Integrative and Alternative Medicine: What’s the Difference?

Integrative and Alternative Medicine W h at ’s th e D if f e r en c e ?

Dr Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor and naturopath. She has authored and co-authored over 35 books

Integrative and Alternative Medicine: What’s the Difference?

Dr Carolyn Dean

The terms ‘integrative medicine’ and ‘alternative medicine’ may seem interchangeable; and indeed, in some ways they refer to similar therapies and medications. However, there is one major difference between the two.

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Alt er nati v e Med ic ine

In te grative Me dic in e

Alternative medicine and therapies

Many believe that alternative therapies

include things such as acupuncture,

have no place in a medical hospital.

Reiki, reflexology, meditation, aroma-

However, doctors are increasingly uti-

therapy and acupressure. These types

lizing some of these types of therapy

of therapies have been shown in many

as a complementary aid to recovery in

cases to be useful in helping to allevi-

cancer patients. The term ‘integrative

ate certain symptoms and side effects

medicine’ was coined to differentiate

of medical treatments.

from claims that alternative therapies can cure illness and instead take advantage of them as additional support for patients.

With integrative medicine, patients still receive the same medical treatment, but are offered supplementary therapies that may help with aspects such as pain management or easing nausea.

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Dr Carolyn Dean

Dr. Carolyn Dean was presented with the 2014 Integrative Medicine Award. You can learn more about integrative medicine and how it is used by visiting the blog of Dr. Carolyn Dean.