What is Integrated Medicine?

Integrated health care is the latest approach to treat different medical conditions from a more collaborative approach . It is often described as a collective approach of all health care professionals to treat the condition. Different medical specialties establish strong communication with each other to plan a strategy that works best for the interests of the patients. The strong interactive communication targets identifying the relevant treatment plan that works well with the exact needs of the patients. The integrated medical treatment includes the collaboration of different healthcare professionals such as general physicians, alternative medicine professionals, nurse practitioners, etc. The primary purpose of the plan is to provide synergistic patient care that works best for overall health and well-being.

Why emphasize integrated medicine?

The integrated healthcare model mainly emphasizes treating the problem holistically. It focuses on the needs of the patients and provides a unique treatment care plan that works best in the favor of the patient. Due to the convincing effects on the health outcomes of patients, integrated medicine is receiving enough importance and is also recognized among all healthcare professionals. The integrated medicine approach also focuses on the physician-patient relationship. With strong communication, integrated clinics are creating better patient outcomes. The model also aims to treat the person as a whole rather than just focusing on the presenting complaint. With the correct use of evidence, knowledge, and techniques, the right treatment plan is designed that caters to their needs both from a traditional medical model as well as as alternative approach. Its where western medical and eastern preventative intersect creating a more intelligent personal approach to healthcare, as it should be. The plan focuses on achieving optimal health and well-being of the patients as a collective and collaborative approach.

Many patients present with conditions like chronic, and acute musculoskeletal issues. At this point, it is extremely important for physicians to not only provide care to them to address the short term issues such as the severity of the pain, but to also come together as a medical team and come up with an intelligent plan to not just manage their existing condition, but to stabilize it and return the patient to a quality of life that allows them to truly enjoy their life. That is where the integrated healthcare model comes in and addresses the needs of the patients. With relevant techniques used in chiropractic medicine, and regenerative medicine, the patient outcomes are impressive to say the least. The integrated healthcare model works parallel with immediate medical care and addresses the problems of patients as all encompassing as possible. Integrated medicine addresses the fact that healthcare cant continue to segment the patient into different compartments as it relates to their body. There is a domino effect that happens when one system in the body experiences excessive levels of stress, it will ripple to other systems in the body. That’s why its so important to address the entire person, and to have a medical team that can address the patient in ways that has never been achieved before.

It is important for all physicians to better understand integrated healthcare medicine as it directly affects the well-being of their patients.

Benefits of integrating Healthcare

Now, there is more of a need to practice an integrated health care model than ever due to so many reasons. Our society is aging and we have to address the elephant in the room. Quality of life is eroding for the average American. We are more stressed out now than ever before, the healthcare system that got us into the dilemma that we are in, is certainly not going to solve the problem. We need a new solution. We need a new viewpoint. We need a new paradigm. We don’t need a revolution in healthcare, that won’t happen. But we can evolve into something that will allow doctors to work together for the greater good of the patient, and not for the greater good of the physician’s almighty dollar. I honestly believe that if the Hippocratic oath was to have been created in this modern era, it would state: Doctor do no harm to thy pocketbook. Many doctors are not doing what is best for their patients, but rather what is best for their retirement plan. Healthcare can’t sustain much longer with this viewpoint. It will implode. We have already seen what has happened with the healthcare system as it relates to the Covid pandemic. There was 99% focus on drug and vaccine intervention and virtually no discussion on the simple things that could have dramatically reduced the issues that plagued the world. For example 85% of the deaths that were associated with covid were due to obese related conditions. Yet, our current healthcare system did not dare discuss this.

This is why we have to change our approach. We must create a more collaborative approach so as to create better patient outcomes. The plan works well for the interests of the patients and improves overall life expectancy. Some of the common benefits that patients receive by following this model are:

A personalized treatment plan

During the busiest hours in hospitals when there is a high influx of patients, physicians find it hard to put their complete focus on the patients. Even though the treatment plan is unique to the needs of all patients, it is still better to look for something different that can target the needs of the body. Western medicine believes in improving general health through surgeries and drugs. That is also the typical first line of treatment against all diseases and problems that are presented to the patient. Once the problem is no longer an emergency, for the time being, the patient-doctor relationship ends. Chances are great that the patient might return with the same presenting complaint and hence the entire problem and symptoms repeat themselves.

