The person is a whole . One story got this idea across to me more graphically than any of the philosophical and academic arguments I had heard. Jenny's case, as explained by her three practitioners, illustrated several examples of how problems in one area can influence the function of another area. This very simple yet profound mathematical equation is based on the Hippocratic idea of Vis Medicatrix Naturae, the healing power of nature. This healing power is innate, hence cuts heal over and a cold doesn't go on for ever.
Healing is one expression of the life or vitality of the organism.
Healing only fails when there are obstructions which vitality cannot overcome. Hence a cut may not heal if a foreign body is left in the wound, the foreign body being an obstruction. As health equals vitality minus obstructions, the job of any practitioner who wishes to increase a patient's health, is to assist in the removal of obstructions. This is true irrespective of their chosen discipline. Now I would be surprised if you stood back in amazement at this point, as I expect you have heard these principles before.