Integrative Medicine Approaches to Covid-19
The month of May marks Mental Health Awareness in the United States. The country is facing significant risks with corona virus. The disease itself has killed many around the world. Currently, vaccineand /or drug treatment is many months away. Moreover, there is a shortage of ventilators and a lack of protective gear for health workers. The list goes on. Many people have lost their jobs, and the final death toll will be massive, with current estimates predicting that more lives will be lost in 2020 in the US than in the Vietnam war.
Epidemics and pandemics always have mental health consequences, with significant increases in depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), domestic violence, and alcohol and drug abuse.
For example, after the 2003 SARS pandemic, the isolation resulted in higher rates of depression and PTSD symptoms, and the symptoms were greater, the longer a person was sheltered. Recent research showed that 50% of health workers had symptoms of depression.
Integrative Medicine can help with Mental Health
Social isolation, loneliness, health anxiety, stress has led to high levels of depression and post-traumatic symptoms. This will have a concomitant effect on increasing chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain, and many more.
In this era of Integrative Medicine, we can confirm the popularity of yoga, tai chi, meditation, and mindfulness. These are essential stress-reduction strategies that are recommended in any Integrative medicine therapeutic protocols, and conventional allopathic doctors should consider these as powerful adjuncts in treating mental health.The American Society of Ketamine Physicians advocates ketamine treatment in these times of added stress, anxiety, and isolation. So, combining this with stress reduction techniques can be very effective.
Integrative Medicine used in treating Covid-19
In addition, other integrative medicine therapies, a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and high intakes of antioxidant nutrients from food sources will help fight the disease.
Antioxidants can assist in supporting immunity. Some ICU doctors have used high IV doses of Vitamin C for treating Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
Zinc is also beneficial for the immune system as it functions as a modulator in the immune response. There are trials underway to test if IV zinc chloride can help in the treatment of Covid-19. While there are critics of such approaches, the ICU doctors on the front-line have attested the use of anti-oxidant therapy in these challenging times.
This indeed shows the power of integrative medicine treatment.
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