What does Integrative mean?

As I’ve had time to ruminate on this over the last five years, my own words on how true integrative medicine should be defined are as below.

The balanced approach to the science or practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.”

The wheel was not reinvented, here. I simply added a fore sentiment to the original definition of medicine.

Altogether, providers on either side of the fence may suffer from ideological or religious possession.

An example on the alternative side is the “functional medicine provider” who ignores history and fails to recognize the fact of rheumatoid arthritis patients no longer ending up crippled, most certainly because of drug developments beyond gold shots, penacillamine and buckets of aspirin.

Equally as absurd is the board certified rheumatologist who makes such declarations as “nutrition cannot help lupus” or “the concept of leaky guts is pseudoscience.” Study the work of rheumatologist, Gregg J. Silverman M.D. out of NYU Longone University.

Integrative medicine, ultimately, is the art in the appropriate use of what tools are available to empower, facilitate healing and achieve best outcomes in our patients.