Try The Five Domains Of Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine is a newer approach to medicine that aims to integrate more typical western medical practices with traditional practices like herbal remedies and acupuncture. In other words, it combines alternative and mainstream approaches. As you might assume from this description, there are many, many different treatments that are included under this umbrella. One way that practitioners often break them down is into five so-called "domains." Here's a look at each of those five domains.
Biological Therapies
Biological therapies are those that rely on substances found in nature. For example, herbal remedies would fall under this umbrella. So would using various nutrient supplements to ease an ailment or improve overall health. Even modifications in diet, such as prescribing a vegan diet, would fall into the biological therapies domain.
Energy Therapy
Energy therapies are those that rely on manipulating a person's own energy field, often as a means of encouraging the body to heal itself. There are many forms of energy healing that exist. Reiki is perhaps the best-known of them, but other examples include Therapeutic Touch and qi gong. The use of magnets to manipulate the energy field is also under this domain.
Mind-Body Therapies
Some therapies in integrative healing deal with using the mind to affect and control the body. Hypnosis is a good example. Biofeedback and guided imagery are other examples. Most of these therapies are meditative in nature or rely on positive thinking.
Manipulative Therapies
These therapies focus on manipulating the joints, muscles, and other tissues. They tend to be mostly focused on physical ailments, but practitioners often point out that improving one's physical state can lead to an improvement in mental state, too. Chiropractic and massage therapy fall into this domain. So do reflexology and osteopathic manipulation.
Whole Medical Systems
As medicine has developed around the world, some cultures have developed entire medical systems that they've relied on for centuries. In integrative medicine, these are classed into the domain called Whole Medical Systems. Traditional Chinese Medicine is one. It includes acupuncture, herbal treatments, tai chi, and other approaches. Ayurvedic Medicine is another system that includes homeopathy and plant-based healing mechanisms.
Hopefully, this breakdown of the domains within integrative medicine has given you a better idea of what types of treatments this medical field includes. If you're thinking of giving integrative medicine a try, consult with a doctor in the field. They may recommend approaches from one domain or a combination of approaches from multiple domains.