Category Archives: Integrative Medicine

Dr. Rajesh Kotecha, Special Secretary, Union Ministry of AYUSH said that the government is ready to extend its support for attempts at building an integrative medicine. He inaugurated the international conference on integrative Ayurveda and modern medicine at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences at Kochi on Sunday.

Ayurveda and integrative medicine

Dr. Rajesh Kotecha said "The Government is serious about promoting a model where experts in different domains contribute to the health science and some migration of knowledge occurs between each stream. Indian healing systems are holistic and intuitive - by definition; they cannot fully fit into all parameters demanded by Western medicine."

He added that the government is setting up a nationwide AYUSH grid connecting all hospitals and research labs to record case histories and observations so that a huge amount of evidences can be generated through data analytics about the efficacy of Ayurveda.

"While robust research is being conducted into Ayurveda, the problem arises in implementation of integrative medicine at the level of public health. This is because Ayurveda is still not accepted as a science by the Allopathic community. The Government of India has decided to extend its full support to Amrita University's initiative on integrative medicine," Dr Rajesh Kotecha said.

Experts who were assembled at the conference said that the central government needs to formulate a national policy on the integration of Ayurveda with allopathy do that the country can take its rightful place as the global leader in integrative medicine. There were 60 experts and 1,000 delegates participating from around the world . It was a two-day event called Amrita Samyogam, held in collaboration with Amrita University's School of Ayurveda.

The conference was brought together by allopathic doctors, Ayurveda practitioners and modern scientists on a common platform to identify strategies for integrating Ayurveda with allopathy to manage cancer, auto-immune diseases like arthritis and diabetes, neuro-degenerative diseases and mental health.

See more here:
Government Will Form A National Policy On Integrative Medicine - Doctor NDTV

Dr. Bridget Bongaard (center) talks story with Annie Joya of the Pacific Cancer Foundation and licensed practical nurse Shirley Ramey after the close of the Maui Cancer and Wellness Retreat on Sunday. Bongaard envisioned the retreat, which took place over the weekend at Lumeria in Makawao. Activities were inspired by integrative medicine, which combines traditional Western medicine with holistic practices for physical and emotional healing. The Maui News / COLLEEN UECHI photo

MAKAWAO Since 2008, Christy Kozama has been living the dream, working as a marine naturalist in West Maui and soaking up the islands natural beauty with her husband of 13 years.

But on March 3, Kozama was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. She had to start chemotherapy and cut back on her work hours. The treatments wore her out, and the numbness in her hands and feet made it difficult to surf or go for walks.

Cancers tough. You hear that diagnosis, and first of all kind of think, Am I going to die? said Kozama, 35. It just kind of puts a hold on your life. I think it makes you feel like your life is waiting somewhere for you to pick it back up again once youre better.

For Kozama, who is awaiting a double mastectomy on Aug. 15, the Maui Cancer and Wellness Retreat couldnt have come at a better time. She and 23 other cancer survivors spent Friday through Sunday swapping stories and getting their minds, bodies and bellies in tunes on the grounds of Lumeria, a breezy hideaway in Makawao that hosts wellness and educational retreats.

The event, which was sponsored by the Pacific Cancer Foundation and funded by the Joseph Padua Trust, was the brainchild of Dr. Bridget Bongaard, known as Dr. B to her patients. In 2014, Bongaard retired from her position as chief of integrative medicine with the Carolinas Healthcare System and moved to Maui with her husband, Jim. While on Maui, shes worked as a physician at Kula Hospital and Hale Makua and as medical director of Islands Hospice. Bongaard, who has 30 years of experience in medicine, wanted to offer an integrative experience for patients on Maui.

Integrative medicine, according to WebMD.com, takes the most effective treatments from different disciplines to help patients achieve physical and emotional healing. Major universities and medical centers around the country offer integrated medicine programs, Bongaard said. She explained that integrative medicine doesnt spurn traditional methods like chemotherapy or radiation, but aims to complement them and make the patient better equipped to fight the disease on different levels.

