Integrative Medicine for Well-being: The need of the hour
Taking preventive measures, keeping immunity high, keeping the psyche stable, managing relationships and retaining spiritual faith. These uncertain days are getting more and more chaotic. More and more exhausting!
Retaining Physical, Psychological and Spiritual Wellness has never before been such an effort.
Somewhere we know that there is a mind-body connection and we must keep our spirits high to keep our immunity high. That our brain state directly influences our physical health. We know it but right now it is the hardest to maintain physical health or the emotional health.
Loneliness, fear, professional insecurity often makes us reach out for indulgent comfort eating. Motivation for work outs and exercise is going down and mood swings are increasing. Habits like smoking and alcohol consumption may also increase in such times. These life style alterations are bound to become risk factors on physiological parameters like blood sugar, blood pressure, lipids, cardiac status etc. A vicious cycle indeed.
How we wish there is a well being capsule which would give relief and make us feel better.
An Integrative Medicine approach is the well being capsule.
Integrative Medicine addresses the patients physical, social, emotional, mental, environmental and spiritual needs through a combination of conventional, complementary and alternative medicine.
No longer can health disciplines work in silos. The need of the hour is to put together a comprehensive health program for holistic well-being. Institutions need to step up to provide this facility to the people.
Specialist and consultants of inter disciplinary fields like modern medicine, Psychology, NLP, complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) and holistic spiritual health, need to join hands and to value each other’s expertise for proving effective well-being.
Many prominent researches have shown advantages of Integrative Medicine. In a research conducted at The University of Arizona Integrative Health Center (2019), classes and sessions were available to people on topics such as nutrition, stress reduction, optimal weight and lifestyle, in addition to Psychological Counselling, yoga and Tai Chi. In the 4 years long intervention research program, 1,700 people underwent care at the clinic. All 1700 people who underwent the interventions reported outcomes indicated statistically significant positive impacts in their mental, physical, and overall health; work productivity and activity; and overall well-being.
The concept is that conventional medicine does not always take into account the complexity of total healing, which also involves Psychological, emotional and spiritual distress beyond just the physical aspect. It is built on the premise that authentic healing involved nurturing of the soul and mind with the body, and moves beyond the concept of just treatment. According to Gannotta (2018) , an amalgamation of interventions and therapies beyond just traditional medicine can help people
In my own experience of blending these sciences effectively and practicing Integrative Medicine for more than 25 years, I have observed 1000s of people get enormous relief and benefit when there is a comprehensive structure in place. Where the individual need not struggle to manage and align these different streams all by themselves.
If governments, Educational institutions and business organisations begin to provide a structured easily available and optimally designed Integrative health programs to their people, it would definitely result in decreasing morbidity and increasing the well being and productivity.
This is the exact moment in time where holistic health needs to manifest in true service of humanity.
