Should Seniors Use an Integrative Medicine Doctor?

As people age, their physical health tends to decline, sometimes to the point that they are no longer independent and need caregiving support. However, there are many powerful ways to promote your health, to help you live a better and longer life. Turning to an integrative medicine doctor for seniors is one way to do just this. 

Don’t worry if the idea sounds unfamiliar. In this post, we will show you what an integrative medicine doctor is, how one can help, and why this approach is more powerful than seeing a traditional doctor alone. 

What is an Integrative Medicine Doctor?

Integrative medicine doctors also go by the name of functional medicine doctors. They take a holistic approach to health, where you and your doctor work together to solve underlying health problems. 

With a regular doctor, you may have a 20-minute appointment, where the doctor is primarily interested in your symptoms and uses medication as their primary treatment method. 

Integrative medicine doctors are much more in-depth and your appointment could even last for an hour (or perhaps longer). They aim to find the root causes of the problems you’re experiencing. Doing so can involve looking at your microbiome, hormone levels, vitamin and mineral intake, and much more. 

The doctors often combine conventional medicine practices with natural ones, giving you the best of both worlds. 

Ways that Holistic Medicine Trumps Western Medicine 

You Can Limit Medication

Over-medication is a serious issue these days. Some people are even taking half a dozen medications or more, some of which just decrease the side effects of previous medications. 

Poor communication between doctors and off-label medication use means that some seniors end up taking medication that they no longer need. 

Such patterns are extremely concerning. Medication always has some risks and the more medication you’re taking, the greater the risk of side effects or unexpected interactions. 

Because integrative doctors focus on your overall health, you only take medication that you actually need. Doing so reduces the number of medications you’re using and decreases the risk of side effects. 

You Have More Support

Appointments in the integrative health field tend to be longer and more involved than traditional doctor’s appointments, giving your doctor more time to listen to you and a chance to consider your needs and history in more depth. 

Many services also support you in making changes. This can include providing you with a nutritionist or a health coach, who will show you how to make healthy changes and encourage you every step of the way. Sometimes these supporting coaches and educators work out of the same offices as doctors, making your experience easy and convenient. 

This is a critical feature, as many of us know what we need to do to be healthy, but we’re not so good at the follow-through. 

You’re Improving Health, Rather Than Managing Symptoms 

Modern medicine often focuses on symptom management, rather than where your problems are coming from. Integrative approaches don’t do this at all. Instead, medication is used only when it is needed. 

So, for example, if you were regularly feeling nauseous, an integrative doctor may consider your diet and your microbiome, giving you suggestions for improvements that help to create positive outcomes. Many traditional doctors might skip past these approaches and simply prescribe something to reduce the nausea. 

This focus on underlying problems means that you do more than just solve one set of symptoms. You may end up improving your health in a variety of ways, including some unexpected ones. For example, rebalancing your microbiome may resolve your digestive challenges, but could also improve your mental health and immune system function.  

That’s just one example. There are endless ways that a holistic approach could improve your health. 

You’re Heard

Getting a traditional doctor to listen to you can be surprisingly tricky. They’re often short on time, stressed, and have a firm idea of exactly what you should be doing. 

Integrative doctors focus on the whole person instead, including your perspectives, concerns, and ideas. They’re not going to shut you down because you’re suggesting something that’s outside of their comfort zone. Instead, they’re going to collaborate with you to find solutions for whatever health problem you’re facing. 

There’s a Better Chance of Finding Solutions

Integrative doctors are willing to think outside of the box, consider conventional and alternative treatments, and listen carefully to the challenges that you face. This combination of approaches makes them ideal for solving complex health problems, including those that other doctors might call insolvable. 

For example, traditional doctors are often quick to say that chronic pain or hormonal problems don’t have a solution, while an integrative doctor has many more treatment approaches to consider, some of which may help to resolve the underlying issue. 

Integrative approaches are also becoming more popular, to the extent that hospitals and hospices are often taking them on.

Doctors Still Use Modern Medicine

A holistic approach doesn’t mean that you’re doing away with modern medicine, not at all. Instead, integrative doctors combine modern and natural approaches, providing you with a broader array of options for improving your health. 

So, the doctor may still send samples away for testing and will review prior blood test results. They’ll also talk to you about your history and experiences, along with your diet, lifestyle, and other factors. 

For example, if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, a functional doctor may still encourage you to take whatever medication you were previously prescribed. They will also recommend an accompanying regimen to help with stress, symptoms, and other challenges. 

Finding a Good Service

Like traditional doctors, integrative health services often have specialty areas. For example, Wisdom Health provides doctors who specialize in the following areas: 

• Digestive Issues, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and others.
• Autoimmune and Inflammation, including food sensitivities, lupus, allergies, arthritis, and more. 
• Chronic Pain
• Anxiety and Depression
• Hormone Issues, including those related to chronic fatigue, fertility, adrenal burnout, and more.
• Skin Conditions, including rashes, acne, hives, and eczema. 

Finding a service and a doctor with a specialty that matches your needs is powerful indeed. They’ll already have plenty of approaches and ideas at their fingertips, and have many ideas for how to improve your health. 

Are Integrative Services Expensive?

An integrative medicine doctor does tend to cost more than a traditional doctor. This isn’t surprising, as you’re getting a much more comprehensive service. 

It isn’t all bad though. Your health insurance may still cover a large portion of the monthly membership fee, making the service much more affordable. 

Plus, because you’re focusing on improving your health rather than managing symptoms, you should see many improvements over time, which reduces your need to visit the doctor. Your medication cost is likely to go down as well. 

In the long term, using this type of service could save you more money than it costs.  

Final Thoughts

Integrative medicine is an exciting field that supports you more thoroughly than traditional medicine services ever can. The holistic approach improves your chance for positive outcomes, especially as you get plenty of support along the way and aren’t heavily relying on medications. 

Remember, though, that it will still take time to get to the root of your health issues and find solutions. The human body is complex and there are many things that can go wrong. Improving health is often a matter of trial and error, where you work with your doctor to see what helps and what doesn’t.

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