Integrative Medicine
The Integrative Medicine conceives the human being as an indissoluble complex of Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Environmental and Social character, these characteristics, which explain the personalization of the treatments offered.
What is integrative medicine?
The concept of Integrative Medicine originates in the United States in response to the growing number of chronic and complex diseases that affect its population, it is important to emphasize that it is not a different medicine from the one that has been practiced orthodoxly for decades, it is the same medicine but with a broader approach, in which in the same scenario the irrefutable scientific bases of allopathic or conventional medicine are included, including Hyperbaric Medicine, on the other hand the nutritional part in its highest levels of complexity (Nutrimedicin , Nutraceutical, Nutrigenomic) and the proven benefits of the so-called alternative medicines (Biological Medicine and Homotoxicology, Functional, Orthomolecular, Homeopathic, Neural Therapy, Osteopathy, Etc.); supported by the integral conception of the human being (physical, mental, spiritual, environmental and social). Set of diagnostic and therapeutic tools that allow to handle a greater number of chronic and complex pathologies considered until recently, as of unknown and intractable origin, both by the Allopathic Medicine and by the Alternatives, by themselves.
This concept clarifies and detracts from a whole series of erroneous and harmful approaches that have surrounded integrative medicine; Orthodox enthusiasts of alternative medicines present them as the panacea capable of curing all diseases and also ranting of allopathic medicine ignoring their scientific bases, on the other hand the staunch and psychorrigid standard bearers of Allopathic Medicine strongly ignore Alternative Medicines, arguing that lack scientific support and therefore is devoid of beneficial effects on health, considering Alopathy as the only medical science of worldwide recognition; in both cases the approaches tend to be superficial and devoid of arguments, since alternative medicine in its most primitive essence, by ignoring the scientific basis of conventional medicine, irresponsibly condemns the patient to unnecessary risks, and allopathic medicine He is mistaken from the same university levels when using therapeutic approaches specifically aimed at the clinical manifestations of a disease without taking into account the causes that generate it and ignoring the natural condition of integrality of the human being, if they take into account that Our faculties teach a segmented medicine where each Tissue, Organ, System are described in a totally independent way, omitting the importance of integrating these functional organic complexes and ignoring the natural interaction that exists between them, which makes many diagnoses difficult and leads to syndromatic treatments of ephemeral effects thus perpetuating the disease, making it increasingly complex and difficult to manage.
Integrative Medicine recognizes that chronic and complex diseases are the result of the loss of organic homeostasis (balance), due to the interaction between genetic, social and environmental factors.
From Hippocrates (The father of medicine 460-370 BC) to which the great progress in the systematic study of clinical medicine we know today is attributed, the concept of integrality of the human being was already known, since he considered the product of the indissoluble interaction between mind, body and spirit; Proof of this is currently the high rates of mental, endocrine, neurodegenerative, oncological and immunological pathologies originated from dysfunctions of the digestive system, dysfunctions that apparently would have nothing to do with the appearance of these chronic and complex diseases according to some detractors of Integrative Medicine; Fortunately, the world academic and scientific community has already begun to direct its interest towards integrative medicine, which is evidenced by the nascent chair of Integrative Medicine that was introduced in the 60 best Universities of the United States and Europe in undergraduate programs, postgraduate and master’s degrees duly approved, in response to the increase in chronic diseases; In 1998, the National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicines was founded in 1998, which in 2014 changed its name to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. For the period from 2014 to 2023, the World Health Organization approved a strategy in favor of Integrative Medicine in the National Health Systems in the world, strategies that are welcomed by highly developed European countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark , France, Spain, Etc.
