Integration

Right Down the Middle

Alternative medicine to some is known as hokey. Conventional or modern medicine to some is known as extreme. Integrative medicine combines the best of both alternative and conventional medicine to treat the individual: mind, body, and spirit.  As Dr. Andrew Weill, the leading proponent of integrative medicine, states, "If I were hit by a bus, I'd want to be taken immediately to a high-tech emergency room." I totally agree!  On the other hand, Dr.Weill supports complementary medicine, alternative medicine that is used alongside conventional medicine. As do I. 

Integrative medicine "combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM (complementary alternative medicine) therapies for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness" ,as defined by The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health.  

Lifestyles are unique, complex, and cannot be defined by either alternative or conventional medicine. Integration of the two to come up with a real, lasting, effective solution is the reality for health and wellness. Extremes may be the quick fix, but most often are not the real solution. Alternative therapies may be dangerous and undefined. Finding the middle ground and integrating therapies to treat the individual is the new era of real medicine.  We must be open to change. A little bit of this and a little bit of that often works! 

My doctor is an integrative medicine physician and I have never been more satisfied with my own wellness. Explore the concept, research integrative medicine, and find a physician that provides you with options. You DO have a choice! I have learned this first hand through both personal and professional experiences. :) 

*'Right down the middle' = A strike in baseball and bowling, a great tee-off in golf, a made basket in basketball, a successful field goal in football, and a bulls-eye in archery to name only a few. Looks like the world of sports has it figured out....right down the middle often results in a win...* ;)

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