Everything You Should Know About Integrative Medicine NYC

By Olivia Cross


Western medicine is great for life-or-death conditions. It has given us heart transplants, joint replacements and chemotherapy. When it comes to functional disorders, like chronic pain, maternal and child health and maintaining fitness and productivity, it often falls short. This is partly because resources are finite, partly because doctors from different specialties rare, if ever, speak to each other, and partly because of the snob factor when it comes to alternative treatments. Integrative medicine NYC, also called integrated medicine or integrative health, combines evidence-based medicine with alternative therapies.

A blend of what we fondly call alternative therapy and evidence-based care is emerging. This aims to treat the whole individual, not just the part that hurts. This is partly down to the fact that treatments like chiropractic and acupuncture have been clinically trialled and are gaining validity in the medical establishment.

Integrated health also embraces a holistic approach to health maintenance. Osteopaths and chiropractors have been doing this for years. That is why they are so friendly and chatty while they are manipulating your muscles, bones and joints together. They are not just making conversation like your hairdresser or barber, they are gaining vital clues about your personality and lifestyle so they can provide a treatment plan that is tailored to your individual needs and situation.

A lot of conventional medical care is aimed at managing crises, such as cancers, strokes and heart attacks. The integrated approach aims to treat the spirit and the mind as well as the body. Managed correctly, this approach will likely result in fewer crises to manage.

A case in point is the patient who comes in to the doctor's office to complain about general malaise and fatigue. The conventional clinician may well write out a prescription for an antidepressant, while an integrated practitioner might ask strange-sounding questions about dry mouth, eyes, or feet. Positive responses to these symptoms might indicate an autoimmune disorder called Sicca syndrome, which might be better treated with a completely different class of drug, the DMARD, or disease-modifying anti-rheumatoid drug.

Integrated health care has been riding a wave of popularity since the 1990s, backed by such big names as Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra and Charles Windsor, Prince of Wales. By the end of the 20th century, the a consortium for integrative medicine among academic health centers had been established, soon growing to a membership of 57 within just over a decade. Among its members is the prestigious Johns Hopkins University Medical School.

The integrated health approach is cheaper and less invasive than conventional medical approaches. It relies less on surgery and pharmaceutical preparations and more on nutrition, yoga, meditation, and tai chi. Stress reduction, biofeedback, and massage are other tools in the integrated practitioner's black bag.

Both doctors and patients are viewing integrated health with more enthusiasm than ever. For it to work, both patient and healer must be committed to working as a partnership. The aim is to reduce stress and reduce stress-related illness. In New York City, one of the most stressful places on the planet, this can only be a good thing.




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