When people are not fearful, they can heal faster, Bongaard said. When people are having good nutrition, they can heal faster. When people are able to get rid of old emotional trauma, they can heal faster. And thats how we support the oncology process that we know as modern medicine.

Over the weekend, attendees participated in journaling, art therapy, yoga, qi gong and hula, as well as lessons in nutrition and wellness.

Wailuku resident Wayne Steel, 70, didnt come out of the retreat with a set list of treatments to share with friends and neighbors. Rather, he wanted other cancer patients and survivors to realize they had plenty of choices.

This showed unlimited possibilities, Steel said of the retreat. And thats what I think everybody needs to see, is that you can pick out some things that you feel motivated to do. This (retreat) will motivate you and give you hope, and I didnt find that anywhere else that I looked.

Steel moved to Maui in 1990 when his wife, Hana, became the countys recycling coordinator. Wayne Steel served as executive director of the Maui Food Bank before moving on to work in the prosecutors office and later as coordinator of the Maui County Childrens Justice Committee.

In 2013, doctors noticed that Steels prostate-specific antigen levels were rising, which can indicate cancer. Doctors performed biopsies on Steel and sent him to Honolulu for a second opinion, which confirmed that the mass in his prostate was indeed cancer.

As soon as he found out, Steel overhauled his habits. He exercised regularly and became a vegan. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and for a while, it seemed all was well. Then, his prostate-specific antigen levels started to go up again, prompting 39 radiation treatments from July to September 2016. Now, he undergoes regular checkups to make sure the cancer hasnt returned.

So far, so good. Steel said the retreat has motivated him to continue his healthy habits and helped him deal with the anger, resentment and shame that can come with a cancer diagnosis.

Im just trying to do the best I can to make sure it doesnt come back, and if it does come back, be ready for whatever I have to do, Steel said. Thats the thing about cancer. Once you know it can come back, it changes your life forever.

Kozama, who started out as a marine naturalist with the Pacific Whale Foundation, had just begun a job as volunteer coordinator with Malama Maui Nui last August. Now, her main focus is beating cancer.

Kozama said being healthy isnt just about fitting into a dress these days its her life thats in the balance. From March 26 to July 3, she and her husband drove from Napili to Wailuku every other week for chemo treatments. She said in the rush of emotions and that followed her diagnosis, she got caught up in trying to beat cancer as quickly as possible. What shes learned, however, is that it takes patience, time and the willingness to do research and understand the disease a lesson reinforced by the retreat.

I think the overarching message that Dr. B tried to get across this weekend to all of us is just your healing is about you, and youve got to take time for yourself and really put yourself first, and dedicate time each day to doing whatever outlet it is helps you to heal, Kozama said.

The Joseph Padua Trust provided a $40,000 grant that covered all expenses for attendees, including air transportation for Molokai participants. Bongaard said theres even money left over to organize a reunion in five weeks to see how participants have created changes in their lives. She hoped the retreat could become an annual event.

Annie Joya, development coordinator with the Pacific Cancer Foundation, encouraged cancer survivors and their families to reach out to the foundation or organizations like the American Cancer Society.

Whether its navigating insurance or cleaning out the garage, there is no kind of challenge that is too big or too small, Joya said. There will always be support regardless.

* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.

More:
Cancer survivors seek physical, emotional healing | News, Sports ... - Maui News

