Integrative Medicine

It is not possible to assess bodily dysfunction without examining the body as a whole, with all its interlocking systems. Think of an orchestra and how music sounds so different when all the instruments play together.  Your body would not function well if one major organ became dysfunctional just as an orchestra would not sound the same if you removed the entire string section. Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine and complementary therapies, while addressing the person as a whole entity.

Conventional medicine uses scientific research to diagnose and treat illnesses, targeting specific dysfunctions rather than looking at the body's interrelated systems. Allopathic medicine sometimes considers complementary therapies, such as herbal therapies, acupuncture, and massage as potential support to conventional treatments but largely relies on medication. By contrast, integrative medicine uses conventional medical research alongside evidence-based natural healing practices, while tracking treatment's impact on all bodily systems (the orchestra). For example, while conventional medicine might only focus on symptom treatment, such as only taking an acid blocking medicine for reflux, integrative medicine would consider gastrointestinal dysfunction or microbiome imbalance within its diagnosis of reflux.

Integrative medicine is based on scientific evidence for diagnosis and treatment, yet considers the importance of understanding root causation of any disease state.  The goal is to consider any deviation from an optimal state like chronic constipation, diarrhea, or headaches as an opportunity to investigate a physiological root cause of illness and implement evidence-based strategies to prevent a chronic disease. Integrative medicine often looks for  evidence of physiological imbalances through testing including genetic testing, stool testing, blood testing, and hormone testing.