Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine uses an evidence-based approach to treat the whole person — your mind, body and soul. Your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs are all involved, so integrative medicine uses a combination of therapies. It “integrates” conventional approaches and complementary therapies to achieve optimal health and healing.
Integrative medicine focuses on you as a whole person and not just your illness or disease. While it seeks to understand the underlying cause of your symptoms or condition, it does so by looking at your complete mind, body and spirit. Integrative medicine uses an evidence-based approach to improve your health and wellness.
Integrative medicine believes your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs affect your health. It believes those needs rely on each other and affect your entire well-being. There are many different aspects to address, so integrative medicine uses a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes.
With integrative medicine, the relationships between you and your healthcare providers are important. You are equal partners in your healing process. Integrative medicine aims for well-coordinated care among different providers and specialists. It brings together conventional healthcare approaches (like medication and psychotherapy) and complementary therapies (like acupuncture and yoga). In this way, integrative medicine “integrates” all aspects of your well-being to achieve optimal health and healing.
A variety of healthcare providers delivers care through integrative medicine. These providers may include:
- Physicians.
- Chiropractic doctors.
- Holistic mind-body psychotherapists.
- Acupuncturists.
- Chinese herbal therapists.
- Tai chi practitioners.
- Yoga practitioners.
- Massage therapists.
- Nutritionists.
- Chefs (culinary medicine).
Integrative medicine physicians don’t replace your primary care provider or specialist. They work together with all members of your healthcare team to heal your mind, body and spirit. Their expertise lies in preventing and managing chronic diseases. They don’t treat acute medical problems. For acute care and medical emergencies, you should seek help from your primary care or emergency medicine physician.
Many people can benefit from integrative medicine, including healthy people. People with long-lasting (chronic) or complex conditions may especially find the approach helpful. Integrative medicine can help you find relief for many health and medical conditions, including:
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Acute and chronic pain.
- Breathing disorders.
- Headaches and migraines.
- Cancer and cancer-related side effects.
- Chronic fatigue.
- Cold/flu symptoms.
- Digestive disorders.
- Infertility.
- Menopausal symptoms.
- Menstrual issues.
- Mental and emotional health issues.
- Obesity.
- High blood pressure (hypertension).
- Sleep issues.
Here are some tips:
- Talk with your primary healthcare provider before starting any complementary treatment.
- Never stop taking any prescribed medication without first consulting your traditional healthcare provider.
- Ask your current healthcare provider for their recommendation for a complementary provider. You can also check local hospital websites.
- Search for professional organizations for the type of practitioner you want. For example, if you’re interested in a chiropractor, search for “chiropractor organizations” in your browser. You can read about licensing or certification requirements and often find links to practitioners in your area.
- Find out as much as you can about the particular practitioner you are interested in seeing, including their education, training, licenses or certification. Today you can find this information in website searches or simply call their office and ask for it before making an appointment.
- Find out if the complementary practitioner will work with your traditional healthcare provider. It’s important to have all your providers working with each other to provide you with the best care possible.
- Ask your complementary provider if they’ve worked with individuals with your specific health condition(s).
- Check with your insurance carrier to determine if complementary services will be covered or what out-of-pocket expenses to expect.
- Keep all your healthcare providers — your traditional medicine and complementary medicine practitioners — up to date about all your prescribed medications and all other health products and therapies you use. This helps give all practitioners a full view of the actions you take to manage your health.
- See your traditional healthcare provider if your symptoms persist or worsen.
It’s important to know that scientific research supporting the safety and effectiveness of complementary therapy may not be available for all approaches. You can find out more information about specific approaches by:
- Talking with your traditional healthcare provider. Tell them about the complementary therapies you’re considering. Ask for their insight into the safety and effectiveness of these approaches.
- Asking the complementary provider for scientific sources of the safety and effectiveness of the methods they use for your health condition.
- Visiting or calling your local library or a medical library (a medical school or some hospitals have one). Ask for help finding scientific journal articles or trustworthy books about the complementary therapy or product you’re interested in.
- Visiting trustworthy websites. The U.S. government has several websites that may provide some helpful information. These include the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
Integrative medicine covers a broad range of practices, techniques and services. Integrative medicine techniques may include:
Acupuncture uses thin needles to maintain the flow and balance of your body’s energy (Qi). This can help activate your body’s natural healing capability. Acupuncture may help relieve:
- Joint pain.