Part 1: Integrative Medicine

1. The Philosophy of Integrative Medicine

2. Creating Optimal Healing Environments

3. The Healing Encounter

Part 2: Integrative Approach to Disease

Section 1: Affective Disorders

4. Depression

5. Anxiety

6. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

7. Autism Spectrum Disorder

8. Insomnia

Section 2: Neurology

9. Alzheimer's Disease

10. Headache

11. Peripheral Neuropathy

12. Multiple Sclerosis

13. Parkinson's Disease

Section 3: Infectious Disease

14. Otitis Media

15. Chronic Sinusitis

16. Viral Upper Respiratory Infection

17. HIV Disease and AIDS

18. Herpes Simplex Virus

19. Chronic Hepatitis

20. Urinary Tract Infection

21. Recurrent Yeast Infections

22. Lyme Disease

Section 4: Cardiovascular Disease

23. Hypertension

24. Heart Failure

25. Coronary Artery Disease

26. Peripheral Vascular Disease

27. Arrhythmias

Section 5: Allergy/Intolerance

28. Asthma

29. The Allergic Patient

30. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome

Section 6: Metabolic/Endocrine Disorders

31. Insulin Resistance and the Metabolic Syndrome

32. Type 2 Diabetes

33. Hypothyroidism

34. Hormone Replacement in Men

35. Hormone Replacement in Women

36. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

37. Osteoporosis

38. An Integrative Approach to Obesity

39. Dyslipidemias

Section 7: Gastrointestinal Disorders

40. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

41. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

42. Peptic Ulcer Disease

43. Cholelithiasis

44. Recurring Abdominal Pain in Pediatrics

45. Constipation

Section 8: Autoimmune Disorders

46. Fibromyalgia

47. Chronic Fatigue Spectrum

48. Rheumatoid Arthritis

49. Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Section 9: Obstetrics/Gynecology

50. Post Dates Pregnancy

51. Labor Pain Management

52. Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy

53. Premenstrual Syndrome

54. Dysmenorrhea

55. Uterine Fibroids (Leiomyomata)

56. Vaginal Dryness

Section 10: Urology

57. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

58. Urolithiasis

59. Chronic Prostatitis

60. Erectile Dysfunction

Section 11: Musculoskeletal Disorders

61. Osteoarthritis

62. Myofascial Pain Syndrome

63. Chronic Low Back Pain

64. Neck Pain

65. Gout

66. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

67. Epicondylosis

Section 12: Dermatology

68. Atopic Dermatitis

69. Psoriasis

70. Urticaria

71. Recurrent Aphthous Ulceration

72. Seborrheic Dermatitis

73. Acne Vulgaris and Acne Rosacea

74. Human Papillomavirus and Warts

Section 13: Cancer

75. Breast Cancer

76. Lung Cancer

77. Prostate Cancer

78. Colorectal Cancer

79. Skin Cancer

80. End-of-Life Care

Section 14: Substance Abuse

81. Alcoholism and Substance Abuse

Section 15: Ophthalmology

82. Cataracts

83. Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Read more:
Integrative Medicine - 9781437717938 | US Elsevier Health ...

Welcome to Integrative Medicine of New Jersey

We look forward to becoming your partner in accessing and improving your optimal health and well being. At Integrative Medicine of New Jersey our team invites you to take a step into a new world- a world of possibility; a world of good health and well being; a world where you are given the tools to take charge of your own health.

Our goal is to provide a road map to help you navigate through health problems within an entirely new vision, one that allows you to understand and address the cause of disease and ill health rather than just treating the symptoms.

Dr. Rimma Sherman and her team at Integrative Medicine of New Jersey specialize in Integrative Medicine, Bio-Therapeutics, Family Wellness and Primary Care. She has an open minded and eclectic approach to evaluating and treating her patients utilizing the resources of Conventional and Integrative medicine and the evolving scientific medical developments.

The center is dedicated to Preventative Care Management, Allergies and Asthma, Auto-Immune Diseases, Gastrointestinal Health, Neurological Conditions, ADD, ADHD, Autism, Pain Management, Endocrine Disorders, Anti-Aging, Hormonal Imbalances, and Acute Illnesses.

Our Integrative approach to medicine utilizes natural, non-invasive therapies in conjunction with traditional approaches designed individually for each patient. These therapies focus on optimal lifestyle choices for each specific condition and include Nutrition/Diet Counseling, Sleep and Exercise Recommendations, Supplementation, Herbal Medicines, and Homeopathy.

