Integrative medicine is all the rage right now. It has become buzzworthy and is cropping up everywhere on the internet. Everyone from nurse practitioners, holistic healers, acupuncturists and yoga instructors are using this phrase. As often happens, the meaning can become distorted. The Cleveland Clinic says “Integrative medicine uses an evidence-based approach to treat the whole person — your mind, body and soul.” While healers, yogis, etc. can certainly be beneficial to your health, the trust is they are not capable of actually treating your whole person. Only a medical doctor accredited in integrative medicine is qualified to treat your mind, body and soul.
Treat Your Mind, Body and Soul
Treat Your Mind, Body and SoulMind – Keep your mind acute and your cognitive thinking as sharp as possible. Through nutrition and regular exercise you can keep focused and make the best decisions. Exercise for your mind through activities that require focus and concentration, both physical and cerebral. A doctor who takes the time to know you can greatly assist in this area by recommending activities and nutrition that specifically apply to you and not just “in general”.
Body – Body is the most obvious. Since Integrative medicine uses a combination of conventional medical care and alternative treatments you want the highest trained professional in both. Someone without an MD is not knowledgeable enough to advise you on your health. In the unfortunate event you have or are on the road to serious illness you want the best medical advice and treatment possible. You want a doctor who can prescribe therapies to address both the symptoms and the root cause of a disease through a combination of holistic therapies and prescription/surgical intervention if necessary. You want a medical provider who truly understands medicine and not just certain areas or certain holistic remedies. This is the difference between life and death.
Soul – Many people would say that taking care of your soul is as important as taking care of the body. Health is greatly affected by your happiness or lack thereof positively and negatively. Activities such as meditation, yoga and getting proper sleep are of vital importance. Your doctor should be asking about what is bothering you, what is going on in your life that affects your overall health. Bioidentical hormones for women and men have become relatively common because unbalanced hormones are so often what’s bringing you down. When you are down, your health is greatly affected both mentally and physically.
You need a doctor who looks at your whole person and not just certain parts here and there. An integrative physician will get to the root of the problem to seek a solution and not just mask the symptoms. This will change your life for the better. At the end of the day, it up to you to do your due diligence and confirm that your provider is properly qualified as a board-certified Medical Doctor with expertise in integrative medicine. Your health is your most important asset. Schedule your initial consultation at Vida Hormone Health & Integrative Medicine in Miami to learn more.
