What is integrated medicine?
Integrative medicine may sound like a fusion between unnatural medicine (often called conventional medicine) and natural medicine. Well, yes and no.
The term “integrated medicine” comes, from regular doctors who practice unnatural medicine. It is used by them, among other things, to describe the addition of some natural therapies in their practice.
Any doctor can call himself an integrative medicine practitioner.
On top of adding some natural therapies, integrative medicine ideology is to behave to what is represented by the “Hippocratic oath,” meaning:
- Establishing a partnership between the patient and the practitioner in the healing process
- Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness, and disease, including mind, spirit, and community as well as body
- Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
How integrative medicine differ from natural medicines
First, it’s important to know that integrative medicine (doctors adding some natural therapies to their practice) is quite new compared to natural medicines. The oldest natural medicine is thousands of years old, whereas integrative medicine is not even one century old.
Integrative medicine and natural medicines are fundamentally two different things. Why? Because integrative medicine core is what the doctor has studied and practiced for years which is unnatural medicine.
As the name says, the doctor is going to “integrate” some natural therapies into his medical practice.
Therefore the whole logic and strategy of diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up will be based on unnatural medicine and not natural medicines.
If want to know more about that, go ahead and read our book “Natural Medicine: The Real Doctor” where we explain in more detail how non-natural medicine and natural medicines are fundamentally different.
Finally, it’s important to know that the main reason why doctors start doing integrative medicine is the lack of results. Tired of not being able to offer solutions to their patient’s needs with unnatural medicine, they turn to natural medicines.
Even if all of this is entirely laudable, it still poses significant problems.
Improve your health today
Problems with integrated medicine
Firstly, the term doesn’t imply any guarantee of training of the doctor in natural medicines. It may be a couple of weekends here and there, or it can be an entire corpus.
Secondly, the term doesn’t say which natural therapies or medicines the doctor is practicing. Therefore, it can be anything: energetic therapies (Reiki, Craniosacral therapy, etc.), homeopathy, supplements, manual technics (acupuncture, reflexology, fascia therapy, etc.), hypnotherapy, etc.
This is problematic because it will change dramatically the scope and effectiveness of the integrative medicine practice. Therefore, it is up to the patient to find out which natural therapies or medicines the doctor is adding to his unnatural medicine practice.
Thirdly, an integrative medicine doctor, no matter if it’s a physician, a chiropractor, a mental health professional, a nutritionist, or something else, will never be a holistic natural health expert.
In that regard, people should know that consulting an integrated medicine doctor doesn’t mean that they tried the “natural way,” only the integrative way.
Any doctor who includes more or less natural remedies in his practice, which gives some nutritional advice or prescribes functional biology tests (this can consist of a wide variety of exams, little used by unnatural medicine), is then considered to be practicing integrated medicine.
Therefore, we must distinguish between a qualified doctor who introduces part of one or more natural medicines into his practice with a practitioner or a doctor in natural medicines. In the first case, natural medicines are an addition, in the second case, it is a complete practice.
Our advice on integrative medicine
The advice we can give you depends a lot on your available resources, your willingness to take charge of your health, and your medical environment.
Let’s take Switzerland, a country where health insurance companies offer complimentary insurance that covers part of your natural medicine treatments. Assuming that you have this complementary insurance (if you are sick, you will not be able to subscribe to it) and that you find a competent therapist recognized by the insurance companies (not all of them are), and that you can financially pay for the necessary remedies that are not reimbursed by the insurance companies, well in this case, we advise you to turn to a therapist in natural medicine.
Blood tests, urine tests, or other specific tests used by doctors in integrated medicine can also be prescribed by therapists, and in any case, they are not reimbursed for most of them.
If you are in a country where you need access to natural medicines or in a very rudimentary way, choose integrated medicine. At least you will be able to have alternative solutions, if only partially. However, be aware that most doctors practicing integrated medicine have part of their fees not reimbursed by insurance companies.
Inevitably, the financial question is at the heart of your decision.
If you do not have a healthy budget to stick to and your financial situation allows you to have access to the best care, we advise you, for optimal health, to have access to :
- A holistic natural health expert (expert in natural medicines)
- One or more medical specialists
- A family doctor
- A doctor in integrated medicine
This will allow you to deal with different health needs, such as
- Specific examinations
- General or specific advice
- To know your therapeutic options
- Specific treatments
- Specific remedies
- etc.
Ideally, this care should be managed by a holistic natural health expert familiar with the medical language and the proposed treatments.
To learn more about Holistic Health please visit our free library full of topics like these covering a wide range of topics written by Holistic Natural Health Experts.
Join us, and live your best life!
Barone Holistic Experts is a distinguished team of three highly skilled natural healthcare professionals. With certifications in Naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine, they possess a collective experience of over 50 years.
Their primary focus is on delivering personalized treatments and creating comprehensive long-term plans that enable individuals to achieve optimal health. They prioritize the unique needs of each client, striving to provide the best possible results.
Renowned as pioneers and authorities in alternative therapies, this team has gained a well-deserved reputation. Through their combined expertise and collaborative efforts, they offer an extensive range of solutions to their clients.
These include homeopathy, aromatherapy, phytotherapy, reflex methods (Auriculotherapy, Sympathicotherapy, Reflexology), manual techniques (Osteopathy, Tui Na, Reboutology, Trigger point, Fascia therapy), Nutrition and micro nutrition, and many more.
Beyond their clinical practice, they are deeply committed to educating their clients about holistic health. They empower individuals by educating them on how to improve their well-being through dietary choices, lifestyle modifications, and mindful life decisions.
