Integrative Medicine
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine is an approach to wellness that combines: Conventional (traditional Western) medicine (drugs, surgery, lifestyle changes), and complementary medicine, which are therapies such as chiropractic, yoga, acupuncture, meditation and more. It focuses on caring for the whole human being—body, mind, spirit, and community, not just flesh, bones, and organs and is steadily becoming a desirable and logical option for many people. From cleansing and detoxification, to restoring your natural balance of vitamins, minerals and hormones, to ease you safely into the path to wellness. It takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle.
Integrated medicine emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies.
The Defining Principles of Integrative Medicine
1. Patient and practitioner are partners in the healing process.
2, All factors that influence health, wellness, and disease are taken into consideration, including mind, spirit, and community, as well as the body.
3. Appropriate use of both conventional and alternative methods facilitates the body's innate healing response.
4. Effective interventions that are natural and less invasive should be used whenever possible.
5. Integrative medicine neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically.
6. Good medicine is based on good science. It is inquiry-driven and open to new paradigms.
7. Alongside the concept of treatment, the broader concepts of health promotion and the prevention of illness are paramount.
8. Practitioners of integrative medicine should exemplify its principles and commit themselves to self-exploration and self-development.
Andrew Weil Center for Integrated Medicine - The University of Arizona