Integrative Medicine of New Jersey offers Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement therapies, Nutritional Bio- Chemistry, Heavy Metal Toxicity, IV therapies, and Comprehensive Detoxification programs. Non-Invasive Cosmetic Treatments are also offered. These treatments include Holistic Facial Rejuvenation, Wrinkle Reduction, Hair Removal, Anti-Aging Non-Surgical Face Lifts, Sophisticated Laser therapies and Spider Vein Rejuvenation.

Our process begins with a thorough review of your medical history, an examination, and testing and investigational analysis in our on-site laboratory. This specifically entails a detailed conversation about your current state of your health, health history, family history, diet, lifestyle habits etc. Based on our findings, Dr. Sherman will then create a comprehensive program designed especially for you.

Part of our commitment to you, is to provide as much information as possible about good health, healing and your well-being. We encourage you to come to your appointment with a list of detailed questions, goals, all previous blood work and diagnostics from other physicians and outside labs, and current medications including all vitamins and nutritional supplements. This will allow us to help you solve problems more efficiently and enhance the quality of your care.

For your convenience we have included a contact sheet for your personal files as well as Integrative Medicine of New Jersey Best Practices to insure a successful visit. If you have any further questions concerning our process, treatments and or administrative issues, please contact one of our Integrative Care Patient Representatives. We have reserved a special time to help you with your health concerns. If you cannot make your scheduled appointment, please contact us as soon as possible to re-schedule your time. We have a 48 hour cancellation policy.

It is a pleasure welcoming you to our practice and the opportunity to experience the medicine of the future.

Best,Dr. Rimma L. Sherman, DirectorIntegrative Medicine of New Jersey

Chance favors the prepared mind. ~Louis Pasteur

Integrative Medicine New Jersey

Dr. Rimma Sherman

Allergy Doctor West Orange, NJ

Integrative Medicine New Jersey

Dr. Rimma Sherman

Allergy Doctor West Orange, NJ

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About Integrative Medicine of New Jersey

Pain is a universal human experience and one of the most common reasons people see a doctor. It has repeatedly been in the news due to the current opioid epidemic that is taking the lives of more than90 people a dayin the United States.

On May 31 the head of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis S. Collins, and the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Dr. Nora Volkow, published an article intheNew England Journal of Medicine, titled "The Role of Science in Addressing the Opioid Crisis." Sadly, the only science addressed concerned pharmaceutical drugs.

That narrow focus is out of step with current recommendations from major public health organizations, including theCDC,FDAand theJoint Commission,that non-pharmacologic approaches to pain be first-line treatments.

For example, the American College of Physicians, which represents internal medicine doctors, publishedpractice guidelinesfor low-back pain in February 2017, stating:

For patients with chronic low-back pain, clinicians and patients should initially select non-pharmacologic treatment with exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction (moderate-quality evidence), tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or spinal manipulation (low-quality evidence).

It is, therefore, extremely disconcerting to read the complete omission of non-pharmacologic treatment by the leadership of NIH and NIDA, who have enormous influence on what is researched and therefore on what is brought into policy and practice.

Cannabis and deep brain stimulation are mentioned in the article;however, cannabis has legal challenges at the federal level as well as in multiple states, and deep brain stimulation is highly invasive. The most cost-effective and least invasive practices, which need and deserve further research, are completely ignored.

Opioids are the best medications we have for moderate-to-severe acute pain; used appropriately, they are effective and relatively safe. As stand-alone treatment for chronic pain, however, they neither safe nor effective.With more and more patients seeking relief from chronic pain syndrome, doctors have come to understand that it is fundamentally different from acute pain.

As pain becomes chronic, brain areas that perceive it begin to change physically and communicate with nearby areas that normally have nothing to do with pain. Involvement of these other regions appears to be related to difficult symptoms that often accompany chronic pain, such as fatigue, disturbed sleep, depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment. These co-morbidities greatly complicate the management of chronic pain. In many settings, unfortunately, patients with chronic pain syndrome are still treated as if they had acute pain.

