What Is Integrative Medicine?

At its roots integrative medicine embodies the philosophy and practice of healing-oriented medicine addressing the mind, body and spirit. It takes account of the whole person including all aspects of lifestyle. Integrative medicine synthesizes the best of traditional western medicine with other healing traditions. It emphasizes health and healing rather than disease management. Most important it emphasizes the individual and seeks above all to assist and empower them to achieve health and fulfillment.

Here’s a good example. One of my patients has Rheumatoid Arthritis. When she came to see me she was taking double the maximum daily recommended dose of Ibuprofen for her symptoms. We worked on stress reduction and relaxation. She improved her diet. We had her supplement with Turmeric and Omega-3s and she was able to cut her ibuprofen dose in half.