Integrative medicine seeks to restore and maintain health and wellness across a person's lifespan by understanding the patient's unique set of circumstances. It addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect health, using the most appropriate interventions.
WHO defines health as a "state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing" and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Both the patient and the practitioner are partners in the healing process.
Health providers use scientifically recognised systems, such as Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani and Siddha, Homoeopathy and Acupuncture, to facilitate the body's innate healing response. These interventions are natural, less invasive and safe. The care is more personalised to address the individual’s unique conditions and needs.
Mayo Clinic in London is one of the earliest to have started this practice and it offers services for your physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health and wellbeing by using herbs, acupuncture, massage, yoga and meditation.
Many common diseases such as chronic neck-shoulder pains, migraines, insomnia, stress and anxiety, frozen shoulder, knee arthritis, lower back pain, sciatica, chronic gastric problems, IBS, etc, are not curable by western medicine. But integrative systems of medicine have shown great results.
Studies worldwide have found that such patients showed substantial improvement when they took any of these treatment modalities as their first choice, and thus avoided the side effects of western medicine. They have also found that an integrative health clinic can co-exist with a western medical centre.
Conventional western medicine today depends on expensive technology, which is not always effective. Simple methods of intervention such as dietary adjustment, relaxation techniques, exercises and correction of flow of energy in the body are more helpful.
Most patients turn to complementary medicine out of frustration. However, since very few such trained practitioners are available, patients often land up with quacks. Studies in the US, the UK and Australia have shown an increased spending on integrative healthcare by patients. The most organised and accepted/regulated systems are Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Chiropractice and Osteopathy.
A total of 170 WHO member-states have acknowledged the role of traditional medical systems in their countries and there has been a jump of over 40 percent in the use of such therapies.It is about time that we recognise the importance of these valuable therapies and make them available free of cost at government hospitals. They are more cost-effective and free from most side effects of modern medicine.
(The writter is HoD, Acupuncture, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi)