An Alternative Approach to Health
Integrative medicine offers a variety of therapeutic modalities.
Interest in unconventional approaches to healthcare has grown in recent years. More than two out of five adults in the U.S. say they use yoga, massage, meditation, natural products or supplements, and other complementary and alternative therapies to treat their health problems. What is missing from conventional medicine that motivates so many people to look elsewhere for help?
Problems in healthcare
According to the Institute of Medicine, a disease-driven approach has resulted in a fragmented health system in our country that is often ineffective and impersonal. As a result of poorly coordinated care, significant numbers of patients are readmitted to the hospital after being sent home. Medical errors result in thousands of deaths every year. And the health of U.S. citizens has declined, despite medical expenses that are among the highest in the world.
The lack of comprehensive care is especially felt with chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure and depression, many of which are largely determined by lifestyle factors. Clearly, our healthcare system does not adequately support individuals through the lifestyle changes required to nip these diseases in the bud.
A plausible solution
Many feel that healthcare needs to become more prevention-oriented, more patient-centered, and more personalized—with more attention placed on the uniqueness of each individual. The evolving field of integrative medicine has arisen to address many of these concerns.
The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health defines integrative medicine as the practice of medicine that focuses on the whole person and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic modalities to achieve optimal health and healing. The field incorporates both conventional and alternative therapies that are backed by scientific evidence to provide comprehensive care for the mind, body and spirit.
With a focus on prevention, wellness and healthy lifestyles, integrative medicine views health as a state of complete physical, social and mental wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease. It also emphasizes the importance of a strong therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient and, at the same time, encourages practitioners to pay close attention to the personal values and preferences of each individual patient.
The bottom line
Our current health care system provides too much focus on drug management of disease and too little emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles and prevention. In fact, more than one-third of U.S. health expenditures do little to improve the health of the men, women and children in this country, according to the Institute of Medicine. The emerging field of integrative medicine offers a viable alternative.
This newsletter is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or treatment; before adhering to any recommendations in this newsletter consult your healthcare provider.