Healing with Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine refers to the practice of incorporating alternative medical therapies into conventional or Western medical regimens or to the simultaneous use of conventional and alternative medical treatments by medical practitioners. An example would be a physician who recommends both prescription medications and acupuncture or dietary supplements as part of his patients’ treatment plans. Integrative medicine has been used in Europe for many years although it is a relatively new concept in the United States.
Focus of Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine focuses on wellness, health promotion, and the healing process. The steps to healing typically include detoxification, regeneration, and nutrition. Treatments are specific for the individual depending on his lifestyle, other health conditions, his general constitution, emotional state, exposure to stress, and diet. In an ideal integrative program, the immediate symptoms would be reduced quickly by using conventional therapies, usually prescription medications, and the root of the illness would be addressed and healed with alternative medicine.
Because of the benefits offered by both medical disciplines, many integrative clinics have been established in the last decade where patients can receive conventional treatments such as physical therapy and alternative treatments such as massage or craniosacral therapy in the same office setting. In cities where integrative physicians aren't available, a conventional practitioner might work closely together with a naturopath or doctor of traditional Chinese medicine to develop an integrative treatment approach.
Federal Programs
In October 1998 the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services in Bethesda, Maryland created a special branch dedicated to studying the effects of complementary and alternative medicine. This branch is called the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).
Continued...