A survey of 29 leading integrative medicine centers nationwide shows integrative medicine is effective in treating common and chronic conditions including pain, gastrointestinal conditions, depression and anxiety, cancer and stress. Integrative Medicine in America: How Integrative Medicine Is Being Practiced in Clinical Centers Across the United States is a study released today regarding patient populations and health conditions most commonly treated with integrative strategies. The survey, conducted by the Bravewell Collaborative, included data from 29 integrative medicine centers across the country with success in treating chronic pain, gastrointestinal conditions, depression and anxiety, cancer and chronic stress.
“With chronic health issues costing the U.S. economy more than $1 trillion a year, it’s essential to find the most effective ways to treat and prevent the most prevalent conditions,” said Donald Abrams, MD, co-author of the report and professor of clinical medicine at the University of California San Francisco. “This report demonstrates how an integrative approach is being used to improve patient outcomes.”
“Chronic disease is a burden we can no longer accept as individuals or as a nation. We need to put the patient and the family at the front and center of care, by addressing the underlying causes of disease, and supporting the body’s innate capacity to want to heal itself,” said Henri Roca, MD, Medical Director of Greenwich Hospital’s Integrative Medicine Program and a clinical specialist in integrative functional medicine. “We work to empower each patient to be a full participant in the re-creation of their own health. Patients love it, feel better, and often wonder why this type of care isn’t provided everywhere,” added Roca. The report recognized the Greenwich Hospital Integrative Medicine Program for its model of not just whole person care, but also whole family care from pre-conception through childhood into adulthood and elderhood. Chronic illness can often be predicted by the health experiences of parents and grandparents, noted Roca. Stress reduction, environmental health to minimize exposure to toxins (heavy metals, industrial chemicals, and molds), and detoxification services were also mentioned.
Greenwich Hospital Integrative Medicine Program joins other national leaders including Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Center for Integrative Medicine, Duke Integrative Medicine, Integrative Medicine Program – Mayo Clinic, UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, all of which participated in the study.
Interventions prescribed most frequently, and usually in combination, were food/nutrition, supplements (including botanicals), yoga, meditation, acupuncture, massage and pharmaceuticals. Findings from the report, which evaluated trends in prevention and wellness, patient outcomes, emerging norms of care and reimbursement, suggest that the practice of integrative medicine offers promise for increasing the effectiveness of care and improving people’s health. Integrative medicine is an approach that addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect health. “This report illustrates the great potential of integrative medicine to help prevent illness and foster lifelong health,” explained Christy Mack, President of The Bravewell Collaborative. “These approaches not only treat the whole person but also empower individuals to be active participants in their health care.”
