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There was a time when so-called "holistic" medicine was relegated to "junk science" and preventative measures were similarly discarded.
But increasingly more we're seeing holistic and integrative medicine actually entering the mainstream vocabulary ... take into consideration the following.
A new study released in The Journal of Alternative And Complementary Medicine showed that over half (53.1%) of office-based doctors in the U.S. recommended at least one complementary health approach (CHA) to their patients in the previous 12 months.
The study was performed by mainstream researchers, including those from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, and Center for Health Statistics, and it's a very important sign of the acceptance and new understanding of simply how well a totally integrated approach is to your health.
The most common complementary health approaches in the study were:
Those numbers are overall a step in the right direction and very good news! The more "traditional" physicians recommending holistic therapies will lower the risk of side effects from surgery and even from medication reactions. But it gets even more interesting.
Researchers also found that general/family practice physicians were most likely to suggest chiropractic/osteopathic manipulation (54.0%) and massage therapy (52.6%).
There is something else to consider.
The truth is that these numbers are likely a lot higher because the data used was from physician interviews from 2012.
In my personal and professional opinion though ... It's not nearly enough to create the major change we need towards the prevention and treatment of disease in this country.
As a matter of fact, by my estimates I believe we need to double the numbers in this study to really make a difference.
I want to show what I mean so let's take two problems that are common in the U.S. and look at the differences in a holistic approach and a traditional approach.
Did you know that practically 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some point in their life and more than a quarter of those have had lower back pain in the last 3 months!
Not only that, it's the # 1 occupational disability in the U.S.
Here's what you can expect from your doctor if you injure your back or experience lower back pain and look for help:
And I hope you do really recover quickly.
But approximately 20% of the population actually has chronic back pain which includes a whole host of other possible issues.
If you suffer from chronic back pain the list of medications gets much longer and it comes with the very real risk of side effects like-- blood clots, ulcers, liver and kidney damage ... and the even larger possibility for addiction to specific medication.
That's, basically, what you 'd be looking at for conventional treatment.
Now, let's take just a minute and see how my approach as a holistic, integrative physician would differ for back pain:
As you can see the approach is rather different and far more hands on. We actively work with the patient to truly dial in on the root of the pain and target the surrounding area of the body.
And our options don't stop there. We have access to something called "cold laser therapy" which is a cutting edge, non-invasive technology that lowers pain and inflammation with zero risk to the patient.
Not just that, we also have Acupuncture! It's been used for back pain for centuries, but I've found that it works even better when combined with added muscle or joint therapy offered by osteopaths and chiropractors.
Take a minute and re-read those two approaches.
I think the differences are quite clear. We try to work with the whole body, find the actual source of the pain and work on it directly. Not only does it work more quickly the potential for damaging side effects is a small fraction of what it would be with the traditional prescription medication focused approach.
That's one clear example but let's take a look at another.
This is something that all women will experience during their lives and a really stark illustration of the contrast between these treatment approaches.
Menopause is complicated and doctors are quick to treat normal menopausal symptoms with harsh prescription drugs like anti-depressant.
This includes drugs such as:
All of these have the risk of significant side effects like-- as weight gain, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, sexual dysfunction, and others.
To me and particularly in this situation, integrative approaches are superior to the traditional medical approach for helping women alleviate their menopausal symptoms safely and naturally.
To begin with there are a number of studies that demonstrate herbal extracts such as Black Cohosh can have an even greater rate of success than conventional prescriptions.
For instance, in a recent study of 171 women over the age of 40, researchers found that Black Cohosh significantly improved menopausal symptoms, as did those women receiving hormone therapy.
Also, more research has shown Black Cohosh "shows substantial anti-cancer properties", which included estrogen and progesterone receptors and BRCA 1 (a tumor-suppressing gene that when mutated raises breast cancer risk).
For women with really severe symptoms or premature menopause, then I would use bio-identical hormone replacement, which has an excellent record for safety and effectiveness.
That's just two examples of what I would do differently than you might get with a conventional doctor.
In the OSU study in particular there's another point worth sharing.
Something missing from this report and lacking in common recommendations from doctors is vitamins.
I'm not surprised at all. It's the one area that most doctors simply do not have adequate knowledge in.
No one will dispute the standard American diet is overloaded with calories but insufficient in nutrients. Oregon State University (OSU) researchers note that "micronutrient inadequacies" are common in the United States.
Here is the issue: the government uses the Estimated Average Requirement as a benchmark for nutrient deficiency.
Yet, they define it as "a nutrient intake value that is estimated to fulfill the needs of half the healthy individuals in a certain life stage and gender group.".
This means that a lot of Americans might not have nutrient deficiencies as defined by the U.S. government standard, as provided by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Medicine.
As you can see, this is a broad standard that misses a lot of individuals with deficiencies.
Nevertheless, beyond this issue is micronutrient inadequacies, which do not meet the definition of "deficiency" but still cause symptoms and health problems.
OSU researchers also state that micronutrient deficiencies can result in symptoms of general fatigue, reduced ability to fight infections, and also impaired cognitive function.
They also can increase a person's risk for chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and age-related eye diseases.
All of this points to real and substantive changes in the way we approach medical care and preventative healthcare specifically.
While it is a good indication that complementary health approaches are being suggested by U.S. doctors, there is still a long way to go.
Your job is to continue to educate yourself about the best ways you can prevent and treat illnesses!
One great way is to keep reading and learning with resources like this newsletter, my podcast and more.
Not only that, you 'd be ahead of the game if you have a holistic health team available when you need them.
An ideal team would have the following:
