Integrative Medicine: The Future of Health-Care Part 1of2

You have heard the term "Integrative Medicine," but what does it means to you? Do you consider the term to be the future of healthcare or is it folly? Are there any pragmatic reasons to practice integrative medicine or is it a foolish waste of time?

I have been a licensed chiropractor since 1980. Currently, I treat various patients suffering with chronic pain. My interventions include a detailed history, physical examination, differential diagnosis, spinal and joint manipulations, soft tissue treatments, exercise instructions, postural advice, dietary directions including proper hydration, and other salubrious recommendations that are within my scope of practice as a chiropractor in Connecticut.

My success as a chiropractic clinician is the result of proper patient assessment. "Diagnosis is the key to successful treatment." I do not use any modalities, not even ice or heat, nor do I prescribe drugs but I do practice chiropractic and integrative healthcare. I make that claim because of evidence-based, patient-centered clinician that serves the needs of my patients and their primary care providers by offering holistic care within a patient-centered medical home.

These same doctors probably consider integrative medicine to be a folly. I consider the future of healthcare to be a combination of chiropractic medicine and integrative medicine is the future of healthcare. Of course, chiropractors practice chiropractic medicine and patient-centered clinicians recognize the importance of integrative medicine.

History of Integrative Medicine

Dr. David Eisenberg, a Harvard medical scientist initiated the discussion that created the term "Integrative Medicine." His national survey in 1993 revealed that consumers wanted more choices from the medical system. Patients did not want to abandon the American healthcare system but sought alternatives to allopathic medicine and surgery. The practitioners most often sought were chiropractors and massage therapists. This trend alarmed allopathic physicians and insurance executives, which prompted investigation. They discovered that patients wanted the integration of all medical services into the healthcare system including chiropractic medicine.

If you have questions regarding integrated healthcare, please write any questions you may have.