Within the past few years a new term has developed in the field of alternative medicine that showed the desire of the doctors to work together for the benefit of the patient. This new term is “integrative medicine.” This new buzz word of the 21st century is essentially the new name for an ever-emerging system of non-drug and non-surgical practice of what used to be called “natural health.” Sometime in the late 1960s, the term changed to “alternative medicine.” Now, after 30 years, the public and the practitioners felt this still did not describe several doctors of different specialties working together, sometimes in the same location, other times simply in philosophy, toward giving the patient the best health care the fastest way possible. This is when the term “integrative medicine” was coined. I choose to use this term because we work with all the medical specialties, MD, DC, DO, DMD, OMD, DOM, PhD, EdD, and others. We want to be free to help people in selecting the best treatment for their problem at the time of need.

The doctors that practice integrative health care are like general practitioners of the natural health care industry. They address, through all the different techniques, modes and procedures the individual’s problem, unless medical or surgical intervention is needed, then the person is referred to a specialist in that area. Equally important, the doctor evaluates each problem individually for the best and quickest method of correction. The client's problem may fall into one or many of the following areas of expertise, acupuncture, applied kinesiology, chiropractic, exercise, homeopathy, laser therapy, massage therapy, naturopathy, nutrition, Tai Chi and yoga therapy. These are just a few of the better known alternative health care procedures that may be utilized by a practitioner.

Essentially, what is happening is a merging of the philosophies and techniques of natural healing and traditional health care. Over the last few decades, people are becoming more and more discouraged with medicine and pharmaceuticals (drugs). Now, you are hearing daily on the news programs of another pharmaceutical scare that may be harmful if not fatal to those that are prescribed the drug. People want their problems corrected, not just covered up by medication facades!

Integration of Eastern and Western medicine is to the advantage of the patient. People in the West will usually follow the philosophy of health care that their families have been following for hundreds of years. In Asia, the person with a problem begins with the simplest and most basic correction. They want control to know that no harm may result, and the procedure is very little cost to them. This treatment is their diet and exercise, the food they eat and their activity (Qi Gong) must be directed toward correcting their health problem. If that doesn’t seem to be getting the body corrected fast enough, then they go to the next level: a special medicinal herbs used by a Chinese herbalist to correct the problem. This is now at a small cost to the person. After making this change for several months, Oriental people go to the next step if the problem is still present, and begin acupuncture and/or Tuina (manipulation) to balance the body. After another two months if the imbalance and pain in the body are not corrected, they may then consider more extensive intervention like Western medicine, but always considering the most conservative measure first and surgery always last.

The term integrative medicine means integrative health care by more than one physician. It is a group of like-minded doctors who share the same philosophy of working together to manage treatment and care for the individual. This saves the patient time and money by “one-stop shopping” when possible. And that seems like an important reason to consider this type of alternative concept.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please e-mail the author at the following email address or visit www.alternative-concepts.com or bamashogun@aol.com.