Hi everyone! This is my first blog post for PRIM so I decided to start by describing my understanding of what integrative medicine is.
At the beginning of my health journey (if interested stay tuned – my health journey will be another blog post!) I was not too sure what integrative medicine is. After doing some intense Google searches and looking at different definitions, I decided to talk with a few family members and friends who have experienced the benefits of integrative medicine. What I learned from them, and based on my own experiences with integrative medicine, is that it is a combination of conventional medicine, which focuses on treating the symptoms of diseases using medication, radiation or surgery, and more natural complementary therapies that focus on helping people heal from one or more health conditions.
So why is integrative medicine so important I thought. Well, Integrative medicine addresses the underlying causes of an illness and does not focus on just treating the symptoms with, for example, prescription drugs, which often have unimaginable side effects! It promotes the health of the whole person - mind, body and spirit, which is reflected in many of the PRIM testimonials.
What seems clear is that integrative medicine is a partnership between the patient and practitioner in the healing process. That to me the one of the best relationships one can have within their health journey! The underlying causes of illnesses are determined and, rather than just treating symptoms, practitioners can recommend the use of both conventional medicine and complementary therapies to create a healing response.
As someone who has been successfully treated with integrative medicine, I finally get it. I get why it is so important to bring awareness to integrative medicine! When I met with my doctor the discussion went from simply talking about a medical condition to figuring out how to get me healthy, overall. It was not a discussion about the symptoms of an illness but about the possible underlying causes of my condition. My doctor wanted to help me get better by diving deeper into my condition!
Although integrative medicine is new to a lot of people, this type of medicine is really quite old and there are many different types of practitioners. Medical doctors, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritionists and many other people practice a variety of complementary therapies! While helping patients get better, they understand the importance of making lifestyle changes that will benefit their lives for the long run!
As someone who is just starting to understand how important integrative medicine is to improving our health care system, I will be looking for a qualified integrative medicine practitioner for any personal health issue in the future. I do not want to just have the symptoms of an illness treated. I want to use my own natural healing system to be cured and to stay healthy.
I now understand what integrative medicine is: simply GOOD medicine!
