What Is Integrative Medicine?

Integrative medicine means different things to different people—always a mix of conventional medicine and “complementary” approaches. But depending on who you ask, the mix varies considerably, as do the modalities. So what really defines integrative medicine?

In my view, the foundation of integrative medicine rests on two principles:

Principle #1: Leverage the smallest intervention possible to obtain the needed outcome

What is  the “smallest” intervention? By smallest, I mean: the least likely to cause side effects, the least invasive and often, the cheapest.

Examples abound: 4 servings of blueberries and nuts per week are shown to drastically reduce the risk of heart disease, as do dark green leafy vegetables. Or a regular meditation practice reducing the risk of heart attack recurrence by nearly 50%.

But an integrative approach does not necessarily mean that low intensity is always better—it depends on the situation. At times, the truly smallest intervention possible to obtain the desired result is open-heart surgery. In other instances, the least intervention required is nothing more than a small change in diet or greater contact with nature.

And quite often, best is a combination of high- and low-tech. For instance, results after a high-tech ablation procedure to stop atrial fibrillation are far improved if the procedure is accompanied by intensive lifestyle changes.

What’s often missing from conventional medicine is the consideration of possibilities beyond pills and procedures.

No doubt pills and procedures are needed—and are even life-saving at times. But having a wider range of options available, especially those that focus on nutrition and lifestyle, helps to ensure the safest and best match between problem and therapy.

Principle #2: Have a “beginner’s mind”

A phrase borrowed from the ancients, in this context it encourages evaluation of all health options from a fresh perspective without preconception. As if we just landed on earth and were forced to critically evaluate and weigh all available medical options for the very first time.

In my view, more widespread use of a “beginner’s mind”—open to a wide range of possibilities—would lead to smarter decisions and better outcomes. Along these lines, therapies that are unfamiliar to practitioners would be closely examined—possibly rejected, but if so, always for good reason.

I often wonder what the food and health landscape would look like if everyone approached nutritional science with a “beginner’s mind.” I suspect a more nuanced view would emerge, with fewer partisan camps to reinforce messages that are consistent with pre-existing views and reject those that challenge them.

Adoption of a “beginner’s mind” is especially helpful when evaluating novel approaches to enhancing a sense of well being and easing pain—especially when the potential for harm is very low.

From my perspective, integrative medicine has little to do with the specific treatment used—and everything to do with how the decision was made to use it.