Integrative therapy typically refers to the combination of Western scientific medical practices with alternative, traditional or holistic approaches to wellness. Many hospitals and clinics offer integrative therapy centers where patients can explore their options for treating chronic illnesses, ameliorating symptoms or improving their quality of life. As integrative therapy tends to be an inclusive umbrella term, and may apply to a range of diseases, the available techniques are practically limitless. Before beginning integrative treatment, consult with your primary-care physician.
Traditional Medicines
Acupuncture is one of the more popular practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) used in Western countries. Through the application of needles, a practitioner stimulates specific points of the body, considered to affect overall energetic balance and health. Many integrative care centers, such as the Cancer Integrative Medicine Program at Rush University Medical Center, offer acupuncture alongside Western care. At Rush University Medical Center, acupuncture primarily serves to relieve cancer patients' pain and reduce the side effect symptoms caused by radiation treatments or chemotherapy. Other traditional techniques may include reiki, a Japanese practice of transmitting healing energy through the practitioner's hands. For example, patients and patients' families may seek reiki treatments at the Integrative Therapies Program for Children With Cancer, a program jointly managed by Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center.
Diet and Food Supplements
Alongside medications and remedies, many integrative therapy centers incorporate diet and nutrition into disease treatment or management. At the Integrative Therapies Program for Children With Cancer, patients and patients' families consult with nutritionists and chefs to plan diets in accordance with their medical treatment. For example, a prescribed diet may be rich in foods with anti-cancer properties or those foods that minimize the side effects associated with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. The center also offers herbal and nutritional counseling about available supplements and their potential benefits, side effects or interactions with medical treatment.
Movement and Exercise
Integrative therapy may also include healing practices based on movement or breath, including yoga, Pilates, exercise or dance therapies. The aims of movement practices range from improving flexibility and strength to promoting relaxation and healing. Exercises adapted to bedridden patients can reduce the incidence of stiffness or bed sores.
For Animals
Besides the popularity of integrative approaches throughout hospitals and medical schools, the combination of medical modalities may be used with animals. Acupuncture, herbalism, dietary counseling and healing touch therapies have all been extended to animals as well as humans. Consult with your veterinarian before seeking alternative treatment for your pets.
References
- Columbia University Medical Center: Clinical Services
- Rush University Medical Center: Cancer Integrative Medicine Program
- Rush University Medical Center: Our Services
- University of Connecticut Health Center; Promoting Healing -- Nursing Integrative Therapy Program; Carolyn Pennington; November 2010
- University of Florida; Integrative Treatment of Cancer in Dogs; R.M. Clemmons; 1997
