How Complementary and Alternative Medicine/Integrative Medicine benefits can benefit everyone.
By: Jeanette Rupar, LMT BCTMB
Massage therapy, for many, many decades has been seen as the ultimate feel good nicety. Something that rich people did for themselves for no other reason that to treat themselves to something decadent.
But massage therapy can be so much more. Studies have shown that regular massage has many great benefits that everyone can take advantage of, from the person who otherwise feels just fine to the person who has fibromyalgia or even people living with cancer.
How does this really work? And what really is Complementary and Alternative Medicine? What is Integrative Medicine? Why should I really go and do these things?
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is a term used by a lot of folks to mean those things that can help a person to keep their health going well, but that is not mainstream western medicine. Massage therapy, acupuncture, and naturopathy are just some of the things that fall under the bracket of CAM. Integrative medicine is the integration of CAM and mainstream western medicine, working with one another for the benefit of the client/patient (you).
How integrated medicine works to help you. Standard western medicine is wonderful. It can help keep you from being sick by vaccines (please, no comments from anti-vaccination people… this is a general idea, not a debate), regular checkups, and the ability to see your doctor when something doesn’t feel right/you feel ill.
However, there are reasons that many people see their doctor that can be taken care of by maintenance care. Back pain is just one of many reasons that people go in to see their physician. Back pain can be caused by many, many reasons. Some things can’t be readily taken care of by CAM, and your doctor should be consulted. Things like broken bones, kidney stones, and sprains. Back pain can also be caused by bad posture or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) from working out. Things like this, that are chronic (lasting for more than 6 months) or is post work out can benefit from things like massage therapy. In fact, CAM can help decrease the need for opioids. Benefits of CAM (massage, acupuncture) will not last forever, but in that same case, neither does showering. CAM, like showering, is best if you do it regularly. Massage everyday may not be feasible, but a monthly massage can keep your body from hurting more than you would like.
CAM, Integrative Medicine and Illness
Many people who have certain illnesses may stay away from getting things like massage. And this is where Integrative Medicine, where CAM, traditional western medicine and research comes into play.
Let’s take a look at an example:
Many people have been told for years that people living with cancer should not get massage, and that massage would spread cancer. However, more and more research is showing that massage therapy can be great for people who have cancer. It can reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with the cancer diagnosis/treatments. It can also help reduce chemo induced nausea.
CAM can help so many other things, from fibromyalgia, (treated) blood pressure, and a myriad of other things. Because there are so many different illnesses that can cause stress and anxiety, among other things.
Integrative medicine then starts with patient and their treating doctor(s) (PCP, Oncologist, Cardiologist, etc). Adding CAM to the treatment plan can be discussed, as well as what can be done and what should be avoided. Pros and Cons can be discussed.
Once this route has been decided on, a knowledgeable practitioner should be found. Some hospital systems have an Integrated Medicine program already set up that a person can be referred to. Others do not. Do your research. There are massage therapists who are specializing in things like Oncology or Medical massage. Do your research. Ask questions. Ask where they received their training, and how many hours they received. Find out if they can help you in your specific case. It’s good to ask and make an informed decision. It can only help you.
When you integrate CAM with traditional medicine, great things can happen. Each person gets treatments personalized to them, and that person gets treated as a whole, physically and emotionally. This can lead to better quality of life for each person, and for the families who are caring for that person.