The newer, integrative approach stresses individualized treatment, using many different modalities coordinated by a team of healthcare professionals.Analgesic medication is a component of this approach but never the sole component or even the most important one.

An example is theOregon Pain Management Commissions integrativeinitiative. Based on the costs and poor outcomes of a medication-focused approach, the state passed an initiative in 2016 to provide integrative therapies for chronic pain syndrome in addition to conventional care, including acupuncture, massage, manipulation, yoga and supervised exercise and physical therapy. It left out mind/body therapies, such as hypnosis, biofeedback and mindfulness-based stress reduction, which can be both cost- and time-effective.

TheVeterans Administration (VA)has also backed away from reliance on opioids to manage chronic pain syndrome and is now actively promoting comprehensive care that includes acupuncture, yoga, mindfulness meditation and physical therapy. Other states should follow the lead of Oregon and the VA, mandating policies that address the new science of chronic pain with integrative approaches rather than punishing users or prescribers of analgesic medication.

Additional policy changes would support funding not only for pharmaceutical-government partnerships as promoted by NIH leaders, but also for cost and clinical effectiveness outcomes research that could be carried out in partnership between innovators and insurers.

In addition, funding is needed to assess the impact of new educational programs on integrative pain management. These would evaluate changes in prescribing behavior of providers and the use of opioids as well as satisfaction with care amongst the patients they serve.

Broadening our perspective so as to address prevention, training and best medical practices is critically important for the institutions that determine research priorities and drug policy.

Andrew Weil, MD, is director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and author ofMind Over Meds: Protect Yourself from Overmedication by Knowing When Drugs Are Necessary, When Alternatives Are Better, and When to Let Your Body Heal on Its Own. Victoria Maizes, MD, is the executive director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a professor of medicine and public health.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the views of The Hill.

See the article here:
We need to implement better policies on pain science and integrative medicine - The Hill (blog)

Because listening to the clock tick, dreading the alarm and suffering the mental and physical effects of sleep deprivation are all horrible, making good sleep a priority is a wonderful idea.

Besides counting sheep and laying off the caffeine late at night, there are ways to train your body to fall asleep faster or help you get back to sleep quicker.

Follow the following tips will help you say "good night" and mean it.

1. Schedule sleep hours.You should schedule sleep just like any other activity, according to theMayo Clinic's blog. They recommend setting aside no more than eight hours for sleep each night, since the recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours and you should not require more than an eight-hour stretch to achieve it. Mayo Clinic staff also advise setting aside those hours at the same time every night of the week and limiting the schedule difference on weekends to just one hour later or earlier. Consistency helps your body establish a healthy sleep-wake schedule.

2. Say nope to long naps.While power naps can make you more alert and rested, long daytime naps can interrupt nighttime sleep or keep you from falling asleep at bedtime, according to Mayo Clinic staff. They advise naps of up to 30 minutes duration but no longer and discourage any napping late in the day. The one exception: people who work the night shift may require late-day naps before work to make up a sleep debt.

FILE Sliced almonds, in New York, Jan. 20, 2017. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times)KARSTEN MORAN/NYT

3. Snack on almonds.While heavy meals or super-spicy foods close to bedtime are commonly known to keep you awake, there are also snacks you can eat that will help you fall asleep faster. Eat light snacks in the evening and don't eat later than a half-hour before bed, recommends Alon Avidan, a professor of neurology and director of UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine Sleep Disorders Center, as reported onAARP's website. "That gives sufficient time for your body to digest the food and absorb the nutrients before you go to sleep," Avidan said.He also recommended a specific before-bed snack: almonds, either a handful of the nuts or a tablespoon of almond butter.

The magnesium in almonds is a muscle-relaxing mineral that helps regulate sleep in a way that helps you fall asleep and stay asleep.

