Integrative medicine is the practice of treating the whole person with a variety of conventional treatments and complementary therapies that consider the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the patient. At Restoration Healthcare it means a practice of healing that considers the whole person and the root cause of integrative medicine for their health conditions. Our physicians draw from a collective knowledge base of evidence-based practices in conventional medicine, as well as other safe, researched, and science-based complementary healing methods to address complex chronic conditions.
Our approach to healthcare is to listen to the patient, fully understand their needs and prior experience, assess all prior care, and then, working with the patient, investigate why they have not been able to regain their health. In many ways, we are medical investigators with our patients as investigative partners! We know that conventional medicine is often needed for the acute treatment of chronic conditions. This accepted standard of care is where most doctors start – and where our team starts.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine combines conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies and focuses on treating the whole person, not just the illness. Our integrative medicine doctor work with patients to develop personalized treatment plans that include a combination of conventional and complementary therapies, such as nutrition and lifestyle medicine, IV therapy, acupuncture, and functional neurology. Our goal is to improve the patient’s quality of life and reduce symptoms by addressing the underlying causes of the illness.
Why is Integrative Medicine Important for Treating Complex Chronic Illness?
Many of the conditions our patients are treated for do not fit nicely into a standard of care model beyond the acute phase of their illness. Our licensed, board-certified physicians go further by utilizing other treatments and therapies that integrate conventional standard-of-care practices with complementary forms of medicine. We call it just good medicine.
- Anyone can benefit from integrative medicine – whether for the prevention or treatment of a disease. But at our clinic, we specialize in helping people with often debilitating, complex chronic illnesses.
- Integrative medicine includes other approaches, whose terms you may have heard – functional medicine, complementary medicine, and alternative medicine. Each one of these approaches has its own merits and each one often draws on the wisdom of the other.
- Our board-certified physicians come from a variety of backgrounds and work as a team to share their knowledge so that every patient gets the most comprehensive care possible.
- Instead of just treating the symptoms of complex conditions, we identify all of the contributing factors to a person’s health status.
- We focus on outcomes. How well is the treatment working? What are the barriers to healing? Are you improving so that daily life is easier and more enjoyable?
Transforming Care with Better Data and Diagnostics
When a patient comes to us for treatment of a complex chronic illness, they have often seen many physicians without any relief or resolution. We understand how this can happen. Quick-fix medicine and complex chronic illness don’t match up. We require that our patients give us an encyclopedia of medical history. Every minute detail is insignificant. We collect that data and then apply it to a series of diagnostic tests.
Our diagnostic tests are not limited to the obvious symptoms. We test body composition for metabolic data, eye tracking for cognitive function, autonomic nervous system for endocrine and stress issues, and balance for neuromuscular and brain activity. We even give patients homework to take the Creyos written test for memory and brain elasticity. Then, we order all the appropriate blood, urine, and fecal tests. We believe that the more data we have, the more we learn about a patient’s health status and how to develop a personalized plan of care.
This level of care means that we cannot take all patients. Our patients must show medical necessity for treatment of a complex chronic illness and they must live in the vicinity of one of our clinics. Our in-clinic therapies require a significant amount of time to complete. And, we take insurance, but to date only qualified insurance plans. There is not a day that goes by when we wish that we could accept everyone who requests to be a patient.
Why Use Integrative Medicine to Treat Complex Chronic Illnesses?
Unlike traditional medicine, which often focuses solely on symptom management, truth integrative medicine takes into account the whole person – mind, body, and spirit – which allows for a more personalized treatment plan to address the underlying causes of the illness, rather than just the symptoms. We use evidence-based practices from Western medicine with complementary therapies to address the multiple factors that contribute to chronic illnesses.
Another difference is that we emphasize patient empowerment and collaboration. First, we listen and then collect data to diagnose. When it is time to create a patient care plan, instead of a passive role, patients are encouraged to actively participate in their own healing process. This can include making lifestyle changes, adopting healthy habits, and exploring various treatment options. By involving patients in their own care, we promote a sense of ownership and responsibility, leading to better outcomes in the long run.
How is Integrative Medicine Changing Healthcare?
In 2023, The National Academies of Science report, Achieving Whole Health, a New Approach for Veterans and the Nation, gave the American health system poor marks saying “The country has designed a health system to cure disease and not to promote health.” The committee responsible for the report suggested a whole healthcare solution that focuses on people-centered care. We agree. A medical system that focuses on the individual, their families, and the community is a good start. The next step, or should we leap, requires that all forms of medicine are included in a person’s care. That is what we do at Restoration Healthcare – our team takes a multidisciplinary approach to treating illnesses.
Integrative medicine is revolutionizing healthcare. By combining conventional medicine with complementary therapies, we offer a more holistic, whole-person approach to patient care. We recognize the importance of addressing not just physical symptoms, but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of individuals. Integrative medicine is gaining popularity as it focuses on personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
We believe this shift towards a more comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach is how to transform the healthcare landscape by promoting collaboration among healthcare providers. Integrative medicine encourages doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to work together, combining their expertise to provide the best possible care for patients. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a better understanding of patients’ health needs and enables healthcare providers to develop more effective treatment plans.
Rather than solely focusing on treating a single disease and managing symptoms, integrative medicine near me places a strong emphasis on getting to the underlying cause of a condition. We specialize in treating complex illnesses, which means it will take more than a prescription for every ailment to make a person well.
In addition to conventional medical treatments, our take on integrative medicine incorporates complementary therapies, such as hormone replacement, acupuncture, chiropractic care, IV Therapy, dietary supplements and herbal medicine, mind-body practices, stress management, and sleep therapy. We use these therapies alongside conventional treatments to give the body the support it needs and minimize side effects. By offering a wider range of treatment options, our Kids of Medicine gives patients more choices and empowers them to actively participate in their own healthcare decisions.
Revolutionizing Healthcare through Restoration Healthcare
We are proud to be part of a system that is revolutionizing healthcare by promoting collaboration among healthcare providers, emphasizing personalized medicine, and expanding the range of treatment options available to patients. This approach recognizes the importance of addressing the whole person and tailoring treatment plans to individual needs. As integrative medicine doctors near me continue to gain recognition and acceptance, it has the potential to greatly improve patient outcomes and transform the healthcare system as a whole. If you’re looking for an integrative medicine doctor in Irvine request an appointment today with Dr. Sunny Raleigh. Dr. Raleigh brings innovative healthcare ideas and approaches to treat highly complex health-related issues. As Medical Director, she works toward fostering a caring and compassionate environment responsive to the emotional, spiritual, and physical needs of all Restoration Healthcare patients. Contact us at (949) 535-2322 to set up an appointment today.
