Is Integrative Medicine for You?

In today’s world of health and wellness, there are many holistic approaches that focus on the overall well-being of the patient. Many therapies in today’s world focus on the disease rather than the person as a whole. This centered approach doesn’t always work well.

In such scenarios, we need a more wholesome and inclusive approach to wellness. This approach is known as Integrative Medicine.

What Is Integrative Medicine?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Integrated medicine works by understanding the patient and that’s unique to their current mental, emotional and physical lifestyle. It believes that these factors have a great effect on our health and are often ignored by traditional medicine.

Integrated medicine is different from alternative medicine as it does not replace the basic fundamentals of modern medicine only applies a different approach to it.

Defining Principles of Integrative Medicines

• Patients and practitioners are partners in the healing process.
• All factors that influence health, wellness, and disease are taken into consideration, including mind, spirit, and community, as well as the body.
• Appropriate use of both conventional and alternative methods facilitates the body’s innate healing response.
• Effective interventions that are natural and less invasive should be used whenever possible.
• Integrative medicine neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically.
• Good medicine is based on good science. It is inquiry-driven and open to new paradigms.
• Alongside the concept of treatment, the broader concepts of health promotion and the prevention of illness are paramount.
• Practitioners of integrative medicine should exemplify its principles and commit themselves to self-exploration and self-development.

Where Is Integrative Medicine Used?

Integrative medicine can be used for many illnesses from cancer, fibromyalgia, pain, fatigue, etc. Integrative medicine proves to be helpful for managing the symptoms of these illnesses and improve the overall quality of their life. An example of the most recognized and most used integrative medicine therapies are:

• Acupuncture
• Animal-assisted therapy
• Aromatherapy
• Dietary supplements
• Massage therapy
• Music therapy
• Meditation

Benefits of Integrative Medicine

1. Integrative medicine focuses on healing

Unlike conventional medicine, integrated medicine takes a different approach. It focuses on our body’s ability to heal itself and to increase its vitality rather than having a disease-oriented approach. By understanding different aspects of our lifestyle, integrative medicine aims at finding out the imbalance and restoring it to the optimum state.

2. It focuses on prevention

Conventional medicine therapy focuses on curing disease, while integrative medicine aims to make sure that there is no disease in the first place. Through integrative medicine, our body tries to heal itself and aims to create an internal environment that stops diseases or reduces the effect of a pre-existing disease.

3. Integrative medicine has a holistic approach

The physical and mental issue of a person isn’t limited to a particular organ, it goes much deeper than that. It is often due to our lifestyle, habits, emotional and mental well-being, physical environment, etc. Integrative medicine assesses all of these factors to provide the right course of action. This holistic approach helps broaden the possibilities and to narrow down to the root of the issue, rather than diverting all the attention in one particular organ.

4. It emphasizes collaboration

Integrative medicine focuses on the relationship between patient and practitioner and it does so to such an extent that it is one of its definitive principles. The collaborative relationship between the patient and the practitioner festers a positive environment and a sense of trust. This helps with the overall effectiveness of the therapy and encourages both the parties to put in the best efforts to find an appropriate solution.

5. There is a personalized approach

Integrative medicine pays attention to the individual requirements of the patient. As mentioned earlier, there are many factors that are assessed by integrative medicine practitioners. The overall health of the patient is highly dependent on their individual situation, this provides them with a highly personalized solution and therapy suggestion. The next course of action is determined by the practitioner only after assessing these aspects, this keeps the remedy highly individualistic and personalized in nature.

6. It is supported by science

Unlike alternative medicine practices such as Ayurveda and traditional scientific medicine, integrative medicine is only a different approach to conventional medicine. It combines ht best of allopathy with a holistic approach which aims at making the practices more effective. Integrative medicine aims to deliver the best care to the patients and to make it the best experience for the patient.

Risks of Integrative Medicine

In no way is integrative medicine an alternative to conventional medicine and modern science, it is merely a modern approach to the age-old practice of medicine and science. With integrative medicine, the only goal is to approach one’s condition from a patient-first perspective and not a disease-first perspective.

This is what distinguishes integrative medicine from conventional medicine. Hence it should not be treated as a standalone treatment but rather include any ongoing treatment or therapy to ensure the best possible results.

In Conclusion

Apart from solving the medical issues at hand, integrative medicine helps patients create a self-care environment around them that promotes healing, nurturing and personal development. By taking this holistic approach, patients are not only solving their immediate problems but are also creating a long-term path for themselves that helps with their overall development and self-healing and regain optimum health over a long period of time.

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