The integration with conventional medicine of different approaches to medicine is the basis of what is known as integrative medicine, a field that is designed to make the most of these therapies to satisfy the needs of each patient. The more we become acquainted with the mind-body links, the more integrative medicine becomes the way to consider all the factors, including lifestyle and diet.
The health of people is greatly enhanced by conventional medicine. However, other approaches can also be helpful, better, cheaper, safer, or all three. Medical practitioners trained to integrate methods from every tradition often have more instruments available to help you develop a customized plan for your well-being. Visit our pain clinic in OKC to consult about an integrative plan for you.
Principles of Integrative Medicine
- Patience and practitioners are partners in the healing process. This is the fundamental principle of integrative medicine.
- All factors that affect the health and well-being of the body and mind are taken into account.
- Effective, natural, and less invasive interventions are applied where possible.
- Good medicine has good science as its foundation. It is driven by research and open to new paradigms.
How Did Integrative Medicine Develop?
Integrative medicine developed in the wake of a 1993 study that showed over a third of Americans used at least one alternative therapy. That study eventually led to the creation of integrative medical centers that offered both conventional and alternative treatments.
How Does the Partnership Between Doctor and Patient Work?
At least hypothetically, integrative medicine will give the doctor more time to work with their patients. In too many conventional practices, doctors have such limited time to work with their patients that they can feel overwhelmed and rushed. The patient, for their part, feels like a number.
The partnership also means that the doctor learns more about the patient’s life. The doctor can learn about any stresses the patient is facing, like a divorce. The doctor can then advise the patient on stress reduction techniques and check the patient for any stress-related conditions. If the doctor knows that the divorced person comes from a family with a history of migraines or heart disease, he will know to check for signs of those conditions.
Five Benefits Cited By Patients of Integrative Medicine
Healing Orientation
Integrative medicine is more concerned with well-being, vitality, and healing than with focusing only on the disease, like the ancient systems of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. It starts with the presumption of physiological equilibrium, which is disrupted and leads to illness and disease manifestations. The natural equilibrium of the body can restore this equilibrium and promote health.
Therapeutic Relationship
The best action plan is agreed upon jointly by the practitioner and the patient. Attention is paid to meeting the patients where they are currently in the handling of chronic diseases. The recommended therapy has a greater chance of success by addressing obstacles to changes in lifestyles and adherence to treatments.
Combination of All Therapies
By combining traditional allopathic therapy with mind-body therapy, such as yoga and meditation, a therapy plan has been developed that first uses the least invasive and most economical therapy. In cases where the cure is not always possible, achieving a sense of well-being is particularly important.
Mind, Body, and Spirit are the Focus
Integrative medicine focuses on how different traits can be combined and how to find the root causes. The focus is on restoring balance and taking into account factors that can affect the ability of the patient to follow recommendations, such as cultural restrictions on diets or the inability to develop a workout program due to job requirements.
Personalized Medicine
Recommendations can vary according to the individual’s unique situation in integrative treatment plans. For treatment plans to be tailored to individual needs, professionals examine the literature on traditional therapies, often using scientific techniques. Each factor in determining whether an individual is healthy is considered, ranging from environmental exposures to personal relationships.
The trained practitioners at our medical clinic in OKC will help you achieve total health with the integrative medicine approach. We at Oklahoma Spine & Pain Management treat you to support the healing process that suits you as a whole person. Contact us!
** Disclaimer: This content should not be considered medical advice and does not imply a doctor-patient relationship.
