CMIMP Badge.png

 

 

What is Integrative Medicine?

 

Integrative medicine is the bridge between conventional medicine and the holistic world. Many integrative practitioners are classically trained in the medical or healthcare fields, including (but not limited to): medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, occupational or physical therapists, chiropractors, and mental health therapists. After seeing patients and clients unable to experience meaningful life change with traditional healthcare models, many of these practitioners have turned to integrative care. They have witnessed how the “one size fits all” approach leads to less progress, more frustration, and more healthcare dollars over time. These practitioners may use holistic approaches to complement conventional practices or as an alternative to traditional models. Integrative medicine focuses on the individual to help determine the root cause to their physical, emotional, or cognitive ailments. When assessing an individual, integrative practitioners consider the person’s:

  • Bio-individuality:

    • Genetic make-up

    • Results from lab work using optimal instead of normal range values.

    • Presence or history of various infections

    • Other medical conditions: Is there a pattern that suggests a common underlying issue?

      • For example, when I started working with an integrative provider, my chronic acne, thyroid condition, and Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) reactivation all suggested an underlying issue with liver health and detoxification.

  • Diet & Nutritional Status:

    • How well-rounded is the diet?

    • Are there any “food triggers” suspected? (Your provider may ask you to complete a food journal for several days to understand your eating patterns).

    • Review of lab work related to levels of certain nutrients in your body (e.g., Vitamin D, Zinc, Iron, and more).

  • Lifestyle Stress:

    • How much stress does this person’s life entail?

    • How does this person make meaning of and handle stress?

  • Self-Care Habits:

    • What does this person do to relax? Have fun?

    • How does this person take time for themselves when they are sick, overwhelmed, or just need a break?

    • What types of strategies does the person use on a daily basis to take care of their physical or emotional health?

  • Level of Exposure to Environment Toxins through:

    • Household cleaners

    • Personal hygiene products

    • Occupational exposure

    • Air quality/pollution levels

    • …The list goes on

The key to integrative medicine is identifying patterns and addressing the true root cause(s)—not just managing the symptoms—that impact people’s lives. Oftentimes, integrative approaches not only address the symptoms or conditions that first brought the individual to seek care, but these same people often see improvements in overall health and wellbeing, sometimes even eradicating multiple health conditions at once. No longer do people have to accept a new symptom or side effect to get rid of another issue. Instead, they can feel truly and wholly well. Depending on the type of provider, integrative intervention may include:

  • Pharmaceutical medication—only when absolutely necessary

  • Supplementation of vitamins, minerals, botanicals/herbs, and more

  • Dietary changes such as: avoiding specific “food triggers”, following a specific dietary protocol, or just generally increasing fresh, wholesome foods and decreasing processed foods in their diets.

  • Lifestyle Redesign, such as:

    • Exercise and physical activity

    • Yoga and mindfulness practices

    • Stress management and self-care strategies

    • Supporting positive and healing relationships (with others as well as with oneself)

    • Modifying daily routines to support overall wellness

  • AND SO MUCH MORE

As a trained occupational therapist, I am well-versed in lifestyle redesign. Occupational therapy is all about making small daily changes to get the most out of life. Whether it involves adding new activities, modifying a current routine, or adapting the physical space, I have helped individuals and families make small but meaningful changes that make a big impact on their physical and emotional health. However, since I am also a certified integrative provider, I have a holistic viewpoint on working with children, parents, and adults within the occupational therapy realm. No longer do I only help people by modifying their space and changing the way they spend their time. Now my practice also includes education and assistance in eating whole foods (even for picky kids!), supporting nutrition, reducing toxic load in daily life, and understanding how our internal thoughts and the relationships we keep impact our physiology.

 
 

The building blocks of wellness:

  • Positive Relationships

  • Meaningful Engagement & Appropriate Challenges

  • Awareness (of one’s thoughts, sensations, and feelings)

  • Physical Activity (especially outdoors)

  • Sleep

  • Adequate Nutrition

  • Whole Foods

  • Adequate Detoxification

 


I am grateful for my integrative perspective because it has allowed me to help so many people who simply do not respond to traditional occupational therapy. For example, there were times I would spin my wheels with some children. The families would diligently follow through with their home programs, and while the kids initially responded well to treatment, they just would not show the long-lasting changes that I would see from others. It wasn’t until I understood these children from an integrative perspective that I was able to unlock the secret—through nutrition. Growing evidence shows a linkage between zinc deficiency and symptoms related to sensory processing challenges and even ADHD and autism. Even individuals who eat a well-rounded, whole-foods diet are at risk of having low zinc in their bodies because, unfortunately, the soil we use to grow our foods is depleted in zinc. Therefore, many people need to supplement. With the help of these children’s physicians, we were able to begin zinc supplementation, and that’s when the magic happened. They were finally responding to OT as I would have anticipated, and their efforts were paying off. I could have “spun my sensory wheels” forever with these kids, but until they had proper nutrition, their brains could not make the lasting change we were looking for. Now as an integrative occupational therapist, I am able to blend my traditional skill set with a more holistic approach to identify the true root cause(s) that underlie daily struggles and use the building blocks of health to help kids, parents, adults, and families find true wellness and happiness.

Resources

Korn, Leslie (June 2019). Certified Mental Health Integrative Medicine Provider (CMHIMP) Training Course: Nutritional and Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Professionals, Online.

Schmidt, Kelli. (n.d.) What I Didn’t Know About My Son’s Sensory Processing Disorder. STAR Institute. Retrieved June 9, 2020 from https://www.spdstar.org/node/852

Vela, G., Stark, P., Socha, M., Katrin Sauer, A., Hagmeyer, S., & Grabrucker, A.M. (March 23, 2015). Zinc in Gut-Brain Interaction in Autism and Neurological Disorders. Neural Plasticity, Retrieved June 9, 2020 from https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/972791

Yorbik, O., Ozdag, M.F., Olgun, A., Senol, M.G., Bek, S. & Akman, S. (April 2008). Potential Effects of Zinc on Information Processing in Boys With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 32(3):662-7.