Integrative medicine takes a holistic approach to patient care, by combining traditional treatments with the most well-researched, evidence-based alternative therapies to address a wide range of health conditions. You can find out more about the most common integrative treatments below.
Integrative medicine focuses on helping the body heal itself through conservative therapies, nutrition guidance, lifestyle modification, and continued monitoring, without the use of drugs or surgery. It utilizes a whole-person approach to address the full range of physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental influences that can affect a person’s health. This type of medicine can help people experiencing a variety of symptoms, such as pain, fatigue, and anxiety. It may also help people living with conditions such as frequent headaches, cancer, and fibromyalgia.
Following a comprehensive physical examination and a careful evaluation of your health history, current symptoms, and other areas of life, such as diet, lifestyle habits, physical activity, and social/emotional factors, your integrative medicine doctor will recommend the appropriate treatments, along with dietary and lifestyle modifications to improve symptoms and overall health.
What Treatments Are Available?
Treatment is designed to provide effective, long-lasting relief and is customized to ensure a person’s unique needs are met. The most common integrative medicine treatments include:
Osteopathic Manipulation Treatment
Osteopathic manipulation treatment (OMT) is used to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Treatment aims to promote natural healing by ensuring that the bones and muscles are aligned and balanced properly. The treatment uses a set of hands-on techniques and involves manually moving the body in ways that apply gentle pressure, resistance, and stretching. Different techniques are used to address different systems within the body, such as muscles, joints, the respiratory system, and internal organs. Treatment can help correct structural imbalances in the body, relieve pain, and improve circulation.
IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback
IASIS Microcurrent Neurofeedback (MCN) is a revolutionary technology that causes brief microcurrent stimulation to the nervous system, resulting in a temporary fluctuation in brainwaves. It is a non-invasive and effective treatment that involves a handful of electrodes placed around the head and neck that deliver gentle electrical pulses. By producing a change in brainwaves, it retrains the brain and allows it to reorganize and better regulate itself and shift from its formerly fixed patterns. Treatment helps to relax the brain and can be beneficial for a range of issues, particularly for those who have experienced a loss or are presently finding life challenging.
Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy
Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy is a safe, FDA-approved treatment that can help promote healing, resolve cellular dysfunction, and support overall wellness. It involves directing pulsed magnetic energy waves toward areas of injury to promote healing and is used for healing nonunion fractures (where a fractured bone fails or takes longer to heal). PEMF therapy is also used to treat depression and anxiety.
Targeted Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional therapy is available intravenously, as an oral supplement. It is used to promote health and healing and can help improve a wide range of health issues. It may be used for detoxification purposes, to boost the immune system, improve sleep, gastrointestinal health, and brain function, and relieve problems such as anxiety, stress, depression, headaches, vitamin deficiency, and chronic fatigue.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy can help treat pain associated with many musculoskeletal conditions. It involves injecting an irritant solution into an area where the connective tissues, such as tendons and ligaments, have been weakened or damaged. Treatment can help promote the body’s natural healing process and stimulate new cell growth.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections can help treat painful areas of knotted muscles (trigger points). They develop when muscles do not relax normally and can cause pain to radiate to other areas of the body. Treatment involves injecting a substance such as a local anesthetic or steroid using a small needle into the affected area to relieve symptoms. Sometimes, no substances are injected and only a dry needle is used to depolarize affected tissue.
Joint Injections
Common causes of joint pain include arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, and gout. Joint injections are used to treat inflammation and pain in the joints.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) utilizes a concentration of platelets from the patient’s own blood to accelerate healing and stimulate the growth of healthy new cells. It can be used for a variety of injuries and conditions, including repairing sports injuries, damaged tendons, muscles, and much more.
Orthomolecular Medicine
Orthomolecular medicine utilizes optimal doses of natural nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to promote health and wellness. Treatment is customized to correct a patient’s particular imbalance and may be used to prevent, treat, or slow the progression of many degenerative conditions throughout the body, such as the immune system, digestive system, and musculoskeletal system.
Detoxification
Detoxification focuses on the removal of harmful toxins that have built up within the body. Once toxins have been identified, a personalized detoxification program is developed to ensure a patient’s individual needs are met. Detoxification helps create a healthy balance of toxins to anti-toxins within the body, which can help promote overall health and well-being. The program may include a combination of dietary restrictions, nutritional and detoxification supplements, medical food, and treatment to restore the gut and digestion.
Integrative Medicine in Mankato, MN
If you are interested in finding out more about how integrative medicine could benefit your health, visit Between the Bridges Healing Center in Mankato. Our board-certified wellness professionals offer comprehensive,patient-centered healthcare to help optimize your health.
We provide a wide range of treatments and therapies to help you feel better in your body, mind, and spirit. To learn more, call our compassionate providers at (507) 388-7488 or you can use our online appointment request form to arrange a consultation.
