Explore the development of Integrative Medicine in the modern world

The popular principles of Integrative Medicine give us the impression of taking care of people and maintaining the patient at the center. It also addresses the full range of “physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental influences that affect a person’s health”. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Integrative medicine is not just alternative medicine. Integrative medicine consists of:

1. Integrative medicine addresses the complete combination of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental influences that affect health.
2. Integrative medicine does more than the treatment of illnesses but addresses the root causes of an illness. It addresses the patient’s illnesses/ health needs as well as the effects of the long-term and complex interplay between “biological, behavioral, psychosocial, and environmental” influences are considered.

Integrative medicine focuses on and encourages the concept that the Patient and Practitioner can be considered as partners in the healing process. In this healing process, all factors are taken into consideration including body, mind, spirit, and community. This further implies the body’s inner healing response should be encouraged and also the fact that Integrative medicine explores both conventional medicines and alternative therapies in depth. 

As highlighted in this article, good medicine is based on good science, and it should be “inquiry-driven” and open, and ready to embrace new exploratory fields.

How integrative medicine has developed over the centuries and the revolutionary development.

Integrative medicine has a long history of practice over centuries. People used it as healing-oriented medicine. Healing medicine considers the whole person, including all aspects of the life cycle. There is a clear relationship between practitioner and patient.

Greece (800BC)

Though Greece has been the center of “philosophy, science, and medicine”. Ancient history and evidence show that Greeks went to Egypt for medical training. It is well-known in history that ancient Greece provided the base and foundation of Western philosophy, science, and medicine. Greek medicine consisted of magic and legends, and it was embedded with priests and God-like figures.

Mesopotamia and Egypt (3100BC)

It is believed that the first medicine came from these civilizations. As highlighted in this article, Thoth has been known as the author of the oldest Egyptian medical work. It is explained that the priests of high-class positions performed as physicians or healers. The so-called higher science consists of conjurations, dissolving the charms of gods by prayer. On the other hand, “the science of the lower degree or lower class was considered as ordinary medical practice and was practiced by the lowest grade of priests”. These lower-class physicians studied “anatomy, pathology, pharmacology, ophthalmology, and gynecology”.

Ancient Egyptians practiced medicine with advanced knowledge of anatomy and surgery. Literature reveals that their therapeutic methods extended from different plants to animal products and minerals. 

India (2500 BC)

When compared to other cultures, Indian medicine was derived in India, and it is a mixture of other cultures and skills. Vedas used sacred books where medicine was written, and this knowledge was passed down generations. It is emphasized here that traditional Indian medical practice known as “Ayurveda” is based on the concept of “longevity” and the nourishment of life”. The writer further explains that “Yoga is a theological practice that was believed to lead to the unification of self with the Divine”. The foundation of Yoga is based on the “suppression of all activities so that one can identify and separate the self from the body, mind, and will”. People believe that this will help to achieve spiritual liberation. In addition to the physical activity program, yoga practices involve in meditation and spiritual activities. Such therapy is believed to offer a meaningful purpose for life and living.

Buddhist culture and teachings encouraged healing through universal love, service, and peace of mind/meditation.

Unani medicine is another type of therapy practiced in ancient India which is based on the “Four Elements of the human body
(Fire, Water, Earth, and Air)”. The Unani healers believed that when the fluids are balanced, there is a healthy life and when the fluids are imbalanced there is an illness in the body.

Around 5000 BC, India developed an extremely popular and comprehensive healing therapy called ‘Ayurveda’. These healers considered health as one of the most important segments of life. 

Ayurvedic therapy combines the key elements of nature:

• “Vayu (air)”

• “Jala (water)”

• “Aakash (space)”

• “Prithvi (earth)”

• “Teja (fire)”

Above mentioned elements of nature form “the three basic principles of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha known as Tridoshas”. They believe when Tridoshas are imbalanced, they create disease. 

There are two methods of treatment in Ayurveda. 

• Purification therapy – Shodana 

This therapy gets rid of dangerous doshas which cause life-threatening illnesses.

• Alleviating / Palliative therapy – Shamana

This type of therapy follows Shodana therapy. 
The physicians like “Caraka Samhita, Astanga Hrdaya, and Sushruta Samhita” formed 8 different disciplines of medicine in India. These Indian practitioners practiced “internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, toxicology, purification of organs, health/ longevity, psychiatric/ spiritual healing, and cosmetic surgery”.

China (1600BC)

Confucius and Emperor Huang Di are two philosophers who promoted Traditional Chinese Medicine. The oldest medical tests done by them are in herbal medicine/acupuncture. Traditional Chinese Medicine spread across the Western world and influenced the delivery of Western-style health care. On the contrary to Western medicine, in Chinese medicine, different theories can exist.

