Integrative Medicine Is Becoming The Norm

Complementary and alternative medicine is at the heart of compassionate care.

By Nancy Giguere, Star Tribune Sales and Marketing

Last update: June 27, 2007 - 4:06 PM

"Alternative" or "complementary medicine." These are the words commonly used to describe acupuncture, chiropractic and other practices that are not currently part of conventional medicine. Valerie Lincoln, however, prefers to use the phrase "integrative medicine."

"Instead of 'either/or,' it's 'both/and.' We are learning how to enhance care that promotes healing," says Lincoln, the clinical lead for integrative services at HealthEast's Woodwinds Health Campus in Woodbury.

The Heart Of Compassionate Care

Lincoln, an advanced practice certified holistic nurse, realized the value of so-called alternative therapies while working with high-risk obstetric patients. For example, when caring for a woman with pregnancy-induced hypertension, she and her colleagues used the standard medical interventions.

They also used essential oils, healing touch therapy and calming music. And they made sure the patient's room was still and quiet. The patient's blood pressure soon returned to a normal level, and the care team didn't need to use the full range of medical interventions.

This blending of therapies leads to better outcomes for patients and, says Lincoln, is "at the heart of compassionate care."

Increasing Demand

The most comprehensive and reliable findings to date on Americans' use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) were released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Center for Health Statistics.

According to these findings, 36 percent of adults use some form of CAM. When megavitamin therapy and prayer specifically for health reasons are included in the definition of CAM, that number rises to 62 percent.

"When Woodwinds was created, patients told us they wanted CAM services," Lincoln says.

So Woodwinds has partnered with Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington to offer services such as chiropractic care, naturopathy, healing touch, acupuncture, oriental medicine and massage on an outpatient basis.

Some of these services are available to inpatients as well, and clinical researchers are studying their effectiveness. For example, Lincoln is working on a pilot study with an orthopedic surgeon and a professor of oriental medicine. The study will determine if the use of acupuncture reduces pain after joint replacement surgery.

Provider Interest

A recent survey of nearly 1,400 hospitals, conducted by the American Hospital Association, found that almost 27 percent were offering patients some form of CAM. The survey also noted increasing interest in CAM on the part of medical students and recently graduated physicians.

To meet the demand from practitioners and students for training in CAM, the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota now offers a post-baccalaureate certificate in complementary therapies and healing practices.

Students can focus on clinical applications of therapies such as botanical medicine, mind/body interventions and essential oils. Other possibilities include integrative health leadership in diverse settings, health coaching and therapeutic horticulture.

A Framework For The Future

Last year, the American Nurses Association recognized holistic nursing as a nursing specialty with a defined scope and standards of practice.

Since holistic nursing integrates the best of CAM and conventional medicine, official recognition of holistic nursing is also a recognition of the value of integrative medicine.

"In the future, all nursing education curricula will need to have a holistic framework," Lincoln says.

Nancy Giguere is a freelance writer from St. Paul who has written about healthcare since 1995.