Integrative Medicine: How Is It a Key to Durable Health?
By Sarah Hayek
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2 minutes
Integrative medicine started becoming a topic of interest in the 1990s primarily in North America. Its appearance was inspired by the need to avoid the dehumanization of care that preoccupied Dr. David Eisenberg and Dr Andrew Weil.
By definition, this new way of treating patients is born by relying on a combination of both conventional western medicine (like drugs and surgeries), which is widespread in all healthcare systems nowadays, and other methods, consisting of all the unconventional medical procedures practiced in alternative medicine, (such as diet adjustments, supplements intake, physical activities, or meditation); which become complementary when combined with the conventional ways.
The goal of this new approach is to put the patient at the center of care, as a human being and as a whole entity, while making the patient – practitioner relationship the base of the care pathway that will lead to having a very personalized treatment plan tailored according to the needs of said patient, while improving their quality of life as well as longevity.
Many patients today, could benefit from this new way of practicing medicine, from individuals presenting the simplest of diseases, to others with more complex or chronic conditions; to name a few: Migraines, Cancer, Infertility, Asthma, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Multiple Sclerosis (MS)…
Even patients of the psychiatric side of medicine can benefit from this path like ones suffering from depression or anxiety disorders or even some who have certain addictions and other patients who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) or even insomnia.
It allows a holistic approach as the person is not only a disease to be treated but a multifaceted individual with different needs and aspects of life to include in care.
Keeping in mind that the patient makes his own choices with his care provider, it makes him proactive in the treatment thus more likely to adhere to the plan as he will feel more at ease and comfortable following through with it, since he, himself, built it with the team in charge of him and subsequently there are better chances to achieve improved results.
On the other hand, it is important to note that there are some challenges involved considering that it is a complex care plan that is going to take place; that might entail some conflicting recommendations from different providers on the team in charge of care; and it could as well involve some complications and interactions to look out for.
Since integrative medicine includes the use of preventative means, even individuals that are not sick could benefit from what it has to offer; so, anyone can take advantage of it. Therefore, Integrative healthcare is also a secret to durable health.
Finally, it is still important to underline that complementary medicine will never replace, but it can rather complete the conventional traditional western treatments we have today.
Lastly, it is important to never self-medicate and to always consult with specialists whatever the procedure you desire to follow, whether it be conventional or complementary; keeping a constant and transparent communication, reporting any side effect or complications, is key to success.
“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity” – Hippocrates.