4. Take a minute to breathe. "Just breathe" is always good advice when you're trying to calm down, but you might not have known it applies to sleep, too. The 4-7-8 breathing technique, championed by practitioner and teacher of integrative medicineAndrew Weill, and reported inGood Housekeeping UK, is simple and worth trying. It's free, quick and doesn't require equipment. Weill says 4-7-8 breathing acts like a natural tranquilizer and can help people fall asleep in 60 seconds.

Remember: All inhaling breaths must be quiet and through your nose and all exhaling breaths must be loud and through your mouth.

5, If you wake, exit the bedroom.It doesn't feel good to wake up in the middle of the night and lie awake, fretting about undone tasks or slights you experienced the day before. According to the Mayo Clinic blog, when you wake up and can't get back to sleep, you should move to another area of the house instead of lingering in bed. Give yourself 20 minutes to fall back asleep first, then leave the bedroom to read something light or boring or listen to calming music. Go back to bed only after you feel tired again. And if you don't fall back asleep after another 20 minutes, repeat the drill as many times as needed.

Excerpt from:
Catch some Z's: 5 tips for falling asleep faster starting tonight - Atlanta Journal Constitution

By Cynthia Toussaint.

Thank you, Ed Coghlan, for your follow up piece to the Los Angeles Times op-ed about women in pain often getting the its all in your head misdiagnosis.

In my opinion the only way out of this labyrinth of medical abuse is to walk away from the western healthcare model and turn to self-management and integrative care.

When I read Emily and Gracies stories, I was actually relieved because we women in pain have come so far since I became ill with CRPS in 1982. It took me 13+ years to get a diagnosis and 15 years to get care.

Cynthia Toussaint

Always a self-advocate, I saw over a hundred doctors and was dismissed with a plethora of insults, including youre making up the pain to get secondary gain from your attentive partner, you have stage fright, you have tendonitis from Mars, youre folding up your contracted arm with your mind just the way one levitates oneself and the classic, youre only a woman anyway, it doesnt really matter just shoot yourself in the head.

We women in pain lose most everything, including a chance for a cure, due in large part to this abuse. I lost my beloved career as a performer, my family and friends ran for the hills, my 37-year partner and I couldnt marry as I would have lost my healthcare benefits, we couldnt have a baby. I lost the chance to live a moment of my life without severe pain and fatigue and I lost the chance to walk more than 100 feet without a wheelchair. To this day Im housebound and unable to drive.

On top of all this loss was associated depression and anxiety, and the last thing I needed were doctors spewing cruelties while disregarding my pain. These doctors stain our psyches so severely, few of us are able to fully recover, reinvent ourselves and move on with a different life.

Ive said it many times before, and Ill continue saying it. When it comes to high-impact pain, the western healthcare model is a broken disaster chocked full of abuse, ignorance and clinically-induced trauma.

This system focuses on surgeries, procedures and medications, most of which make us sicker. In my case, they broke my arm, gave me severe pelvic pain, put me on an infusion drug that almost killed me and insisted on giving me an intra-thecal pump, two spinal cord stimulators and ketamine infusions. This is but a partial list.

I finally found better care and wellness about 15 years ago when I walked away from traditional care and saw my first integrative medicine doctor. When Dr. Brodsky walked in, I was ready for battle, strongly making my case for not wanting the many procedures, drugs, etc. When he stated that he didnt believe in invasive care, I knew Id made my way home.

Dr. Taw has since taken over and his respective bedside manner is wonderful treatment in and of itself. He listens mindfully and after I describe a problem in detail he asks me what I think we should do. Dr. Taw then shares his ideas about life-style balance and stress management. We truly work as a team. No discrimination, no gender-based dismissal, no God complex. In fact when I call Dr. Taw (which is infrequent), he gets on the phone with me. Thats the key to the integrative medicine model these are MDs trained in traditional and alternative care who place the patient front and center. These doctors know pain and fatigue conditions as most women in pain end up migrating there after the western model has left them sicker for years, even decades.

