Alternative and complementary medicine is a combination of various medical and health care systems, products, and practices that are not usually considered being part of conventional medicine. Any therapy that patients use in place of conventional medicine is called alternative medicine. This can include many different old and new healing treatments such as ayurveda, naturopathy, energy medicine, and chiropractic, to name a few.
When you combine both alternative medicine along with a traditional medical practice, it is known as ‘complementary’ medicine. These terms used together are frequently referred to as CAM. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health tells us that integrative medicine “combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.”
Integrative medicine treats the whole person, as in mind, body, and spirit and not just the disease. It also takes into consideration the patient’s lifestyle such as their nutrition (good and bad), sleep patterns, if they exercise, what type of environment they live in, and if they have a strong support system (family, friends, community).
The health practitioner and patient work closely together during the healing process and uses both alternative and traditional (conventional) therapies as deemed appropriate. The body intuitively knows how to heal itself, so utilizing alternative and conventional therapies helps assist in the healing progress.
Some of the alternative therapies used may seem to be very different from conventional medicine therapies, so its essential that integrative medicine have some excellent proof to support them. Integrative medicine does not discredit or eliminate traditional medicine, nor does it always welcome it without evaluating or judging in some way. This type of healing therapy makes use of what ‘mother nature’ offers and uses less invasive methods than in conventional medicine.
Preventing disease and promoting good health to increase longevity is what integrative healing therapies attempts to achieve; tranquility and balance in the whole person.
