If you've ever heard a medical practitioner speak of a holistic or whole-body approach to health and wellness, that practitioner may subscribe to the principles of integrative medicine. The following four points about integrative medicine can help you decide whether you should seek out this kind of care for yourself.

1. Integrative Medicine Address Multiple Aspects of Wellness

Integrative medicine attempts to help people with every aspect of their wellness instead of simply treating the symptoms of a particular ailment. This holistic viewpoint may involve correcting unhealthy beliefs, improving spiritual well-being and relationships, calming the mind, and adopting healthier lifestyle habits.

A model called the Wheel of Health illustrates how this discipline combines professional care with self-care and mindfulness work. Each of these circles of care enhances the effectiveness of the others, ideally producing improvements in every part of an individual's life.

2. Integrative Medicine Includes Multiple Treatment Methods

To optimize all the aspects of an individual's wellness, integrative medicine embraces both conventional medicine and a variety of other treatment methods. Examples of these other treatment methods can include yoga, nutritional supplementation, massage, aromatherapy, meditation, animal therapy, and music therapy.

3. Integrative Medicine Can Treat a Variety of Issues

Individuals who struggle with debilitating chronic conditions and symptoms should know that integrative medicine can often aid in the treatment of these issues. If you suffer from IBS, headaches, fibromyalgia, sciatica, multiple sclerosis, nausea, or joint pain, you may gain some relief through integrative medicine.

Integrative medicine may aid mental health as well as physical health. Examples of mental health challenges that may respond to integrative medicine include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, insomnia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

4. Integrative Medicine Complements Conventional Medicine

Don't make the mistake of assuming that integrative medicine works outside the world of conventional medicine, or that it can serve as a complete substitute for standard medical diagnostics and treatments. Integrative medicine simply works as a complement to these more traditional forms of care to help them produce better results.

Always consult with a primary care physician or another medical doctor before adopting integrative medicine techniques into your health and wellness regimen. Some of the techniques may not mesh well with your existing care or prove suitable for your particular condition.

As you can see, integrative medicine has much to offer as a means of enhancing the benefits of conventional medicine. Ask your primary care provider whether you can benefit from incorporating these additional care options into your everyday life.