With integrated medicine, the treatment approach is different and unique to the needs and requirements of the patient. The plan focuses on providing immediate care to the patients which are personalized and address their needs well. This way, the practitioners can see an improvement in the overall outcome of the patient. The integrative settings should be completely personalized and deal with the needs of the patients. It is a one-on-one conversation that asks all questions to the patients about the problems they have, the origin of the problem, and what treatment plan would they like. They are questioned about the environmental exposure they had and then a link is established between their problem and the exposure they had. After all of that, a correct treatment plan is provided to them which improves their health.

Improved patient care

Patients in the usual medical setting are given a typical treatment plan that does not focus on their general and overall health and wellbeing. Even though some people using the traditional medical avenues have seen marginal improvements in their symptoms, the foucs to provide symptom management still persists. It is important for all medical settings to provide a specific treatment plan to the patients so that they can see an improvement in their overall health. The integrative healthcare model should be implemented in most medical settings due to the effect that it is creating. So many patients have reported an improvement in their overall health just because they were given specific and personalized care. Combining allopathic medicine with an integrated healthcare model has shown quality results in patients.

Not only do they feel better, but they also have a greater sense of well-being. Integrative medicine particularly focuses in providing the right treatment plan to the patients. All of this has collectively helped in improving the health of the patients. The improved health of patients has also resulted in lower risks of relapse and disease reoccurrence. It is extremely important to identify the gaps between a proper treatment care plan and filling all those gaps with some appropriate and relevant treatment strategies. The holistic approach in treating the patients goes a long way and results in better health.

A harmless treatment plan

With the western medicine approach, the treatment plan that is given to the patient is quite invasive. The treatment plan in many cases unintentionally affects other organs and brings unfavorable health outcomes. It is extremely important to identify all these concerns and then provide a treatment plan that is least harmful and does not affect the body. The medications that a patient receives also effects the organs and in most cases bring about side effects. These serious side effects can affect the life of the patient and can also result in some other severe or life-threatening problem.

Integrative medicine emphasizes better outcomes through more effective wholistic treatment plants designed collaboratively by the healthcare team. They are designed to bring about a better healing response by better understanding the body and also through the minimizing of medications that can often get in the way of the healing process itself. The use of technology that optimizes the bodies ability to heal along with nutritional supplements for instance is extremely helpful in improving overall health. These technologies and supplements also help in generating beneficial effects on the body. In the same way, Chiropractic is also focusing on providing effective and less invasive treatment to patients. There are no long-term side effects on the patients and they are generally a lot safer to follow and practice. Integrative medicine plays a great role in assisting the patients by providing a relevant and optimal health treatment plan. It is quite common among patients due to the effects that they bring on the health and the effect the plan has on the overall body. It does work on all bodies and treats patients as a whole but in a good and spiritual way.

Focuses on treating the main problem

An integrated medical office uses a collaborative approach in which all medical professionals from different fields come together to discuss the needs and requirements of the patients. After a thorough discussion, a correct treatment plan is provided to the patient. The health professionals also keep the patients in the loop to discuss all the things that they need to know. This helps in providing the right and proper treatment plan that targets the disease and treats it properly. Hence, the integrative medicine approach focuses on providing a relevant solution to the problem. It also identifies the main reason that caused the problem by addressing the key physical and environmental factors. It considers all the factors that might be the reason to affect the health of the patient. By identifying all these factors, the main goal is to then treat the person as a whole.

Integrated medicine takes into consideration the fact that health is merely not a physical state whereby the patient is absent of pain, but rather it focuses on optimizing the health and wellbeing of the patient. The approach also focuses on treating the root cause of the problem and then providing the relevant and optimal solution. It is the best healthcare model that one can be a part of. By finding the root cause of the problem, the patient recovers. For instance, in case of nutritional deficiencies, the practitioner will focus on improving the entire nutritional status of the person rather than making up for that specific deficiency, thus helping the patients to recover thoroughly.