- Fibromyalgia.
- Migraines.
- Cancer-related symptoms.
- Anxiety and depression.
- Hot flashes.
- Fatigue.
Certified Chinese herbalists use formulas from a traditional Chinese medicine text. It contains thousands of herbs, minerals and other extracts and their intended uses. Chinese herbal therapy may help relieve:
- Fatigue.
- Digestive disorders.
- Pain.
- Menopausal symptoms.
- Cold/flu symptoms.
Chiropractic doctors perform soft tissue adjustments and manipulate your spine and joints. Chiropractic therapy may help relieve:
- Back and neck pain.
- Pelvic pain.
- Shoulder, elbow and wrist pain.
- Knee, hip or ankle pain.
- Other musculoskeletal problems.
Culinary medicine combines the evidence-based science of food, nutrition and medicine with the joy and art of cooking. It may use special diets, including vegan, low-carb and FODMAP to improve your wellness. Culinary medicine can help improve and/or reverse common chronic diseases. These conditions include:
- Diabetes.
- High blood pressure (hypertension).
- Obesity.
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Holistic psychotherapy uses evidence-based therapies to improve mood, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other symptoms. These therapies include:
- Traditional talk therapy.
- Hypnosis.
- Hypnotherapy.
- Cognitive behavioral techniques like breathing and relaxation.
- Guided imagery.
Massage therapy uses soft tissue manipulation and body movement to promote health and well-being. It can help treat physical disorders and improve clinical outcomes. Massage therapists can use different techniques to relieve:
- Muscle pain and tightness.
- Respiratory disorders (such as sinus pressure).
- Congestive chest symptoms.
- Neurological and muscular disorders (such as headaches and low back pain).
- Digestive disorders (such as constipation).
- Post-operative pain and lymphedema.
Reiki is a method of energy healing that involves balance. It restores your body’s natural energy fields. It can increase vitality, balance your emotions and improve your health. Reiki may help relieve symptoms of various conditions. These may include:
- Cancer.
- Chronic pain.
- Stress.
- Infertility.
- Digestive disorders.
- Parkinson’s disease.
Yoga and tai chi combine specific postures and movements with breathing to unify your mind and body. They may help:
- Reduce stress and pain.
- Enhance immune response.
- Lower blood pressure.
- Improve posture and body alignment.
- Increase muscle strength.
- Provide a sense of joy and well-being.
Integrative medicine techniques support your body’s natural ability to heal. It helps you reduce stress and promotes a state of relaxation that leads to better health. It can help you achieve optimal health when you engage in your own healing and feel empowered to make lifestyle changes. Adding integrative medicine to your healthcare routine can help you regain control of your well-being.
All recommended therapies and lifestyle changes are very safe with minimal risk. But the treatments aren’t substitutes for regular medical care from your primary care physician and specialists. Integrative medicine should be used together with your regular medical treatments. Integrative medicine providers communicate their care recommendations with your other medical providers. In this way, they can coordinate care and avoid confusion.
Your outlook depends on your diagnosis, health history and treatments you receive. Ways you can improve the likelihood of good results include:
- Learn about complementary therapies that may be appropriate for you.
- Discuss risks and benefits with your primary care physician and integrative medicine providers.
- Keep in mind that complementary therapies aren’t meant to replace treatment from your primary care physician.
- Always let your healthcare provider know about any complementary therapies you receive.
You should be in contact with your healthcare provider throughout treatment. Letting them know about the integrative medicine therapies you’re receiving helps them better tailor care to keep you safe.
References
- Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health. Mission & Vision (https://imconsortium.org/about/introduction). Accessed 8/7/2022.
- Gannotta R, Malik S, Chan AY, et al. Integrative Medicine as a Vital Component of Patient Care (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6173273/). Cureus. 2018 Aug 4;10(8):e3098. Accessed 8/7/2022.
- National Cancer Institute. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam). Accessed 8/7/2022.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? (https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name) Accessed 8/7/2022.
Related Topics
Book your appointment TODAY!
Search on the closest Doctor to your location and book based on specialty. EARN 10 POINTS more with CuraPOINT.
BOOK