Integrative medicine is equivalent to holistic medicine. Basically, it is looking at all of the non-traditional treatment approaches. That would include homeopathy, accupuncture, aromatherapy, etc. It does not necessary preclude the use of traditional medical approaches.
Integrative Medicine
The goals of integrative medicine are to partner with the patient, supporting wellness, supplementing clinical practice with traditional healing arts. Medicine in the US has grown up in a mode that treats disease. There is much less emphasis on wellness than on fixing a problem. Much traditional medicine, particularly from other cultures works to keep an individual well. Integrative medicine borrows from that tradition, and crafts plans around patient needs.
Recently Answered
-
2 AnswersA
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answeredSee All 2 AnswersComplementary, alternative, and integrative medicine is the use of treatments, such as homeopathic medicine, ayurveda, acupuncture, botanical dietary supplements, and massage, that are not necessarily considered part of "conventional" medicine. Such treatments may be used in conjunction with more accepted medicine (complementary and integrative medicine) or instead of established medical practices (alternative medicine). -
1 AnswerA
Dr. Andrew Weil , Alternative & Complementary Medicine, answered
Integrative medicine has the potential to save large amounts of money, as well as lives. In this video, Dr. Weil explains another reason why it has a hopeful future to survive the healthcare debate. -
4 AnswersA
Dr. Jill R. Baron, MD , Integrative Medicine, answeredSee All 4 AnswersHaving an holistic and integrative approach to a patient involves looking at the whole patient, mind, body, and spirit, as all aspects of a patient’s life can affect his/her health. Integrative Medicine ideally treats not only the patient’s symptoms, but also tries to get to the root of what is causing the problem. Another benefit of Integrative Medicine, is that Practitioners of Integrative Medicine tend to spend more time with getting to know and understand the patient, which helps them treat the patient more effectively.
-
2 AnswersA
Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersSome types of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies are:
• Practitioner-based body manipulation -- acupuncture, massage,
chiropractic, and osteopathic manipulation --
•Sauna- Your great-grandmother might have suggested that when you
have a cold or flu, cover your head with a towel and sit over a pot of
hot water, and she may have been on to something. Spending time in
a hot sauna may be a CAM remedy that actually has some steam. High
temperatures of a sauna probably provide comfort because it promotes
nasal drainage, but it also may make the environment so inhospitable
for viruses that they just surrender (maybe chicken soup does this
too?). So if you don't have heart disease or another circulatory
medical condition, head to the sauna a couple of times a week to keep
viruses away during cold and flu season.
• Cupping-- In traditional Chinese medicine stimulating acupuncture
points is commonly used to restore balance to the flow of energy along
invisible meridians of Qi, the vital life force. The cupping technique
combines this energy fine-tuning with body manipulation. When heated
glass cups are strategically placed on top of the skin, suction pulls skin
inside the cup to increase circulation and stimulate the flow of energy
in that area. It produces temporary mild bruise-like marks from the
suction cups.• Reiki is another popular energy healing therapy, which is typically
• Natural products (nonvitamin, nonmineral) -- herbs, fish oil/omega 3,
performed by a trained Reiki master. Here the practitioner's light touch
on, or slightly above, specific areas of the body is used to balance the
flow of energy throughout the body. The laying on of hands on the
head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, and back delivers varying degrees
of natural vibrational "heated" energy as needed, to strengthen the
body to heal itself. Reiki can also be self-administered
glucosamine, St. John's wort, echinacea, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, garlic,
flaxseed, chondroitin, coenzyme Q-10, ginger• Breath work -- deep breathing exercises, meditation
• Relaxation techniques -- guided imagery, progressive relation
• Body movement -- yoga, Qi gong, Tai chi
• Diet-based therapies -- macrobiotic, vegetarian
This content originally appeared on doctoroz.com -
1 AnswerA
Dr. Indie F. Jones, MD , Hospitalist, answeredTreating disease and maintaining overall good health is a very complex process. Traditonal western medicine tends to focus on pills for quick fixes but can add to the actual morbidity or sense of well being with the cummulative side effects that comes with taking multiple medications. The body is not just a machine that can be upgraded or tuned up. There is a very strong psychosocial aspect to health. For example, chronic pain is difficult to manage in patients who suffer from anxiety and depression. We have natural endorphins that our body makes when we exercise and gives us a free and safe natural high! Getting an appropriate amount of rest, exercise, and professional counseling will go a long way when coupled with an anti-depressant medication as opposed to just "taking a pill". -
1 AnswerA
Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answeredWe choose such alternatives for many reasons, such as the belief that these therapies are gentler, safer, more effective, or less expensive than conventional medicine. (These assumptions may or may not be true for particular therapies.) Many women combine complementary health practices with more conventional ones.
-
1 AnswerA
Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answered
Many complementary therapies remain inaccessible to low-income people. Traditional methods may be affordable within specific ethnic communities but can be expensive when provided to, or by, outsiders to those communities. Complementary therapies are not always covered by insurance, though some insurance companies cover a limited number of complementary treatments or offer discounts on treatments with selected providers. While insurance companies should cover complementary medicine, insurance is not a panacea. Many women are uninsured or have limited access to health care facilities. Also, insurance is designed to pay for treatment when we are ill, while complementary care emphasizes staying healthy.
Conventional Western medicine will have to change before it can integrate complementary and alternative medicine. This may not happen until the profit motive is removed from health care services. For example, herbs and dietary supplements are not patentable and cannot be as profitable as drugs. Effective botanical treatments and mind-body therapies are unlikely to be prescribed as long as pharmaceutical companies sponsor the continuing education of most doctors. Complementary therapies may best be utilized within a single-payer health care system, which could emphasize preventive care and a broad range of cost-effective therapies. We can promote such changes by writing to our legislators, joining organizations, and educating others and ourselves. As deeper research defines which holistic practices are effective, we will be able to advocate their widespread availability.
-
1 AnswerA
Dr. Jill R. Baron, MD , Integrative Medicine, answeredThere are several organizations of Integrative Physicians. Just as patients are individuals, so are physicians. Physicians can choose to emphasize different aspects of Integrative Medicine in their practices, and also choose to belong to one or more Integrative Medicine bodies. One philosophy of integrative medical practice, is called “Functional Medicine,” which I am trained in. Functional Medicine aims to look at the person as an individual, as the sum total and interconnectedness of a person’s genetics, environment, lifestyle, and physiology. Please go to www.functionalmedicine.org to find out more and find physicians trained in Functional Medicine. There is also now a board certification for physicians who practice Integrative Medicine, that is called the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine of which I am board certified. Please go to www.abihm.org to find out more. Other organizations for Integrative Practitioners include the American College for Advancement in Medicine, www.acam.org and the American Holistic Medical Association, www.holisticmedicine.org.