Osteopathic Health Care, Holism.
If we take a holistic view of human beings, based upon systems theory, then we are a summing up of our parts that is our biophysical, cognitive, affective, social and spiritual domains. Our understanding of ourselves has to do with the way in which we relate to the rest of the world.
Our physical bodies with their imperfections and idiosyncrasies are an important part of establishing our identity. When a patient consults us, we must consider that what they are presenting to us with, maybe more than the physical pain and dysfunction, even if this is unacknowledged by them.
As people, we are unique and separate, while also being able to identify with and relate to other people and the world around us. A part of our appreciation of health is the balance of these elements. A holistic understanding puts the individual person within a wider suprasystem of family and community, while still recognising the unique arrangement of the subsystems in giving personal, individual identity. It must be recognised though, that there is a historical element to this in that what may be the picture at one time may not be the case a few months later.
One of the subsystems which contribute to this is the musculoskeletal system. It is important because it is involved in the carrying out of tasks and the final expression of ideas, feeling and volition. Loss of control in his area can influence the affective domain as well as the social.
Stephen Tyreman 1992. Concepts for Osteopathic Health Care, Section 5. Holism. BSO course notes (extracts).