From 1046 BC, Chinese medical practices developed under the reign of the Zhou Dynasty. Chinese medical activities long before written language was established. The famous Chinese literature, “the Huang Ti Nei Ching (Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine)” was created to emphasize ancient medical experience and practice methods.

The basic concept of Chinese medicine is called “the vital force of life called Qi”, which expands throughout the body. In another sense, any imbalance to Qi causes disease and illness. As highlighted in this article this imbalance or disturbance to Qi is most likely caused by any changes in the pattern of complementary forces that consist in the Qi. These are called “Ying and Yang”.

According to Chinese medicine, Energy in the body plays a significant role in the balance between health and disease. Traditional Complementary Medicine methods help to maintain the energy this balance through treatment which is required by everyone. To maintain energy balance, one must achieve the balance between “the internal body organs” and “the exterior elements of earth/ fire/water/wood and metal”.

Various types of medical disciplines which help to maintain balance:

• Acupuncture
• Moxibustion (burning of herbal leaves on or near the body)
• Cupping (use of warmed glass jars to create suction on certain points of the body)
• Massage
• Herbal remedies
  
• Movement and concentration exercises (Tai chi)
  

Acupuncture is the most widespread example of a traditional form of Chinese treatment method within the modern age. This is an accredited treatment and used in many GP practices pain clinics and hospices in UK.
This uses the concept of stimulating sensory nerves under the skin and muscle.

“The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)” provides guidelines for the NHS regarding the use of various therapies. NICE recommends acupuncture as a treatment option for:

• Chronic tension headaches 

• Migraines

Five Elements of Acupuncture

Rome in 27 BC

As highlighted in this article Roman Medicine was influenced by Greek medicine and literature. But they also had their own unique contribution to the history of medicine through the work of Galen and Celsus. 

As detailed in a previous article, early Christian culture, medicine has had the influence of mysticism. There were beliefs that the disease was considered as the result of sinful behaviors and cure could be achieved by removing the sins. There was a significant impact of Greek culture on Roman Medicine. Physician Galen hugely influenced Roman Medicine. They believed that imbalance in the four humors led to disease which was originated by Hippocrates. After Galen’s death, it is written in ancient history that people seek new ways of treatment from their own gardens,” a principle known as Euporista”. This way nature provided remedies.

Medicine in Ancient Greece

The Greeks combined dietetics, medicines, surgery and regulating the whole lifestyle in their treatment and many varieties of ailments. Diet or whole lifestyle was the priority. People were advised how-to live-in order and maintain to remain healthy. Between two extremes healthy lifestyle and surgery, there was a huge range of medicines. Most of these medicines were plant-based. 

Modern Era (Renaissance)

The transition from Dark Ages to “the Renaissance was the result of the Arabic period of translation”. Evidence of ancient medical work  was brough forward to modern era through translation of Latin. Then this was expanded into experimental investigation. It is believed that dissection of human body and human anatomy made many advancements in this era. Science started to replace mysticism and university medical training started in Italy, France, and England.

This Renaissance is believed to have led to a new interest in medicinal knowledge among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Discoveries of Christopher Columbus brought new plant remedies. Artists like Michaelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci studied the human body and visualized that in their art demonstrations. 

One of the most famous personalities in the modern era was Andreas Vesalius. His contributed massively to the development of theories in the field of anatomy. Vesalius became “the Professor of Medicine at Padua University”, he encouraged his students to perform dissections on the human body and encouraged learning via such practical methods. He had artists who did drawings of the human body which helped doctors with more detailed knowledge of human anatomy.

The transition from the Dark Ages to “the Renaissance was the result of the Arabic period of translation”. Evidence of ancient medical work was brought forward to the modern era through the translation of Latin. Then this was expanded into experimental investigation. It is believed that the dissection of the human body and human anatomy made many advancements in this era. Science started to replace mysticism and university medical training started in Italy, France, and England.

This Renaissance is believed to have led to a new interest in medicinal knowledge among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Discoveries of Christopher Columbus brought new plant remedies. Artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci studied the human body and visualized that in their art demonstrations. 

One of the most famous personalities in the modern era was Andreas Vesalius. His contributed massively to the development of theories in the field of anatomy. Vesalius became “the Professor of Medicine at Padua University”, he encouraged his students to perform dissections on the human body and encouraged learning via such practical methods. He had artists who did drawings of the human body which helped doctors with more detailed knowledge of human anatomy.

Medicine in the 19th century 

At the beginning of the 19th century, scientists were exploring what caused disease. The breakthrough came in the 1860s when Louis Pasteur discovered germs that caused various diseases.

By 1865 Pasteur proved the germ theory and proved the link between germ and disease. In the late 1870s, Robert Koch started to apply Pasteur’s ideas to human disease. He created the science of bacteriology. This rivalry between German and French doctors developed many new findings in the medical field.