What is Integrative Medicine?
There are a variety of practices and interventions that fall under integrative medicine or CAM. In the United States, many people consider allopathic or Western medicine (e.g. performed by a medical doctor, osteopathic doctor, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant) to be “mainstream” or “conventional.” Practices that can be combined with Western or allopathic medicine are considered complementary, whereas those practices used instead of allopathic medicine are often considered “alternative.”
Integrative health brings together mainstream and complementary practices for a holistic approach to health. With the help of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, I have listed some information in regards to classification of therapies and medical systems.
Integrative Medicine can be sorted into two system medical systems and mind body therapies. These systems include several modalities.
- Medical Systems
Traditional Chinese Medicine or Oriental Medicine - Ayurvedic Medicine
- Homeopathy
- Naturopathy
- Functional Medicine
- Mind-body Therapies
- Acupuncture or acupressure
- Biofeedback
- Hypnotherapy/hypnosis
- Manipulation (spinal, cranial)
- Massage therapy
- Meditation
- Mindfulness
- Relaxation Techniques
- Tai Chi/QI Gong
- Yoga
I recommend that you only do one intervention a day, excluding meditation you can do that every day as well as another therapy. Remember any type of treatment is going to change your energy flow so you do not want to move to much in a day.
