Conventional medicine often focuses on diseases and symptoms, which can make
people feel like they’re defined by their health problems. Integrative
health is different. This approach looks at every part of a person when
creating a plan to keep or get them healthy, including their physical,
mental, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being.
Integrative health defined
Integrative health
is based on the idea that your body and mind work together. This means that
if one area is struggling — whether it’s your physical health, mental
health, or even your sense of purpose — your overall well-being can suffer.
Treatments in integrative health include both
conventional approaches
(like medications or surgery) and non-traditional approaches (like yoga or
acupuncture). The goal is to treat the whole person, not just a single
symptom.
CAM
The acronym “CAM” stands for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
• Complementary medicine
is a treatment used alongside convention medicine.
• Alternative medicine
is a treatment used instead of conventional medicine.
Integrative health blends both, using helpful treatments from different
sources.
There are several types of CAM therapies, including:
• Mind-body therapies, which focus on the relationship
between the mind and body to help treat or manage a condition. They can
include meditation, yoga, tai chi, hypnosis, and biofeedback.• Biological therapies, which use natural products such as
plants and foods to improve health or treat conditions. Examples include
dietary supplements, botanicals, and special foods or diets.• Body-based therapies, which include physical movement for
therapeutic benefits. They include massage and chiropractic therapies.• Biofield therapies, which aim to help patients by relieving
disturbances or blockages in the energy flowing through their bodies. These
can include reiki and therapeutic touch.• Whole medicine systems, such as
ayurvedic medicine, which is practiced in India;
traditional Chinese medicine, which includes acupuncture; and
naturopathic medicine, in which such natural agents as air, water, light, heat, and massage are
used to help the body heal itself.
Complementary therapies
Complementary health approaches
also can be classified by the type of therapies they use. The four
categories are:
• Nutritional, which are focused on special diets,
supplements, herbs, and probiotics.• Psychological, which address a person’s mental and
emotional well-being.• Physical, which include therapies such as massage and
chiropractic adjustment.• Combination, which blends two or more of the therapies
above.
Weighing the evidence
One key difference
between conventional medicine and many CAM approaches is the amount of
evidence-based research behind them. Conventional medicine relies on
scientific studies to prove a treatment is effective. While some CAM
therapies are backed by research, many are not.
If you’re considering alternative medicine (replacing standard treatments),
it’s best to talk with your doctor first because it can be extremely risky
to rely on treatments that aren’t well-studied.
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If you’re thinking about trying complementary medicine (adding
non-traditional treatments to standard care), it’s generally less risky, but
you should still talk with your doctor to make sure it won’t interfere with
your existing treatments.
Growing popularity
More and more people are using CAM and integrative strategies — especially
those with
chronic conditions.
A 2022 survey
found that two out of three adults ages 50 to 80 had used integrative
medicine strategies and that 91 percent reported it was helpful.
Among older adults, the most common integrative therapies were massage and
chiropractic care (41 percent each), followed by meditation or mindfulness
(27 percent), yoga (24 percent), and acupuncture (16 percent).
The survey respondents used these therapies mainly for physical issues (such
as pain, insomnia, or digestive problems), injuries, relaxation and stress
relief, chronic conditions (like diabetes or high blood pressure), and
mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.
Whole-body health
Integrative health recognizes that you’re more than just your health
problems. Because of increased interest, more doctors are learning about
these methods and offering integrative treatment options. If you’re curious
about trying a non-traditional therapy, talk to your doctor. Working
together, you can find an approach that feels right for you.
