What Is Integrative Medicine? Everything You Need To Know
What is integrative medicine? We get this question all the time. It can be confusing to navigate the world of holistic medicine with many different approaches.
Integrative medicine differs from other holistic medicine approaches by using a combination of conventional and alternative treatment methods. Integrative medicine practitioners embrace the benefits of both worlds and serve the growing interest in combining traditional and alternative therapies to achieve optimal health. In this article, we want to invite you to explore the world of integrative medicine.
Core Principles of Integrative Medicine
Let’s start by explaining integrative medicine. Integrative medicine uses a combination of conventional and alternative treatment methods. It is practiced by traditionally trained medical doctors, including those with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). However, instead of using only conventional methods, they offer complementary and alternative medicine strategies, including diet, supplementation, lifestyle changes, exercise, acupuncture, bodywork, and more (1, 2, 3).
Focus On Holistic, Patient-Centered Care
Integrative medicine physicians offer a collaborative, personalized approach to healthcare that considers the whole person, including physical, emotional, social, and spiritual factors. They believe that a holistic, patient-centered approach is the best for whole-body wellness.
Their aim is to understand each of their patients and take time to listen. The goal is to empower their patients to play an active role in their health and recovery. This means that you can expect a deeper, more meaningful patient-practitioner relationship based on open communication and mutual trust. They will guide you with a personalized treatment plan that’s aligned with your unique health issues, health goals, and lifestyle, from a holistic angle (1, 2, 3).
Emphasis On The Body’s Innate Ability To Heal
Instead of only focusing on putting a bandaid on your symptoms, integrative medicine healthcare professionals believe in your body’s innate healing response. They offer dietary recommendations, stress management tools, lifestyle strategies, and complementary therapies that can support your body to repair itself and maintain optimal health.
Though integrative medicine practitioners may use traditional approaches, including medication, the goal is always to decrease chronic inflammation, strengthen your immune system, improve function, and regain full wellness. Their approach relies on your body’s wisdom and resilience which needs to be supported to achieve optimal health and healing (1, 2, 3).
Traditional vs. Alternative Medicine
Integrative medicine combines the wisdom of traditional and alternative medicine. But what is the difference between the two?
Differences Between Conventional Medical Practices And Alternative Therapies
Conventional medicine is also known as Western medicine, allopathic medicine, or traditional medicine. Conventional medicine relies on standardized testing you may be familiar with from seeing a traditional primary care physician, including lab work and scans, as well as standardized treatment such as pharmaceutical medication, surgery, and radiation.
These methods are developed through extensive research and clinical trials and are highly regulated. Conventional medicine uses science-backed testing, interventions, and treatments to diagnose, treat, and prevent disease.
Alternative medicine, on the other hand, includes a variety of therapies, including acupuncture, chiropractic care, nutritional therapy, supplementation, meditation, or yoga. While some alternative therapies are well-researched and science-backed, others are not at all. However, in most cases, even well-researched alternative therapies lack the extensive scientific validation and regulation traditional medical treatments do. This happens due to the nature of the therapy and/or funding.
Alternative therapies often use a more holistic approach, taking into consideration the body, mind, and spirit. They focus on natural strategies, diet, lifestyle adjustments, bodywork, and other medication-free options. Alternative medicine can be complementary to conventional medicine, meaning, it can be used alongside medical treatment. It may also be beneficial to use as a sole approach. People who seek alternative therapies are often looking for a holistic approach. They may feel that conventional care wasn’t enough or wasn’t the right path for them.
The Role Of Evidence-Based Complementary Treatments
As mentioned, not all alternative therapies are science-backed. However, this is changing. There is an increased interest in complementary and integrative medicine—even in scientific circles, especially when combined with conventional care. Integrative medicine uses evidence-based complementary treatment strategies.
For example, the benefits of dietary improvements, mindfulness, acupuncture, exercise, and stress-reduction strategies have lots of scientific and clinical evidence when it comes to reducing stress, decreasing pain, and improving chronic illness (4, 5, 6, 7, 8). It may reduce the need for medication or may help to lower the number of pharmaceuticals used.
One major benefit of alternative therapies is that they usually come with little to no side effects. They may even help to reduce the side effects of certain therapies. For example, yoga or massage therapy may be beneficial alongside chemotherapy to reduce side effects (9, 10).
Benefits of Integrative Medicine
Now that you understand what integrative medicine is, let’s look at the benefits.
Addressing Mental, Emotional, And Physical Health
Integrative medicine approaches healthcare from a holistic perspective. This means that they are not only looking at specific symptoms and they are not using a bandaid approach. Their goal is to treat the whole person by addressing their physical, mental, and emotional health through the combination of conventional and evidence-based complementary therapies.
Medication, nutrition counseling, bodywork, acupuncture, and yoga may help to address your physical needs, while stress reduction strategies, mindfulness practices, meditation, yoga, and mental health counseling may help with your mental and emotional wellness. This approach to health aims to support your overall well-being. Treatment and prevention are both equally important.
Reducing Dependency On Medications Through Lifestyle Changes
Though integrative medicine may recommend medication and other conventional therapies, their goal is to reduce the need for pharmaceuticals by using appropriate therapeutic approaches, too. They promote natural and sustainable strategies to encourage dietary and lifestyle changes to lower your dependency on medication.
For example, they may recommend stress reduction strategies, such as mindfulness and meditation, to reduce blood pressure, or nutritional therapy to stabilize blood sugar (11, 12). Their goal of an integrative health approach is to achieve positive long-term health outcomes by offering foundational lifestyle changes and natural strategies.
