Integrative medicine, what is it?

Integrative medicine is the combination of conventional medicine (going to the doctor, having medical examinations, taking medication, etc.) and alternative medicine. Alternative medicines are numerous: acupuncture, natural products, lifestyle changes, diet, sports, yoga, religion, meditation, stress management, reflexology...

I developed a special interest in Dr. Andrew Weil’s work, who is a great advocate of integrative medicine. Dr. Weil believes in the fact that the body has an incredible capacity of self-healing and he is interested in the placebo effect / "the Power of belief". The placebo effect is a psychobiological phenomenon that leads to an improvement in symptoms or condition after the administration of a medication, an intervention or a treatment. Think of flour pills for example: the benefits to us are explained by our beliefs of feeling better with this treatment. The same phenomenon can occur with any treatment or practice if we have confidence in it. Then, to the placebo effect is added the real effect of the treatment. When taking a medication, about 30% of the benefits would come from the placebo effect and the rest would come from the real effect of the medication. The placebo effect makes us believe that our body has a capacity to heal itself. Dr. Weil wants to encourage the use of the least invasive treatments possible, with the most beneficial effects generated by the placebo effect.

I studied in the field of health; I'm not an expert in the medical field, but my knowledge and experience made me realise that traditional medicine mostly aims to find the right bandaid in the case of inflammatory bowel diseases. No, doctors don’t have a miracle cure or magic potion to offer us to heal us. With those types of illnesses, of course we can improve, but we still have it and won’t get rid of it. So, we start to take all sorts of drugs because it seems to be the only solution... I seem to be negative regarding medication, but I can’t talk about it negatively; seeing our symptoms fade with medication is what everyone wants.

But what if we decided to go further when leaving the doctor's office with our prescription in hand?

You obviously know people who consult all kinds of therapists, receive reiki treatments, follow energy therapies, consult psychics, adopt reflexology techniques, take natural products, etc. You might not believe in those alternative medicines and not necessarily feel their positive effects. However, it doesn’t matter if we don’t have all the same beliefs, the only important thing is to believe in what makes us feel good!

Personally, after much experimenting, I think I’ve found my own recipe; I opt for physical activity, stress management techniques (through yoga and breathing techniques), good sleep hygiene, psychotherapy and osteopathy. I also try to make decisions that allow me to eliminate negativity from my everyday life.

My advice:

• Take care of yourself, no matter how you do it.

• A friend told me: "It's crazy to realise how willing we are to pay for having a green lawn, but not for taking a multivitamin.", so invest in your health, both mental and physical. Investing in your health implies many possibilities; for example, you could simply treat yourself to a weekend of relaxation with your best friend if it makes you feel good.

• Try all kinds of things to find what is good for you!

• Forget what worked for your neighbor or your friend's friend; find YOUR own recipe and trust that recipe.

Stéphanie

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