The Benefits of Integrative Chiropractic: A Holistic Approach to Healing
Holistic healing addresses all aspects of a person’s health. By targeting the underlying cause of pain or illness, holistic healers promote wellness and alleviate negative symptoms.
Integrative chiropractic has a place in the continuum of care. That involves regular communication with medical physicians and a more involved role in triaging patients. Precision diagnosis is a critical part of this.
It’s More Comprehensive
If you go to a traditional medical doctor with a problem like back pain, they may provide solutions that take care of the symptoms but not the root cause. This might include prescription medication or procedures.
However, a holistic chiropractor will look at the whole picture of your health and wellness. They will treat your symptoms as a result of a skeletal misalignment but also work to help you find the source of your pain and work through it for long-term benefits.
Integrative chiropractic includes ongoing communication with medical physicians regarding patients’ status and needs. This could involve requesting additional testing, reporting complications from prescription medication, or sharing research results with doctors for further discussion. This is called the continuum of care.
It’s More Effective
Have you ever received an ineffective treatment plan or worsened your condition? With holistic chiropractic, multiple experts work together to ensure the correct diagnosis and deliver the most conclusive treatment plan.
A holistic chiropractor may also recommend other practitioners that could help with the problem, such as a nutritionist or psychologist. This way, a holistic approach to health care can prevent diseases before they develop by identifying and treating the root cause.
It’s More Affordable
Back pain, neck pain, headaches, and many other health conditions can be treated through a holistic chiropractic approach. This treatment is a non-invasive alternative to medication and surgery.
Integrative chiropractors regularly communicate with medical physicians and provide referrals to help patients navigate the healthcare system. This allows for a smoother process, easy communication, and better coordination of patient care.
The nervous system plays a significant role in emotional health, so optimizing spine function through regular holistic chiropractic treatments may also help with mental wellness. This is because spinal adjustment helps with nerve signaling, contributing to a healthy mood and well-being.
This is especially important for individuals who are suffering from stress and anxiety. The nervous system also plays a crucial role in sleep and digestion.
It’s More Sustainable
Chiropractic physicians have a special place in the continuum of health care. They are uniquely positioned to provide patients with various wellness services, including nutritional counseling, meditation, physical and mental exercise, and other non-invasive treatments.
Providing such comprehensive treatment options helps reduce the need for jumping from specialist to specialist with no consistency or communication between providers. It also allows doctors to address the root cause of a patient’s condition instead of just managing symptoms, which can worsen over time.
Continuity of care also means integrative chiropractors are better prepared to share their knowledge of the latest research with medical colleagues. Specifically, they will need access to distilled and interpreted research studies, critiques of those studies, and their clinical implications.
It’s More Diverse
Chiropractic offers various treatment methods, including spinal manipulation, acupuncture, and laser therapy. These treatments work together to heal the body and improve overall wellness.
Many healthcare practices are integrating chiropractors into their facilities and offering comprehensive medical treatment for all conditions. This integration allows patients to visit a single facility for all their healthcare needs, reducing costs and increasing patient satisfaction.
Although ostracism remains evident, many healthcare experts believe chiropractic is ready to integrate into the wider world of medicine. Chiropractic’s unique combination of skills — a strong health promotion philosophy, holistic host orientation, and high degree of kinesthetic skill — make it an ideal candidate for integration.
However, the profession’s self-perception and ability to articulate its strengths in nondogmatic terms will determine whether it can capitalize on this opportunity.
