What are the Benefits of Integrative Medicine?

As a specialty, integrative medicine is becoming extremely popular among physicians since it combines conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies that have proven effective in improving patient outcomes. In addition, this specialty emphasizes the relationship between physician and patient, focusing on the whole person’s health. Physicians can help patients achieve optimal health and healing by taking a holistic approach to healthcare and wellness.

The focus of integrative medicine is on wellness, vitality, and healing rather than just treating diseases. The theory assumes that there is a physiological balance that is disrupted, which results in illnesses and diseases. It is possible to promote health by restoring the body’s natural state of equilibrium. As opposed to just treating individual symptoms, integrative medicine focuses on how different symptoms are related and searches for their root causes.

As a result, the focus becomes restoring balance and considering factors that may affect adherence to recommendations, such as cultural dietary restrictions or work commitments that prevent patients from exercising. The patient-centric care allows for highly personalized treatment plans that can offer each patient the most benefits.

The goal of integrative medicine is to complement traditional medical treatment rather than replace it. When your traditional therapies don’t work, you can add alternative therapies as a backup to your healthcare plan.

Integrative medicine can be used to treat breakthrough pain, for example. There are many chronic pain patients who experience breakthrough pain that flares up from time to time. Instead of increasing pain medication doses, integrative medicine offers alternative methods of reducing pain. To manage pain flares, your practitioner might teach you deep breathing techniques or meditation, for example.

Integrative medicine can even help healthy people thanks to its preventative benefits. In addition to illness prevention strategies, integrative medicine may help improve certain risk factors for chronic diseases. By combining integrative medicine with healthy living practices, patients may be able to improve their quality of life and reduce chronic disease onset and progression.

In the traditional healthcare system, patient satisfaction is declining. In numerous studies, integrative medicine principles have been found to be well-received by patients, resulting in positive health outcomes. Complementary and traditional medicine practices are integrated into integrative medicine as a holistic approach.

Whether you wish to supplement your traditional care with holistic practices or enjoy the preventative benefits of integrative medicine, there is never a bad time to contact your healthcare provider to find out how integrative medicine can help you.

Patients want to be involved in the long-term changes that may be needed for overall well-being when managing chronic diseases. By focusing on lifelong wellness skills, patients get more from their treatment plan than a prescription from the pharmacist. Having these skills allows patients to maintain more control over their health and adopt long-term habits they are comfortable with.

Integrated providers focus on optimizing health and quality of life throughout a patient’s lifetime rather than treating acute issues. Integrated healthcare practitioners can offer patients options beyond conventional drug prescriptions, such as lifestyle and supplemental therapies that make ongoing treatment more manageable.

Integrative medicine reduces the long-term cost of healthcare by promoting preventive health. It is possible for patients to reduce their doctor visits, illness frequency, disease risk, and complications associated with existing health problems by engaging in healthy lifestyle habits and self-care practices.

Integrative medicine prioritizes the long-term health of the whole patient rather than just responding to symptoms. For this reason, it can be a highly important component of a patient’s healthcare plan.

Integrative medicine is available at Integral Med. Contact us or book an appointment online for more information. We serve patients from Elmhurst IL, Westchester IL, Addison IL, Carol Stream IL, Franklin Park IL, Berwyn IL, Bloomingdale IL, and nearby areas!