January 20, 2025
Integrative Medicine - the Bridge between Modern and Holistic Medicine
Introduction
There has been a growing disconnect between modern medicine and holistic medicine, leading to a divide among those who support one side or the other - when the truth is that both forms of medicine are essential. By embracing an integrative approach, you can benefit from the strengths of both modern and holistic medicine.
While modern medicine uses traditional methods of treatment such as surgery and pharmaceuticals, holistic medicine emphasizes approaches such as supplements, exercise and meditation, diet and nutrition, massage therapy, acupuncture, and even yoga and reiki. Integrative medicine combines treatments from both holistic and modern medical sources, and focuses on treatment as more of a “whole body” approach.
“Integrative medicine focuses on you as a whole person and not just your illness or disease. While it seeks to understand the underlying cause of your symptoms or condition, it does so by looking at your complete mind, body and spirit. Integrative medicine uses an evidence-based approach to improve your health and wellness.”
- Cleveland Clinic on Integrative Medicine
Cleveland Clinic states that “Integrative medicine focuses on you as a whole person and not just your illness or disease. While it seeks to understand the underlying cause of your symptoms or condition, it does so by looking at your complete mind, body and spirit. Integrative medicine uses an evidence-based approach to improve your health and wellness.”
It is widely recognized that your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs affect your overall health. Scientific studies have demonstrated how factors like stress can impact both mental and physical well-being, and integrative medicine strives to use a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes to both treat your conditions and prevent illness in the future. This approach “integrates” all aspects of your well-being to achieve optimal health and healing.
While visiting an integrative medicine practitioner is beneficial, you can also begin incorporating methods from both modern and holistic medicine into your life to improve your health. For example, if you’re feeling stressed, you can try yoga or meditation alongside visiting a licensed psychologist. You can also try supplements to help with gastrointestinal or digestive issues alongside visiting a gastroenterologist. As always, it is recommended to consult with your physician prior to making changes, or visit an integrative medicine specialist if your modern medical specialist is unfamiliar with the treatments you are interested in.
For more information on Integrative Medicine, please visit Cleveland Clinic’s article on the topic:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21683-integrative-medicine