Integrative Medicine or Integrative healthcare involves harnessing the best of both modern and traditional therapies through combining mainstream medical therapies with reliable evidence-based complementary therapies such as Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Remedial Massage, Kinesiology, Psychotherapy and Yoga, etc This approach focuses on all aspects of a person’s health. Integrative medicine is also of value to those who are not ill, but wish to prevent health-related problems.
It is important to recognise that Integrative medicine is not just a “mix and match” of therapies, but a disciplined strategic method to healing the body, mind and spirit.
There are various methods to provide Integrative healthcare solutions. Firstly, one must consult with the patient/client to determine the root cause of the disease. It is fundamental to determine whether the cause is:
• Physical
• Emotional
• Spiritual
Once this has been determined one can then formulate an effective treatment plan to address these factors. Monitoring the client and adjusting the treatment according to what symptoms come to the surface is important.
I have worked alongside medical doctors to treat numerous patients in a strategic manner. Depending on the consultation and the information from the patient intake form, strategic therapies were implemented. Sometimes, it was as simple as counselling the client on their life purpose, that was the core to their therapeutic healing. This was supplemented by either herbal support and/or pharmaceuticals to manage their symptoms. If the client had an emotional block, we were fortunate enough to have an MD in our team who also was a homeopath, and his homeopathic treatment provide the gateway for the successful recovery of the patient. These strategies were often utilised when conventional medicine approaches struggled to treat difficult diseases e.g. arthritis, cancer, IBS, infertility, PMS, etc,etc
Rather than have patients/clients undergo the conventional merry-go-round referral approach, this Integrated medicine approach provided amazing results for our clients and accompanying life-changing experiences.
