Integrative Medicine

I had a really interesting time today at the Centre of Integrative Care in Glasgow. It got me thinking about the philosophy behind how I work with clients and also how we would hope that Southside Therapy Centre works too. I was struck by this definition of Integrative medicine below.  It seems to encompass everything about how we aspire to work. 

Integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative.

The principles of integrative medicine:

• A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process
• Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response
• Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body
• A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically
• Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven, and be open to new paradigms
• Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
• Use of the broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease
• Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development

By Brad Lemley
DrWeil.com News

Qi-Gong

I am really enjoying my new Qi Gong practice. I signed up for an online module. Slightly cynical and immediately irritated by the hard sell for other courses that followed. But it has done exactly what I wanted, which is to put me back in touch with Qi Gong on a regular basis. Every day I am doing something and also thinking about how the Qi in my own body is circulating and how my own health may be being affected by blockages or stagnant Qi. I can honestly say that after a week I am already feeling better.  My energy feels cleaner both mentally and physically. My thoughts feel lighter and I feel less stuck and more as if I have perspective on things that have been worrying me. I am more physically aware. I feel stronger and more upright but also as if I have potential physically I can feel shifts in any tensions I have and more balance.  I think that part of my work as an acupuncturist is about embracing the ideas of Chinese Medicine such as Qi Gong. It helps my work too.