Holistic Healthcare Interventions for Children

Introduction

Holistic healthcare refers to examing the whole body, physical, mental, spiritual, emotion and social well-being of the individual rather than focusing on one element  The understanding of holistic health is that all components are intertwined. If one aspect is not functioning optimally, it can affect overall health. Empowered parents have described the five aspects of holistic development:

• Physical – developing the body and senses optimally
• Intellectual – learning, developing mental processes, language and thinking
• Social – integrating with others and communicating well
• Emotional – healthy expression of feelings, building emotional intelligence
• Spiritual – developing morals, values and personality traits

These five components develop simultaneously in children and not in isolation.  A child does not develop physical skills separate from social-emotional skills.  A delay in one aspect of development can impact another.  A physical issue such as hearing impairment could impact intellectual development.  A child who is emotionally upset may have issues concentrating and learning in school. Therefore, practitioners working with children utilising a holistic approach gain a better insight into the child’s underlying cause.

Stress

Stress is a good example of how an emotional component can cause physical manifestations such as headache, muscle pain and weight gain.  Stress is inherently a part of life for most organisms. The brain processes stress, alerts the body of danger via the “flight or fight” mechanism and encourages survival.  Various stressors affect the body differently based on their duration and intensity. In addition, individuals perceive, assess and cope with stressors differently.. These variances in individuals can be a result of experiential factors as well as genetics.  Responses to stress are kept in check by our body’s autonomic nervous system.

Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system maintains homeostasis by modulating involuntary physiologic processes including respiration, digestion, heart rate and blood pressure. .  The autonomic nervous system is comprised of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems..  The sympathetic nervous system, ”fight or flight” response induces increased movement and strength. This system is activated during stressful situations, exercise, and moments before waking up.  Cell bodies of the sympathetic nervous system can be found from T1-L2.  The parasympathetic nervous, “rest and digest”  works in opposition to the sympathetic nervous system.  Cell bodies of the parasympathetic system can be found in cranial nerves III, VII, IX, and X and S2-S4..  Some of the specific physiological activity of each system is described below:

Sympathetic Nervous System

• Increase in:
  • Heart rate
  • Blood flow to muscles
  • Muscle contractility
  • Sweat gland secretions
• Dilation of:
  • Pupils
  • Lungs
  • Coronary arteries
• Decrease in:
  • GI motility
  • Urine output

Parasympathetic Nervous System

• Decrease in:
  • Heart rate
  • Contractility of cardiac muscle

• Constriction:
  • pupils
  • lungs

• Increase in:
  • Salivary glands
  • gut motility

The body responds to stressors by activating the sympathetic nervous system and inhibiting the parasympathetic systems. Short-term stress lasts for a period of minutes to hours, whereas chronic stress continues for several hours per day for weeks or months.  With chronic stress, our body becomes dysregulated and adverse side effects can occur. Children dealing with chronic stress may become anxious and depressed which can lead to delays in other developmental foundations (physical, social, etc.)

Pillars of Health

Healthcare practitioners working with children utilizing a holistic approach should assess the three pillars of health, sleep, diet and exercise. Evaluating the three pillars allows the practitioner to know if one factor is hindering the well-being of the child. Teaching children good sleep hygiene, proper diet and the importance of exercise will promote good coping responses to everyday stressors within their life.

Sleep

Healthy sleep is crucial for cognitive functioning, mood and cardiovascular health. Sleep is compromised of two distinct phases referred to as rapid-eye movement (REM) and non rapid-eye moment (NREM).  See below for an understanding of the differences in REM and NREM sleep:

REM

• Short periods
• Structured dreams
• Decrease in muscle tone  
• Sympathetic activation
  • Increase:
    • Heart rate
    • Breathing
    • Blood pressure
    • temperature

      NREM

• Longer periods of time
• Non-structured and bizarre dreams
  • Parasympathetic activation
    • Decrease in:
      • Blood pressure
      • Heart rate
      • Temperature

Sleep deprivation can have a profound impact on mental and physical health.   REM sleep is the time when the brain processes emotions. Sleep deprivation during this period can lead to heightened emotions and increased anxiety. During NREM time our brains are focused on memory filling, creativity and learning.   Sleep interruptions during this part of the sleep cycle can affect any of these facets. Studies show that 74% of high school student and 34% of children are failing to get a sufficient amount of sleep.

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