Integrative medicine involves not just your doctor in your medical care, but you too: The practitioners at Vitality Health Center in Santa Monica, California collaborate with you to achieve your optimal health. Through the use of alternative and complementary medicine, they walk with you step-by-step so your body can start healing on its own. The path to integrative medicine isn’t the same for every patient, so your dedicated specialist will spend time with you to see which integrative medicine treatments are best for you.
Integrative Medicine Q and A
What are the principles of integrative medicine?
Philosophically, integrative medicine promotes your overall health and wellness, acknowledging the critical role of your entire self, presenting treatments providing health today and preventing illness tomorrow.
Integrative medicine approaches healthcare through partnering patient and physician for treating mind, body, and spirit. Recognizing that your environment, emotions, and social influences all play a role in your health, integrative medicine practitioners address all elements of your life in determining a treatment plan for reaching optimum health.
Ideally, all treatments you go through are natural and less invasive than conventional medicine, although in some cases, you might still need a modern approach to healing.
Is integrative medicine the same as alternative medicine?
Integrative medicine includes some aspects of alternative medicine, but it isn’t the same. Alternative medicine encompasses ancient treatments, like acupuncture, as well as modern treatments, such as homeopathy. Alternative medicine practitioners stay away from using any modern or conventional approaches to healing.
Integrative medicine takes some of these natural healing treatments and adds other components, as needed. For example, if you’re suffering from widespread chronic pain, you’ll probably benefit from having some acupuncture and getting some nutritional counseling. But if you have a medical emergency, you should get treated by a physician who uses the most modern medicine available.
Integrative medicine takes all of this into perspective. There are times when alternative approaches are ideal, although you always have access to conventional medicine when needed. You and your dedicated team will decide together which approaches are best for you and when they’re appropriate.
Which integrative medicine treatments are offered at Vitality Health Center?
Integrative medicine plans are tailored to every single patient. You’ll likely need several varieties of treatments to achieve your optimal health, depending on your needs and desires. At Vitality Health Center, you can have:
Massage therapy treatments
Acupuncture
Chiropractic care
Nutrition and weight loss counseling
Physical therapy sessions
IV infusion therapy
Ceragem thermal massage treatments
Private Pilates workouts
Combining these alternative health practices with routine medical care gives you an active role in your body’s healing and recovery, allowing you to work with your primary care physician to decide what’s right for your body.