Integrative medicine couples traditional medicine with additional treatments to care for your spirit, body, and mind. For instance, your physician might recommend chemotherapy to battle cancer and acupuncture to assist in managing cancer’s side effects.

It is not just medicine. Your care team also may create a plan to assist you in building healthy skills and behaviors – such as stress-busting activities and smart eating habits. Those things will keep you healthy for the future.

Integrative medicine utilizes complementary treatments, yet they must be backed by science. Always inform your physician before trying a nontraditional procedure. That way, you will know if it is safe and likely to work.

Integrative vs. Additional Kinds of Medicine

There are lots of new terms to learn as you go outside routine medical care:

Conventional medicine. It’s what you receive from nurses, medical doctors, psychologists, physical therapists, and likewise health care providers. You may hear it referred to as:

• Orthodox medicine
• Mainstream medicine
• Western medicine
• Allopathic medicine
• Biomedicine
• Standard medical care

Alternative medicine. This kind of care is utilized instead of regular medical care. For instance, you may go on a specialized diet which claims to cure cancer rather than taking traditional ways your physician prescribes. That is not common, yet it does happen. Speak with your healthcare provider before choosing to skip traditional medicine.

Complementary medicine. It often is used in conjunction with traditional medicine. It’ll aid you in managing cancer treatment’s side effects.

Integrative medicine. This medical approach takes the most efficient treatments from various disciplines, which includes complementary and standard medicine approaches. The result is an individualized health plan for your special emotional and physical needs.

Integrative Medicine’s Key Principles

It is a medical specialty, meaning it’s possible to find a physician who’s board-certified in integrative medicine, as well as trust that your procedures are going to be proven and safe to work. What might you expect from this type of medical care?

• Consideration of everything which influences your health, which includes your home environment
• Dedication to procedures based upon proof that they work
• A concentration on noninvasive procedures whenever possible
• Close partnership with the doctor

Integrative Medicine for Cancer

You may hear it referred to as integrative oncology. No matter what its name, the concept is the same: Treat the entire patient, and not merely the disease. Especially for cancer patients, that includes methods of easing worry and stress and increase your sense of well-being. You may attempt:

• Acupuncture. Practitioners insert thin needles into the skin at specific points on the body.
• Exercise programs. It ought to include aerobic activity such as swimming or walking, flexibility exercises, and strength training.
• Massage. Therapists rub or knead the muscles.
• Meditation. You concentrate all of your thoughts on one word — or nothing, whatsoever.
• Nutrition counseling. Registered dietitians help to manage nausea and weight changes.
• Yoga. This combination of mediation and physical poses will help you relax.

For more information on our San Antonio integrative medicine clinic contact Imagine Wellness today!