Holistic medicine is a blanket term for any approach to the treating of illness and disease that takes into account the significance of the both the body and mind, looking at the patient as a whole as opposed to just their condition and symptoms.

Holistic medicine is viewed as an alternative medical philosophy. However, an increasing numbers of the conventional medical community are now recognizing the validity of holistic approaches to treatment.

Holistic medicine includes a large variety of well-established forms of alternative medicine such as homeopathy, naturopathy, Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. The common feature of these and many other alternative medical philosophies is that they aim to treat the cause of the symptoms as opposed to just the symptoms themselves.

The role of the mind in contributing to medical conditions and aiding an individual's recovery from them is given importance in holistic medicine. Hypnotherapy, for example, concentrates on using the mind to heal the body. Holistic medicine proposes that the mind, a powerful tool when manipulated correctly, can help affect significant physical change.

Holistic approaches to medical care are often criticized for the lack of scientific evidence supporting their claims. This, however, does not deter millions around the world from putting their faith in the power of alternative treatments to cure ailments or alleviate their symptoms.