Common Conditions Treated with Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine doctors generally treat complex and chronic conditions. This includes both physical and mental health issues.
Management Of Chronic Pain, Anxiety, And Fatigue
Integrative medicine offers treatment options for chronic pain, fatigue, and anxiety. If you are dealing with fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, migraines, joint pain, muscle pain, or other chronic pain issues, working with an integrative medicine doctor may be right for you (13, 14, 15).
Mind-body practices like yoga, bodywork, physical therapy, and acupuncture may help to decrease tension, improve flexibility, increase strength, and reduce pain (16, 17). Mindfulness practices, meditation, and yoga may help with stress, sleep, fatigue, and anxiety (18). Dietary changes, improving your sleep, and other lifestyle adjustments may help to decrease chronic inflammation and related pain.
Support For Autoimmune Disorders And Digestive Health
Integrative medicine is also a great option for autoimmune disorders and digestive health issues. Nutritional adjustments, including following an anti-inflammatory diet rich in greens, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and clean protein can help to reduce inflammation, immune health issues, and digestive problems (13, 14, 15).
Vitamins, minerals, and other supplements can address underlying nutritional deficiencies. Probiotics can improve the gut microbiome and reduce leaky gut syndrome, both of which are linked to autoimmune disorders and digestive health issues (19, 20, 21). Meditation and other stress-reduction strategies may help to manage flare-ups and reduce symptoms (22).
Help for Other Health Issues
Besides chronic pain, fatigue, autoimmunity, gastrointestinal issues, and anxiety, you can visit an integrative medicine practitioner with a variety of other issues. Health conditions complementary medicine may also help with breathing disorders, pre-menopause, menopause, infertility, other hormonal issues, diabetes, neurological problems, cancer, obesity, smoking habits, and mental health issues. If you are looking for a doctor who can support your health with both conventional and alternative approaches, integrative medicine is a great option for you (13, 14, 15).
Role of Nutrition and Lifestyle in Integrative Medicine
Nutrition and lifestyle changes make up a major part of integrative medicine. In some cases, these adjustments can make a major difference in the healing process without the use of any medication or other alternative strategies.
How Diet And Nutrition Influence Overall Health And Healing
How you eat has a tremendous influence on your overall health. Thus, diet and nutrition play a major role in integrative medicine to support your body’s natural healing processes.
Refined and processed foods can increase chronic inflammation and the risk of health issues. Nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods, including greens, vegetables, sprouts, herbs, spices, fermented foods, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, grass-fed meat, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught fish and seafood, and wild game, can support cellular repair and immune function, reduce inflammation levels, decrease the risk of health issues, and improve your overall health (13, 14, 15).
Importance Of Stress Management, Sleep, And Physical Activity
Chronic stress, poor sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle are common lifestyle factors that can increase chronic inflammation and influence health problems. Integrative medicine aims to address these factors and empower you to improve your life.
Regular movement and exercise are critical for cardiovascular health, immune function, muscle and joint health, metabolic health, stress management, mental health, and more (23, 24). Getting enough restorative sleep each night is essential for hormonal balance, immune health, cellular repair, cognitive function, energy, and emotional health (25). Mindfulness practices, meditation, yoga, and stress reduction strategies can help to improve your mental health, emotional well-being, cognitive function, energy levels, and overall health (26, 27).
Working with an Integrative Medicine Practitioner
Now that you know what integrative medicine is and understand its benefits, you may be interested in working with an integrative medicine practitioner. How should you choose your integrative medicine practitioner and what should you expect from working with them?
What To Look For In A Certified Practitioner
Integrative medicine usually involves a team of health practitioners who practice in a certain area of integrative medicine, including medical doctors, nurses, registered dietitians, physical therapists, and mental health practitioners. When seeking help, your first step should be a certified integrative medicine practitioner.
Look for an integrative medicine practitioner with credentials in conventional medicine, such as MD, DO, or NP (nurse practitioner) with additional training and experience in integrative medicine and other holistic health practices. The American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM) is a reputable board (28). Certifications from there can indicate that you are dealing with a well-educated and trained integrative medicine practitioner. Make sure that they practice evidence-based alternative therapies, in addition to conventional care, including nutritional counseling, acupuncture, and mind-body practices.
Questions To Ask During Your First Consultation
A good integrative medicine practitioner will create a trusting and collaborative relationship in a respectful environment and will take time to understand your health history, symptoms and health issues, lifestyle, diet, and health goals. You should feel cared for and empowered during your visit.
During your visit, you can ask anything about their clinic, their medical education and experience, and their approach to personalized care. You should share everything important related to your concerning symptoms, health, and lifestyle. Ask any questions related to your symptoms and health issues.
You can raise questions related to the therapeutic options suggested, including the scientific evidence behind it, potential benefits, and possible side effects. Share any other medical treatments, therapies, and medications you are currently receiving and they can help you integrate these with their recommendations.
Ask how they will assess your progress, follow-up visits, and the long-term plan for your treatment journey. Remember, you are an active participant in your health journey and should feel empowered to ask or suggest anything.
Is an Integrative Health Practitioner Right For You?
So what is integrative medicine? Integrative medicine practitioners use a combination of conventional and alternative practices to improve your health from a holistic perspective. They offer a unique path to long-term wellness by using wisdom from traditional medicine but also offering nutrition consultation, supplementation, exercise, meditation, lifestyle changes, acupuncture, bodywork, and more.
If you are looking for a personalized healthcare option, we recommend that you explore integrative medicine. We invite you to set up an appointment with us here.