The current research on Integrative Medicine and close connection with Family medicine

Integrative medicine is a field that explores how the best of both conventional medicines and complementary therapies can join where it can guide doctors to provide better holistic care. Most doctors face many health issues related to lifestyle and psychological issues. Without correct approaches and skills to address such issues, it will hinder correct therapy. Modern physicians are exploring methods of alternative therapies that can address such lifestyle, social, or psychological issues.

Many scholars are trying to formalize a systematic approach to this new concept of Integrative medicine in medical education. Integrative medicine provides a unifying perspective guiding physicians.

The modern medicine entertains “reductionism” where it focuses on knowledge of mechanisms and treatment of diseases, and it misses the concept of healing on most occasions. Integrative medicine helps the patient to have the ability and confidence to manage their own health while exploring alternative and complementary medicine as well as in parallel with conventional treatments. Family medicine and primary care is set in a great platform to practice integrative medicine.

In family medicine, physicians are being trained in more integrative approaches where they have more variety of tools in hand to help patients’ well-being. Integrative medicine promotes “healing”, not just treating illness or disease. It is proven that many methods of integrative medicine including meditation, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness help healing and promote the immune system.

As highlighted, there are a few definitions, we need to be very clear.

• Alternative medicine are therapies that are not included in practice of conventional medicine and are used by patients in place of contemporary medicine.

• Complementary medicine refers to the use of CAM (Complementary and Alternative medicine) together with Western conventional medicine.

• Integrative medicine combines various methods of treatments from CAM and conventional medicine for where there is guarantee of safety and effectiveness.

As mentioned in this article, Dr Andrew Wil, one of the leaders of Integrative medicine defines, “Integrative medicine is a healing -oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle, it emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between the practitioner and the patient”. 

Complementary and Alternative medicines have five separate group which can overlap in many ways. 

1. Whole medical systems – This includes Traditional oriental and Ayurvedic medicine, homeopathy, and naturopathy
2. Mind-Body-Medicine – The type of therapies that are included in this section are meditation, yoga, hypnosis, tai- chi and acupuncture. These practices are based on the theory that the mind can affect bodily functions and symptoms. 
3. “Biology based” practices – These practices include plans, food and dietary modifications and approach.
4. Manipulative and body-based practices – These include massage, osteopathic and chiropractic manipulations. 
5. Energy medicine – “Life force “or the free flow of energy maintains balance in health and if any disturbance in this energy flow will impair bodily functions and lead to illness. 

There are two elements of practices under Energy medicine. 

• Reiki – Reiki believes in a universal source of energy that the therapist uses and train the patient to use the energy to support the healing.
• Quigong and tai chi – These consist of deep relaxation techniques, visualization, breathing exercises and fluid movements. These techniques help to heal, maintain health, and stress reduction. 

The following article highlights the recent guidelines from NICE regarding use of complementary therapies. They have approved use of one of below in treating patients with persistent, chronic low back pain:

• Exercise program 

• Course of manual therapy 

• Course of acupuncture 

Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAMs) 

CAM treatments are still not included in the main health care system in UK. As highlighted in NHS. UK website, 

• “When a non-mainstream practice is used together with conventional medicine, it’s called as complementary”.

• “When a non-mainstream practice is used instead of conventional medicine, it’s considered alternative”.

In UK there are number of well-known complementary and alternative medicine treatment practitioners.

• Homeopathy

• Acupuncture

• Osteopathy

• Chiropractic

• Herbal medicine 

There is well proven evidence that “osteopathy, chiropractic and acupuncture practices” are used to treat most chronic musculoskeletal ailments and back pain. NICE has been giving guidance to the NHS on various Integrative and complementary treatments that have proven to be therapeutically effective. E.g. of such therapies are:

• “The Alexander technique for Parkinson’s disease” 

• “Ginger and acupressure for reducing morning sickness”

• “Manual therapy for low back pain”