February 12, 2025
Conventional medicine often focuses on diseases and symptoms, which can make people feel like they’re defined by their health problems. Integrative health is different. This approach looks at every part of a person when creating a plan to keep or get them healthy, including their physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being.
Integrative health is based on the idea that your body and mind work together. This means that if one area is struggling — whether it’s your physical health, mental health, or even your sense of purpose — your overall well-being can suffer. Treatments in integrative health include both conventional approaches (like medications or surgery) and non-traditional approaches (like yoga or acupuncture). The goal is to treat the whole person, not just a single symptom.
The acronym “CAM” stands for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
• Complementary medicine is a treatment used alongside convention medicine.
• Alternative medicine is a treatment used instead of conventional medicine.
Integrative health blends both, using helpful treatments from different sources.
There are several types of CAM therapies, including:
• Mind-body therapies, which focus on the relationship between the mind and body to help treat or manage a condition. They can include meditation, yoga, tai chi, hypnosis, and biofeedback.
• Biological therapies, which use natural products such as plants and foods to improve health or treat conditions. Examples include dietary supplements, botanicals, and special foods or diets.
• Body-based therapies, which include physical movement for therapeutic benefits. They include massage and chiropractic therapies.
• Biofield therapies, which aim to help patients by relieving disturbances or blockages in the energy flowing through their bodies. These can include reiki and therapeutic touch.
• Whole medicine systems, such as ayurvedic medicine, which is practiced in India; traditional Chinese medicine, which includes acupuncture; and naturopathic medicine, in which such natural agents as air, water, light, heat, and massage are used to help the body heal itself.
Complementary health approaches also can be classified by the type of therapies they use. The four categories are:
• Nutritional, which are focused on special diets, supplements, herbs, and probiotics.
• Psychological, which address a person’s mental and emotional well-being.
• Physical, which include therapies such as massage and chiropractic adjustment.
• Combination, which blends two or more of the therapies above.
One key difference between conventional medicine and many CAM approaches is the amount of evidence-based research behind them. Conventional medicine relies on scientific studies to prove a treatment is effective. While some CAM therapies are backed by research, many are not.
If you’re considering alternative medicine (replacing standard treatments), it’s best to talk with your doctor first because it can be extremely risky to rely on treatments that aren’t well-studied.
If you’re thinking about trying complementary medicine (adding non-traditional treatments to standard care), it’s generally less risky, but you should still talk with your doctor to make sure it won’t interfere with your existing treatments.
More and more people are using CAM and integrative strategies — especially those with chronic conditions.
A 2022 survey found that two out of three adults ages 50 to 80 had used integrative medicine strategies and that 91 percent reported it was helpful.
Among older adults, the most common integrative therapies were massage and chiropractic care (41 percent each), followed by meditation or mindfulness (27 percent), yoga (24 percent), and acupuncture (16 percent).
The survey respondents used these therapies mainly for physical issues (such as pain, insomnia, or digestive problems), injuries, relaxation and stress relief, chronic conditions (like diabetes or high blood pressure), and mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.
Integrative health recognizes that you’re more than just your health problems. Because of increased interest, more doctors are learning about these methods and offering integrative treatment options. If you’re curious about trying a non-traditional therapy, talk to your doctor. Working together, you can find an approach that feels right for you.