Addressing patient’s health goals

Integrative medicine is a patient-centric approach that identifies the interests and health concerns of the patients under treatment. Integrative medicine has helped many in improving patient outcomes specifically. The physicians often observe a drastic improvement in the overall health of the patient due to the attention that is given to them. In a traditional medical setting, so many patients come in day to day. Providing customized care to any of them will be helpful in improving overall health and well-being. The integrated medicine has a lot to say about its effectiveness in addressing and working on the patient’s health goals.

The practitioners in an integrated model work together to addresses the cause of the problems. This takes into account all the possibilities that might be harming the patient and also provides preventive care to the patient moving forward. The model effectively discusses all the environmental, and biomechanical factors that might be the cause of the problem and hence, provides a relevant solution to the problem. It also plays a great role in preventing the reoccurrence of the condition as the patient knows what might be the trigger for him. The integrated approach not only provides relevant patient care but also discusses your health needs and the factors that will influence your health. Identifying all of that helps in addressing the concerns that might affect health and then treating all of that to ensure the long-term health of the patient. Therefore, it is safe to say that integrative medicine goes a long way and is quite useful in treating the problem.

Integrative medicine and the standard healthcare model

The major difference between these two models is the patient treatment. The standard or traditional healthcare model emphasizes treating the problem with drugs and surgeries. Whereas, the integrative healthcare model focuses on treating the person in wholistically. In many cases, both of these treatment strategies work hand in hand. By providing an immediate integrative treatment plan to the patients, the practitioners prepare them for the upcoming strategies. In this way, patients are more open to the new plan that combine conventional method of treatment and complementary methods.

The surgeries in some cases are helpful to treat the problem but management of the problem with integrative medicine can bring better results. After that, with an integrative approach, the patient can be given sufficient support. Relevant care to the patients will be given and they are followed regularly.

Integrative medicine and regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine utilizes therapies that stimulate the bodies ability to recover in ways never before seen in modern medicine. These therapies can reverse the progressive aging process and bring about a higher quality of life that traditional medicine can’t even begin to compete with. Our bodies are generally designed to counter the attack of any disease through the ineffective means of the inflammatory pathways. These pathways actually get in the way of healing. Science is now discovering that long term inflammation compromises the bodies ability to gracefully age. Regenerative medicine is able to effectively target inflammation in the body and harness it in such a way that it becomes an ally to healing, not an enemy. Regenerative medicine focuses on enhancing the capabilities of the bodies to turn back the biological clock when it comes to the cells ability to be more resilient to stress. By doing this, you are able to cut down on medicines and surgeries and allow the body to deal like never before.

Integrative medicine along with regenerative medicine can help in eliminating the unintentional risks of Western medicine by improving the general functions of the body and allowing it to recover from pain and degeneration.

Chiropractic and regenerative medicine

Chiropractic is extensively practiced in integrative medicine as people look for non-invasive ways to treat the underlying problem. More and more people are turning to chiropractors to effectively treat the pain or deal with the after effects of the surgeries. Combining chiropractic with regenerative medicine can bring some profound beneficial outcomes in patient care. Regenerative practices commonly involve injecting such as plasma-rich therapy in the areas that are treated by chiropractors that aid in improving mobility, managing pain, improving strength, and helping to heal injuries or any other chronic condition.

Chiropractic and regenerative medicine collectively can save patients from many unnecessary surgeries. Due to regenerative injections and proper techniques that are synergistic with the overall objective of regenerative therapies, a patient can quickly recover from pain and damage to the area. Apart from that, the use of specific drugs such as NSAIDs or steroids will be eliminated, as the long-term use of these drugs can have a damaging effect on health. It will also help in reducing the use of radiofrequency ablations that can bring long-term damaging effects on health while dealing with a problem. It is better to practice both of these approaches together for a lesser damaging effect of drugs on health and improving overall health is by managing the problem.