Integrative Health

Integrative medicine and health reaffirm the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing.

Integrative medicine combines modern medicine with established approaches from around the world. By joining modern medicine with proven practices from other healing traditions, integrative practitioners are better able to relieve suffering, reduce stress, maintain the well-being, and enhance the resilience of their patients.

Although the culture of biomedicine is predominant in the U.S., it coexists with many other healing traditions. Many of these approaches have their roots in non-Western cultures. Others have developed within the West, but outside what is considered conventional medical practice.

Various terms have been used to describe the broad range of healing approaches that are not widely taught in medical schools, generally available in hospitals or routinely reimbursed by medical insurance. Integrative medicine is a term that emphasizes the combination of both conventional and alternative approaches to address the biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of health and illness. It emphasizes respect for the human capacity for healing, the importance of the relationship between the practitioner and the patient, a collaborative approach to patient care among practitioners, and the practice of conventional, complementary, and alternative health care that is evidence-based.

Integrative health focuses on the individual's wholeness encompassing body, mind and spirit as well as all aspects of lifestyle.  It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies - conventional, complementary and alternative.

Integrative Health Philosophy

Integrative health practitioners and proponents believe:

·         an individual's health and well-being are viewed in terms of wholeness of body, mind and spirit.

·         an individual has an innate capacity for healing; the goal is to maximize this capacity optimizing personal wellness through prevention and use of safe and effective healing resources.

·         the healing process is highly individual; choices and decisions are strengthened through knowledge and empowerment.

·         that a partnership exists between the individual and practitioner in the healing process.

·         an individual is responsible for his/her health and well-being and is at the center of all care provision.

·         in embracing the best evidence supporting conventional, complementary and alternative medicine.

Integrative health focuses on the mind, body and spirit, and uses your body’s natural healing capacity.

Integrative health recognizes the value of conventional medicine in treating illness as well as its limits in dealing with the complex needs of the whole person. Integrative health helps you take an active role in your health.

It promotes health and the prevention of illness through education, coaching, self-care and wellness practices. In this section, you will find 18 integrative health and wellness therapies and approaches that can help address pain. you can choose options for improving your health and wellness while talking about traditional treatment options.

Acupuncture

The goal is to encourage the movement of Qi (“life energy”) through the 14 channels inside your body. The belief is that the constant fl ow of Qi through these channels is essential for you to stay healthy. If this energy fl ow is blocked, your body cannot keep the balance needed to maintain healthy energy levels or deal with health and pain issues.

Aromatherapy

Made from substantial amounts of raw plant materials, highly concentrated and high quality essential oils are distilled from flowers, herbs and trees. These are inhaled, put on your skin, added to bath water, or used as a compress or spray to promote relaxation and wellbeing.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback uses special equipment to collect information or “feedback” about how your body responds to stress and pain. Sensors taped to your skin measure muscle activity, skin temperature, sweat activity, heart rate and breathing patterns. By learning how your body reacts to stress and pain, you can gain control over these reactions.

Energy Healing (Reiki/Healing Touch)

This therapy involves moving the healing energy through the hands of a practitioner into your body to restore your normal energy balance and health. Energy healing has been used to treat a variety of health problems and is often used along with other complementary and traditional medical treatments.

Guided Imagery

This gentle but powerful technique uses the body, emotions and senses to create pleasant or soothing images in the mind. These images can move you to a more relaxed state. This allows for a quicker and intense healing during which you will feel less stress and pain. Images can be as simple as a 10-second daydream.

Health Coaching

Integrative health and wellness coaching can help you make healthy lifestyle changes, identify personal barriers and ways to overcome them, and maintain positive changes long term. This approach involves a series of sessions with a coach in person or by phone that focus on stress management, motivation, physical activity and nutrition.

Herbal Consultations/Therapy

The earliest known form of medicine, herbal therapy is a healing process that uses parts of plants (seed, stem, flower, root, bark and leaf) for the relief of conditions, ailments or pain.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy comes from the Greek word “homoios,” meaning similar, and “pathos,” meaning disease. The basic premise is that “like cures like” and that a disease can be cured by lesser amounts of highly diluted substances that produce similar symptoms in healthy people. Diagnosis is made by a homeopath after he or she interviews you.

Integrative Nursing

When meeting with the nurse, you will learn about integrative approaches, self-care, and stress management. Together, you and the nurse determine which integrative approaches to include in your care plan based on your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs, and goals. Integrative nurses also help you manage your symptoms.

Integrative Nutrition

Based on the strong relationship between nutrients and how your body works, integrative nutrition can help your body restore health, prevent illness and recover from disease. The nutritionist looks for causes of disease and how to overcome them with healthful foods.

Massage Therapy

A therapist massages your skin and underlying muscles to promote health, healing and relaxation. Massage can soften stiff muscles and improve muscle tone. It can reduce pain and muscle tension, lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve circulation and your immune response, and increase your body’s “feel good” chemicals.

Meditation

Meditation can improve your health by keeping your mind focused on the present, so it will not worry about the past or future. Worrying can cause chronic (long-term) mental stress. There are many forms of meditation. Most are easy to learn, including concentration and mindfulness. Sessions last about 15 to 20 minutes and are done morning and night.

Music Therapy

Led by a board-certified music therapist, you can use music to reduce anxiety, stress and pain. You can be an active participant by singing, listening, playing instruments and writing music. This therapy is especially helpful for mental health, developmental and learning disabilities, brain injuries, aging-related conditions and neurological disorders.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

This technique involves relaxing your muscles from the top of your head to your toes. Many people don’t know where or how their body holds on to tension or stress. Understanding where you store stress in your body allows you to focus on those areas and relax them.

Reflexology

Reflexology is based on the concept that there are reflex maps in each foot and hand that correspond to all body parts and organs. A reflexologist applies pressure to these areas to cause changes in your body. These changes can improve blood, strengthen your immune system, decrease pain, and balance physical and emotional symptoms.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

When you are healthy, there is a smooth flow of energy through your body. An interruption or blockage of energy flow can result in pain, fatigue, nausea, tight muscles, cramps, irritability, depression, frustration or stress. Ongoing imbalance can eventually cause disease. Techniques like acupuncture can release energy blockage, and restore balance.

Yoga

Yoga combines movement, breathing and meditation exercises to enhance your natural ability to heal and to help maintain wellness. Yoga helps ease muscle tension, improve circulation, assist with balance, and calm the mind.