Integrative medicine

Abstract

Integrative medicine, or integrative health care, is a field of medicine that unites a strong focus on lifestyle medicine and prevention with the inclusion of safe and effective options from a wide range of complementary and alternative disciplines. Given the high percentage of patients seeking out integrative approaches, as well as the increasing presence of integrative medicine in US hospitals, health care systems, and academic medical centers, it is essential that health care providers be familiar with the available options, risk-benefit data, and trusted resources for information. This chapter provides an overview of the evolving field of integrative medicine, its relation to lifestyle medicine, and how current research might be used to counsel a patient with type 2 diabetes with regard to dietary supplements, mind-body medicine, manual therapies, energy medicine, and whole healing systems.