and health care. A re-evaluation of chiropractic philosophy and the mission statement of chiropractic health care was suggested, in order to establish what a practitioner's responsibility is towards the community and his/her patients. It was recommended that practitioners and chiropractic students be made aware of their responsibility to humankind as Doctors of Chiropractic.6