act as educators, role models and mentors to their patients. Integrative medicine also:
• Uses natural, less invasive interventions before costly invasive ones when possible.
• Utilizes an evidence-based approach from multiple resources of information to integrate the best therapy—be it conventional or complementary.
• Searches for and removes barriers that may be blocking the body’s innate healing response.
Integrative Medicine: More Important Than Ever
by Joseph Cannizzaro, MD B 24
efore COVID, we had a pre-existing health crisis in the U.S.—a
chronic complex disease epidemic. Years ago, it was infectious disease and before— way back in the 1800s—it was vitamin deficiency Now it is cancer, heart disease and diabetes—all preventable because the number-one cause of these conditions is diet. According to the 2020 National Diabetes Statistic Report from the CDC, one in three (88 million) American adults have pre-diabetes. Central Florida
Unfortunately, children are not
exempt from our country’s unhealthy trends. There has been an explosion of autism, ADHD, asthma and allergies among children in this country. Probably the most important
outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a re-emphasis on the importance of building a healthy immune system, striving for freedom from chronic disease and maintaining health. Even in the best of times, everyday stressors and toxins erode the body’s defenses. This is where integrative medicine shines.
WHAT IS INTEGRATIVE
MEDICINE? Integrative medicine emphasizes relationship-centered care between the doctor and patient. It focuses on prevention and maintenance of health with attention to lifestyle choices including nutrition, exercise, stress management and emotional wellbeing. It requires providers to
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• Sees that compassion is always helpful, even when other therapies are not.
• Focuses on the research and how to facilitate it.
• Accepts that health and healing are unique to the individual and may differ for two people with the same disease.
• Works collaboratively with the patient and a team of interdisciplinary providers to improve the delivery of care.
• Maintains that healing is always possible even when curing is not.
Hippocrates, the “father of
medicine,” stated that the job of the physician is to “cure sometimes, heal oſten, and support always.” For example, if a child has fluid in the
middle ear, we usually do not prescribe antibiotics because it is rarely infected. For years, these occurrences have been defined as ear infections which is not the case. Te problem is eustachian tube dysfunction. We refer patients to a chiropractic doctor, an osteopath or a craniosacral specialist. Tese healing modalities utilize manual techniques, which open the eustachian tube and drain the fluid without the use of antibiotics. Salt therapy results in drainage and relieves congestion of the lungs and nasal passages. Tese are typical examples of integrating various modalities and therapies.
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