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February 2011 |
Integrative Medicine
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Integrative medicine is designed to treat the whole person, not just the disease. It depends on a partnership between the patient and the doctor, where the goal is to treat the mind, body, and spirit, all at the same time.
While some of the therapies used may be nonconventional, a guiding principle within integrative medicine is to use therapies that have some high-quality evidence to support them.
Complementary and Alternative Medicines
Complementary and alternative medicine is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.
“Complementary medicine” is primarily used to describe practices used in conjunction with or to complement conventional medical treatment, such as using acupuncture in addition to usual care to help lessen pain.
“Alternative medicine” is generally used to describe practices used independently or in place of conventional medicine. Research has shown that more than half of all people with a history of cancer use one or more of these approaches.
If you are thinking of using any of these methods, discuss it with your doctor or nurse first. Some complementary or alternative therapies may interfere or be harmful when used with medicines normally prescribed by doctors.
Additional Resources
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