While Emily and Gracies stories remind me that weve come a long way, theres still much work to do. At For Graces September Change Agent Pain Summit: Part One, well gather men and women in pain and their caregivers to discuss barriers to care and possible solutions. Well highlight the NIHs National Pain Strategy, one that promotes the integrative care model as best practice.

The day will be like a big focus group and everything we glean will be shared with healthcare thought-leaders, legislators and the media at our 2018 Summit: Part Two where well work to implement the National Pain Strategy in California.

Join us to be a part of the collective voice of people in pain and their caregivers. There is a better way.

See the original post here:
Finding Hope in Integrative Care - National Pain Report

Ayurvedic Medicine has been practiced in India for thousands of years. Image by GaborfromHungary

How does Western medical philosophy combine with less-traditional medical beliefs? Thanks to multiculturalism, Integrative Medicine is becoming more mainstream among practitioners.

During the second half of the twentieth century, the concept of multiculturalism (i.e.- the coexistence of cultural and religious diversity) as a positive influence on society became widespread.

Westerners, in particular, began exploring many aspects of other cultures, and many developed an open-minded approach to adopting such cultural artifacts and practices as styles of music and fashion, yoga, meditation, and non-Western traditional medical systems.

With the expansion of globalization in the late twentieth century, non-Western medical practices such as Traditional Chinese Medicine started to enter the mainstream. Thus, in the late 1990s, the field of Integrative Medicine (also called Integrated Medicine)became established in the USA.

Integrative Medicineis based on the principle that no single medical system is perfect, and that combining elements of various medical systems in an intelligent and informed manner achieves and maintains better health.

CAM is the acronym for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It is the most frequently used term in the USA to denote the combined use of Western (conventional) medicine with different medical systems.

The terms CAM and Integrative Medicine (or Integrated Medicine) express the most basic principle of this approach to health: that of using or integrating several medical systems in a complementary manner. Conventional Western medicine is not rejected, nor are alternative medical systems used uncritically.

The basic principles of Integrative Medicine include the beliefthat health and well-being are the most natural conditions, and that the human body has an inborn ability to heal itself. Practitioners believe that medical intervention should support and facilitate that ability. The most effective treatments, they say, are therefore those that are most natural and least invasive.

Doctors who practice various alternative medicine techniquesbelieve that medical caregiversshould individualize and personalize all treatment. There is a strong belief that no one-size-fits-all treatment exists for any medical condition or illness. Medical treatment should treat the person, rather than the disease, and therefore the doctor should base treatmenton the unique individual traits and needs of the patient.

Furthermore, both doctors of Western Medicine (MDs) and doctors of Oriental Medicine (OMDs) agree thata healthy diet and lifestyle maintains and supports good health, so the individual needs to take an active role in the prevention of illness.

Integrative Medicine holds that, since the mind andthe body are not separate entities, emotional and social factors influence ones health.

Whereas, in the past, people viewed the doctor as the only genuine medical authority, Integrative Medicine holdsthat the patient seeking help is the authentic expert on his/her own health, having lived inside his/her own body for a whole lifetime.

Supporters of Integrative Mediconetherefore consider thepatient and the medical professional as partners in the healing process. The role of the medical professional is to diagnose and recommend possible treatments, rather than to maintain that only one treatment is available or desirable. The patient thus has the ultimate control in deciding which treatment would be most appropriate and beneficial. This is known as patient empowerment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine takes the various meridians of the human body into account for health and massage. Image by KVDP

Throughout the 1990s, experts conducted research on the use of CAM/Integrative Medicine in the USA. One survey, published in theJournal of the American Medical Association, indicated that visits to alternative medicine practitioners increased from 427 million in 1990 to 629 million in 1997. This was greater than the number of visits to all US primary care physicians.

The Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, provides the following information on the development of integrative medicine in the USA from 1992 to 2004:

In 1992, the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM) was founded as part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its annual budget was $2 million. In 1998, the OAM was renamed the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health(NCCIH). NCCIHs budget for research in 2005 was $121 million, reflecting the growing popularity and acceptance of CAM/Integrative Medicine.

In 2002, a survey of 31,000 American adults revealed that 38% 62% used CAM during the preceding year (depending on the types of treatmentsincluded in the definition of CAM).

Not only has the popularity of Integrative Medicine grown among patients, but the acceptance of various integrated medical practices has become widespreadamong Western medical professionals in recent years, as well. For example, in 2005, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommended that health profession schools should incorporate information about CAM into the standard curriculum, so that licensed professionals would be able to advise their patients about it.

Integrative Medicine acknowledges that medicinemustbe based on scientific inquiry. Many non-Western medical systems have developed outside of a rigorous scientific context.

Nowadays, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health(NCCIH) requires the testing of non-Western medical practices by Western research standards. This is meant to guarantee that non-Western medical treatments are both safe and effective.

The backbone of Western medicine is research thatprofessionalscan replicate and validate over and over again by objective standards.

Nowadays, the various medical traditions that comprise the field of Integrative Medicine are all being subjected to this kind of objective analysis. The results of current research will pave the way to greater integration of the various medical traditions in the future. In this way, doctors will tailor health practicesto meet the very specific needs of each individual patient.

Dr. Andrew Weill is a medical doctor, teacher, and writer of many books and articles on holistic health. He is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where he teaches. Weill defines Integrative Medicine as the intelligent combination of Western and alternative medicine He views it as the best of both worlds.

Brad Lemley sums up the philosophy of Integrative Medicinewhen he saysthat this approach to medicine cherry picks the best scientifically validated therapies that conventional Western and alternative medical systems have to offer.

When it comes to your health, shouldnt every person should have to right to choose and enjoy the best resourcesgathered and perfected throughout human history?

The rest is here:
Integrative Medicine: Trends and Beliefs - decodedscience.org

Why Choose Us We Believe in a World of Wellness

Our Integrative Medicine specialists take a whole person approach to health and wellness. We believe that health is dynamic, continually influenced by how we live our lives and how we relate to the world around us. And, we believe that healing starts from within.

From the moment you walk through our doors, you sense that the integrative approach is unlike any other. We blend evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies with conventional Western medicine in a best of both worlds approach to treating disease, healing, and improving health.

Because there is no magic pill for health and well-being, the road to healing requires a diverse, collaborative team of integrative medicine professionals dedicated to treating mind, body and spirit.

With a fellowship trained physician and our licensed and certified practitioner in allopathic and alternative medicine, the centers specialists are at the forefront of integrative medicine.

We care for people with diabetes, womens health issues, stress, and many other health concerns.

We empower you to promote your own healing with a full range of conventional and complementary treatments and therapies. Through clinical research, education, prevention, and lifestyle changes, youll discover powerful new ways to take control of your health.

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Integrative Medicine > Lee Health

Integrative Medical Approach

Integrative medicine places the patient at the center of a holistic approach to medical care. Patient's individual needs, risks, and goals are the main driving forces of any integrative therapy. Physicians practicing integrative medicine emphasize that treatment of every aspect of a person's health is crucial to the success of the healing process:

To request more information, please contact our Churchton integrative medicine clinic today! Call (410) 567-0667 or contact Annapolis Integrative Medicine Clinic online.

Integrative medicine is a multi-disciplinary approach that combines the scientific advances and a variety of effective therapies to treat disease.

Integrative medicine combines conventional and complementary treatment options to achieve optimal health for the patient. It is based on the research which demonstrates that the human body has an innate healing mechanism. Illness occurs when the regenerative processes in the body are disturbed, and the body can no longer keep itself healthy.

Integrative medicine emphasizes the use of the least invasive treatment options necessary to bring the body to a healthy state.

Integrative medicine physicians focus on health optimization and often combine a variety of methods to optimize their patients' health:

To request more information, please contact our Churchton integrative medicine clinic today! Call (410) 567-0667 or contact Annapolis Integrative Medicine Clinic online.

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Integrative Medicine Clinic in Churchton, MD