Alternative integrative medicine is a patient-centered trend in medicine that combines the practice of conventional medicine with various alternative treatments and approaches to health. In the later half of the 20th century, increasing numbers of people began exploring alternatives to conventional Western medicine. At the same time, the numbers of practitioners of alternative medicine also increased. As the name suggests, alternative treatments were primarily used instead of conventional Western medicine, while complementary treatments were often combined with conventional ones. Proponents of alternative integrative medicine see it as a lower-cost, more effective way of not only treating, but also preventing disease.
Conventional Western medicine is disease focused, seeking better methods of diagnosing and treating people after they have become ill. Alternative integrative medicine, on the other hand, seeks to first prevent illness through the work of patients and health care providers acting as a team. This approach centers on patients' responsibility for their health through lifestyle interventions. The health care provider educates and guides healthy patients, helping them preserve their state of health. Alternative integrative medicine uses the treatment methods of conventional and alternative medicine if an illness occurs.
Some of the complementary and alternative medicine approaches utilized in integrative medicine include herbs, mind-body methods, acupuncture, diet and therapeutic massage. There is an underlying belief that the body has the capacity to heal itself given the proper conditions, which these alternative medicine methods are believed to provide. Proponents of alternative integrative medicine believe many of these methods are lower in cost and have fewer side effects than the reliance on pharmaceuticals and surgical interventions found in conventional medicine. Integrative medicine uses many of the diagnostic methods of conventional medicine. This differs from alternative medicine practices that infrequently use conventional diagnostic procedures.
The increase in alternative integrative medicine is thought to be partially due to patients' desire for lower cost, more personalized treatment. With its patient-centered focus, integrative medicine seeks medical interventions that promote health with active patient involvement. This ideally requires that health care providers have a complete knowledge of their patients, not just their illnesses. Integrative medicine also recognizes the importance of treating the whole person. Some research has shown that using mind-body techniques — such as meditation, yoga and other spiritual practices — promotes healing and wellness.
Alternative integrative medicine requires new methods of training physicians and other health care practitioners. Increasing numbers of medical schools are now offering coursework to prepare health care providers for integrative medical practices. In addition to conventional medical knowledge, students are presented with the latest research on nutrition and alternative medicine methods. Some in the health care profession see the growth of alternative integrative medicine as a possible solution for the increasing incidence of chronic diseases in the developed world.