2020 has taught us several lessons and that when the body suffers, the mind suffers as well. It also underlined the acute need for a more equitable, more sustainable, and healthier environment. Moreover, physical and psychological well-being go hand in hand. So, is treating a patient as a whole person rather than just a disease a better option for achieving optimum health?
Integrative medicine has the answer—and it may be the future of healthcare.
What is integrative medicine?
By combining conventional methods with complementary therapies and focusing on a holistic approach to healthcare, integrative medicine aims to achieve a patient’s long term well-being.
This approach is not new and has been getting positive feedback over the past years. Its practitioners support the use of unconventional therapies, such as acupuncture, yoga, massage, nutrition—all tailored to the needs of a patient. Today, integrative medicine plays an essential role in the reimagining of healthcare and collective healing.
Integrative medicine is known for centering the patient and addressing the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental factors that might affect a person’s health. It is a unique strategy that weighs specific conditions, needs, and circumstances. Integrative medicine leverages the right interventions, helping patients regain (and maintain) their well-being.
Defining principles
So, what are some principles of integrative medicine? First, the patient and the practitioner are partners in the healing process. All the factors influencing health are taken into consideration, and the care is addressed not only to the body but also to the mind and spirit, in a larger context. This means that appropriate therapies will be used to facilitate the healing response.
Being an inquiry-driven and open to alternatives practice, the predominant defining principle of integrative medicine is the concept of prevention. Healthcare is also individualized to best address the patient’s condition and needs.
Lately, integrative medicine has become a promising healthcare approach, largely accepted in academic medical centers and hospitals. Moreover, evidence suggests that it successfully addresses a large number of aspects in the current healthcare system and given the pandemic that hit the entire globe.
Also referred to as holistic healthcare, integrative medicine integrates conventional care with non-conventional therapies, ancient healing with modern science. In holistic healthcare, complete care takes into account the physical, emotional, and social needs of a person, while considering their particular response to the illness. For example, the amount of time you sleep, the stress you experience, or how varied your diet is.
The advantages of holistic care are improved health outcomes, reduced costs, and enhanced patient satisfaction.
The perks of a holistic approach
A holistic approach to care is vital today: it takes everything into account. Research shows that when we treat our body as a whole, we’re more likely to find long-term solutions for better health. This approach also focuses on the cause of symptoms, with detailed investigations and methods of prevention.
The idea of caring for the entire person, not just their physical body dates back to Florence Nightingale, who emphasized that the holistic approach is a way to find a balance between clinical medicine and well-being.
Modern-day western medicine often has a siloed approach, looking at sections of the body and singular symptoms. Holistic care involves complementary medicines and alternative practices.
Today, many people living with chronic disease need more than the modern-day healthcare industry can offer. So, the role of holistic care is essential for their support.
