What is Integrative Medicine?
Unlike conventional medical treament in the U.S. today, integrative Medicine is a different approach to health care that brings patient and practitioner together in a dynamic partnership dedicated to optimimizing the patient's health and healing. This approach focuses on the whole person, recognizing that the subtle interactions of mind, body, spirit and community have a direct impact on vitality and well-being.
Integrative medicine combines mainstream medical therapies with evidence-based complemetary and alternative (CAM) therapies to offer a broad-based array of treatments.
In other words, integrative medicine "cherry picks" the very best, scientifically validated therapies from both conventional and CAM systems.
Stated another way, integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative. It does not ignore conventional medicine, but rather incorporates it into the overall approach
The main principles of integrative medicine include:
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A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process
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Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response
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Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body
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A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically
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Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven, and be open to new paradigms
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Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
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Use of the broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease
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Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development
HOW INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE IS DIFFERENT
Check out this short video clip from Dr Adam Perlman, executive director of Duke Integrative Medicine, explaining the meaning and importance of the integrative medicine approach to health: