Integrative Medicine: A Better Approach To Veterinary Care.
You ever look at your personal schedule of doctor appointments & think, “Wow, I see every doctor in town.” ? (And maybe three towns over?) Do you ever wait for ever to get into an appointment with your primary care doctor to then get told, “Whelp, you need to see a cardiologist.” And then the cardiologist says, “Well, rheumatology only deals with that.” Who then tells you four weeks later at that appointment, “You really need to see a neurologist.”
As medicine has advanced over time it simply has moved away from the small town family doctor that saw their patients from childhood through their geriatric years & for every medical need in between. In our modern Western system of medicine, it is common for patients to be referred to specialists—immunologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists—whose expert knowledge of specific organs & body systems allows them to target treatment in those areas, which adds up to a different doctor for every diagnosis. Ultimately, every body system is treated separately & often independently of the others….and while this body system based expert medical knowledge is useful, this ultimately isn’t how the body functions. We’ve all heard The Skeleton Dance Song singing, “The hip bone's connected to the backbone. The backbone's connected to the neck bone…” . All body systems must be functioning properly & in harmony to maintain balance & wellness.
Arguably, science & researched based medicine serves an extremely important purpose, & foundation. Sometimes referral to a specialist really is the best option for a patient, but ideally someone needs to put all those specialist & science backed recommendation together like pieces of a larger puzzle to really see the full clinical picture of the individual patient. I am certain that any doctor who has ever worked tirelessly to find answers for a sick patient or ailing loved one, understands the intricate connections that sometimes just can’t be fully explained or treated by what modern science & Western medicine has taught us thus far. The road blocks put in place by Western society on a broader, more open minded approach to health care is my biggest frustrations & hurdles within our modern Western health care system.
So how do we achieve more comprehensive, personalized care for not just ourselves, but for our beloved pets as well? The answer; an integrative medicine approach to patient management & care.
Integrative medicine offers a comprehensive approach that considers the whole patient, the intricate workings of body systems & therapeutic relationships of the treatment options available. Integrative medicine combines evidence-based therapies with complimentary alternatives that help optimize patient outcomes. This whole health approach focuses on promoting & supporting a patient’s overall well-being by encompassing physical, behavioral, social, & spiritual wellbeing, rather than only treating specific conditions or diseases without considering how those treatments affect the latter.
So why not use the word holistic? By definition holistic medicine means whole health. Unfortunately, I often find people who seek out “holisitc” health care options commonly reject modern Western practices. This is where I settle back onto the prefered terminology of Integrative. Integrative practitioners use ALL OF THE TOOLS IN THE TOOL BOX to help their patients achieve the best optimal wellness & healing. This approach is what you find when your pet receives care at Fauna Doc Integrative Veterinary Services.