In 2017, a systematic bibliographic search on integrative medicine was carried out in the Main Collection of the Web Of Science in the Science Citation Index database. 31,575 documents of integrative medicine research papers were found. Regarding the documents that are in the first quartile (Q1), we have a total of 12,169 research papers, that is, 38.53% of the total; Sufficient scientific evidence in the main medicine bases of the world. Which denotes the growing importance of this new concept in the world. Referring to our country, the Colombian Society of Pediatrics has been widely disseminating the benefits of integrative medicine through mass participation events (Symposia, Congresses, Etc.) sponsored by different laboratories so that their associates know more about this modern approach and its applications
Some detractors due to ignorance have tried to demonize Integrative Medicine by calling it Pseudoscience, without taking into account that one of the great components of it is the scientific basis of conventional medicine; what allows to bring up the famous phrase of the German philosopher Arthur Shopenhauer “All truth goes through three phases: In the first one it is ridiculed; in the second, he receives a violent opposition; and in the third it is accepted as something obvious”.
It is not enough to emphasize that the great discoveries and scientific advances in the fields of Immunology, Endocrinology, Neurology and other areas, are a fundamental part of the pillars of Integrative Medicine, without counting that for some time it has been published in the most prestigious scientific dissemination organizations, serious and well-founded results of research related to Integrative Medicine.
A Specialist or Master in Integrative Medicine should be able to make wise, reasonable and objective use of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies endorsed by Allopathic Medicine and other areas such as Nutrimedicin, Nutrigenomics and Nutraceuticals and also have the ability to integrate these benefits with the recognized benefits offered by complementary medicines, which significantly reduce the huge expense generated by conventional health systems in the world.
It is necessary to make known to the community in general, including some medical professionals, that under no circumstances should Integrative Medicine be confused with Alternative Medicine and / or Naturists that we commonly know, given that they only represent one of the multiple resources available to Integrative Medicine; the latter being the scenario where the two schools meet.
- It does not treat diseases but chronic and complex sick patients
- Considers the patient as an integral being in the mental, physical, social, spiritual, environmental, labor.
- Integrative Medicine forms teams in which they interact for family, patient, doctors, friends, etc. treatment. Creating optimal environments for the restoration of health.
- The treatment to be followed is agreed with the patient and family
- Allows the active participation of patients and relatives during the consultation.
- It is directed not only to address the clinical manifestations of a disease but also to investigate and discover its causes.
- Represents the humanization of medicine.
- It is aimed at restoring health
- Manages chronic and complex diseases, which allows recovering and improving the quality of life of those patients, whose management represents large economic expenses, seriously damaging the budget for the health sector.
- Use healthy life strategies and other resources to prevent disease and promote health.
- The diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are strictly personalized, taking into account that each patient represents a new case with unique characteristics compared to the others.
- Approaches the patient as a whole, recognizing that both health and disease are the product of the imbalance between organic systems and emotions (Psycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology).
- It also considers that the presence of an external or internal aggressor agent is not sufficient to generate the disease, but that it must find a suitable ground to develop its harmful potential.
- One of its therapeutic pillars is based on the promotion and restoration of self-regulation mechanisms, that is, it provides the body with the necessary tools to defend the aggressor autonomously.
- Recovers the enormous importance of the direct, personal and human relationship between doctor and patient, giving the patient the most important role.
- Motivates and engages the patient, becoming the cornerstone of their own treatment, thus optimizing adherence to it.
- Facilitates the multidisciplinary approach for the benefit of the patient
We can conclude that Integrative Medicine is the present and the future of medicine, keeping the hope that in a short period of time the medical faculties are structured and assimilate the changes that have occurred over time in the affected countries. in relation to integrative medicine and that finally our doctors identified as connoted and lucrative as the sea, clinical or surgical specialty that they exercise, learn to integrate anatomical, physiological and pathological concepts so that they can one day eliminate their dictionary period IDIOPATHIC ”, Whose meaning is ignorance of the origin or cause of a disease, limits the importance of impotence and frustration, leading to the establishment of failed treatments that facilitate the complication of the disease and the death of our patients; but above all things to understand that the human being besides being a continent of cells, tissues, organs and systems, was also conceived with a module of emotions whose interaction with the organic components have the balance that allows the preservation of health and life.
Philosophically we could say that medicine somehow begins to return on its own steps to its origins, that is, to conceive of the human being as a unique and integral element in the physical, mental, spiritual, environmental and social, according to the Hippocratic vision .
