The New Look and Feel of Healthcare
If the term “complementary medicine” keeps popping up in
health-related articles and journals, it’s because an international
network of healthcare facilities is becoming interested in combining
traditional medicine with treatments such as aromatherapy,
acupuncture and massage therapy.
Today’s healthcare providers integrate these mindful techniques with conventional medical treatments because they know there is a powerful relationship between the mind, body, spirit and community. The approach, called integrative medicine, is burgeoning in hospitals and clinics across the country.
Beginning about 10 years ago, doctors realized that they would not have to abandon modern, scientifically proven cancer treatments in order to get benefits for patients from complementary therapies. They saw that an integrative approach improved quality of life and helped patients tolerate treatments.
Patient education is a complementary practice that is essential. Knowledge about a condition and treatment options gives patients power. Physicians who pay attention to a person’s cultural values and lifestyle acknowledge that patients play an important role in their own healing. Physicians should be accepting of whatever will help patients.
The National Institutes of Health has established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to conduct research to determine what alternative healing strategies are safe and effective. By evaluating the benefits of complementary treatment in clinical trials, it offers solid evidence to inform physicians and patients.
One word of caution: Don’t confuse complementary and alternative medicine techniques. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. An example of a complementary therapy is aromatherapy. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. An example of an alternative therapy is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing surgery, radiation or chemotherapy that has been recommended by a conventional doctor.
