Integrative medicine is a blend of traditional Western medicine and homeopathic therapies.
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.
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answeredSee All 2 AnswersIn North America, holistic health care practices are usually referred to as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Complementary health practices include both practitioner-administered therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, and massage, and self-care practices, such as meditation and visualization.
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Boston Women's Health Book Collective , Administration, answered
We 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.
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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.
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Pamela Miles , Integrative Medicine, answeredSee All 4 AnswersA truly integrative approach includes the patient as a whole person and as an equal -- a colleague as it were -- educating the patient in lifestyle choices and engaging him or her in creating wellness and well-being. As part of this relationship of mutual respect, integrative professionals are willing to learn from the patient -- what has helped, what hasn't, what does he/she see as important -- and support what the patient already has in place.
Rather than unrealistically expecting patients to change everything at once, especially when someone is ill and not functioning optimally, integrative practitioners reach out to patients where they are, offering bite-sized pieces that patients can digest and implement, rather than overwhelming them with data that seems irrelevant to the patient. Even when addressing chronic disease, when cure is not available, integrative practitioners offer doable steps to improve health and well-being, respecting the patient's values and preferences.
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Dr. William Pawluk, MD , Preventive Medicine, answeredSee All 2 AnswersInfra-red Therapy:There are two types of infrared therapy: far infrared (FIR) and near infrared (IR). Infrared is primarily used to generate heat in tissues. In addition to generating heat, FIR/IR also introduce magnetic field frequencies into the body. Infrared, either FIR or IR, does not typically penetrate the body very deeply; usually, within 1-2 inches, a signal is dissipated by interaction with the tissues of the body. When the term infrared is used alone, it generally refers to near infrared. Infrared applications are typically made by local applicator devices. To be technically correct, any frequencies below the FIR and the EM spectrum would be considered to be infrared. This means that even ELFs would be considered to be infrared. This distinction makes it important to know what the actual frequency being used is in a FIR/IR system. By common usage, FIR/IR more typically refer to frequencies near the red part of the EM spectrum.
Laser:
There are essentially two types of laser therapy systems: one is tissue-destructive and the other is tissue-healing/enhancing. The latter is usually called low-level laser. Even laser pointers used for public speaking have tissue effects. Low-level lasers are often used in a similar way as FIR/IR. Their beam is very narrow and focused. Because of this level of intensity they are able to penetrate the body more deeply and can sometimes completely pass through less dense areas of the body. More expensive, professional high-energy models are more likely to penetrate even thicker body parts, such as the abdomen or lung. Lasers can be used with different colors and therefore have not only the laser light benefits but also may add a benefit or value related to the color being generated. Most, however, are red.
Chelation:
Chelation therapy, IV or oral, creates significant movement of electrolytes, minerals and metals in and out of cells. This movement (especially if it’s calcium, sodium and potassium) may create significant interaction with magnetic field therapy. There is not any extensive research available regarding chelation and MF therapy used concurrently.
Light Therapy:
Light therapy is most typically a whole-body treatment approach. Specific colors are used for specifically intended actions. Most light therapy, except for that used for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is often intended for specific actions.
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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". -
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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. -
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Dr. Andrew Weil , Alternative & Complementary Medicine, answered
Although integrative medicine is just starting to gain popularity in the U.S., it is not new or radical. In this video, Dr. Weil explains how this type of medicine operates on a conservative philosophy of "less is more."