The philosophy of integrative medicine is not a new philosophy. It has been discussed for a long time across many healthcare disciplines but has been overlooked by providers of accepted medical care for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are its philosophical differences when compared to allopathic medicine (Rakel & Weil, 2017).
However, in the past two decades, clinical centers and hospitals providing integrative medicine, nursing and medical schools teaching integrative strategies, and researchers studying integrative interventions have increased in numbers, and so have those individuals seeking integrative health care (The Bravewell Collaborative, 2012). This surge in information and the delivery of integrative care has been driven, in part, by consumers demanding better access to care, a more integrative and personalized (as well as personal) approach to their healthcare services, and improved care. It has also been the result of healthcare providers and consumers recognizing the benefits of combining the “external, physical, and technologic successes of curing with the internal, nonphysical exploration of healing” (Rakel & Weil, 2017, p.2).
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Most individuals have seen the words “integrative,” “allopathic,” “alternative,” “holistic” and “complementary,” but what do they really mean?
Integrative medicine is a term used to describe medicine that assimilates (or “integrates”) conventional Western healthcare therapies (also called allopathic care) with non-conventional therapies. It combines ancient healing wisdom with modern science, and it takes into account the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Integrative health care is patient-centered care with collaboration between patients and practitioners, and among practitioners themselves (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health [NCCIH], 2017a).
Allopathic/conventional therapies are those medical, surgical, pharmacological, invasive and noninvasive diagnostic procedures most commonly used in Western medicine (NCCIH, 2017a).
The terms complementary and alternative are often used interchangeably, but they refer to two different approaches to care (Mariano, 2013; NCCIH, 2017a; Rakel & Weil, 2017).
- Complementary refers to therapy that is used in conjunction with conventional treatment.
- An alternative therapy is used instead of a conventional therapy.
Bright (2002) notes that “complementary/alternative therapies cover a broad range of healing philosophies, approaches, and therapies that conventional Western medicine does not commonly use, accept, study, understand, or make available” (p. 7). Some CAM therapies are also called holistic because they address the whole person, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual facets (Bright, 2002).