People often wonder what integrative health and wellness is and how it is different from the medical care most of us are used to. Eastern cultures have been utilizing integrative health practices for thousands of years, but historically, the success was undocumented scientifically. Today, however, we have thousands of science-based, peer-reviewed studies in medical journals, which is very promising for integrative medicine.

As a society, we are starting to look for more preventative and holistic ways to heal instead of just taking medicine.

Integrative health emphasizes whole-systems healing and patient-centered care, which investigates what the patient values and how to maximize healing based on their bio-individual needs. This is often achieved by combining mind-body practices and alternative therapies with western medicine. An example of this would be incorporating meditation or a wellness journal for a patient receiving chemotherapy. Yoga, biofeedback, acupuncture, and faith-based practices are other options. In fact, MD Anderson Cancer Center and Scripps Hospital in San Diego are two of the biggest places in the United States that use integrative wellness to help their patients. I love this quote by the Scripps Integrative Medicine Center. “We believe that health is dynamic, continually influenced by how we live our lives and how we relate to the world around us, and we believe that healing starts from within” (Scripps Health, 2022).

With this in mind, as a nationally board-certified health and wellness coach, I look forward to exploring the many avenues of whole systems healing available to each of us. I am so glad we are in this together.  

Aim Oń

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Resources:

Scripps Health. (2022, October 20). Integrative Medicine – San Diego. https://www.scripps.org/services/integrative-medicine