There has been hot debate over conventional health care versus complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM. Conventional health care hails from the realm of pharmacies and peer review. CAM is somewhat more personal, consisting of techniques like acupuncture and meditation.
When conventional medicine and CAM unite, they form what is known as integrative health care — a well-rounded duo that blends health practices from across the board. With swelling evidence supporting the effectiveness of certain CAM practices, these methods may eventually fall into line with the conventional.
As always, evidence is king, and what is conventional now began as an alternative to the standard practices of the time. Greater Gainesville has its own bustling integrative health scene, and local practitioners bring the full spectrum of treatments to the frontier of medical discovery.
Integrative Health Care — the Basics
Why try integrative health care? Every patient’s needs are different, and integrative health care can be the best option for certain individuals. If something is missing through the conventional method — it is leaving the mental or spiritual aspects out of the equation, or not delivering full results, for example — it may be time to explore something different.
A good rule of thumb is to treat alternative practices as complementary to conventional ones and use them both. That said, integrative health care seeks to address just about any malady or dysfunction a patient can present, so its practices are varied.
Integrative health care includes but is not limited to:
- Physical therapy
- Massage therapy
- Yoga
- Acupuncture
- Aromatherapy
- Massage therapy
- Meditation
- Music therapy
- Animal-assisted therapy
The Pro Perspective
With the general definition of integrative health care fleshed out, here is a little insider perspective from Dr. Melissa Cere, physical therapist and owner of Kinetix, one of Gainesville’s major physical therapy clinics.
“Integrative health care is an approach to health care that includes the whole person — body, mind and spirit — in decision-making,” she said.
As for any traditional competition between medical science and alternative methods, Cere advocates for a multifaceted approach.
“Both science and nature can play complementary roles in the provision of integrative health care,” she said. “Integrative health often includes health care providers from multiple disciplines collaborating together to help individuals achieve their best health and quality of life.”
Integrative Health in Gainesville: The Local Landscape
Tons of Americans quietly struggle with orthopedic discomfort — pain derived from muscle, joint or even bone issues. Luckily for those tough residents of Greater Gainesville, the physical therapy experts at Kinetix have years of experience managing these problems.
Kinetix is a physical therapy clinic renowned for successfully treating orthopedic conditions using a manual therapy approach. This means therapists use their hands on the patient to feel how they are moving, find out where they are limited or weak and apply joint manipulations or soft tissue massage to restore natural motion.
Owner and founder, Dr. Melissa Cere, specializes in back and pelvic dysfunction.
“Our clinic culture is like no other in Gainesville. We have a team truly invested in helping each other grow, impacting our community and developing an exceptional patient experience for every person who walks through our doors. Our patients often tell us they feel like family at Kinetix, which is exactly how we want them to feel. — Dr. Melissa Cere
Holistic Healthcare is a full-service health care provider covering patients’ physical, mental and emotional needs. Holistic Healthcare offers a peaceful environment in which to unwind. It is a notable departure from the sterility of modern medicine’s stark-white tile-and-office ambience. HH practitioners make no secret of their holistic approach, seeking to address patients in as comprehensive a way as possible.
The backbone of Integrative Wellness Center’s all-inclusive approach is its diverse team of specialists who range from mental health counselors to massage therapists. IWC promises that its patients are more than a lab test or a code on a paper bracelet. Here, humanity is central.
Warrior Wellness falls mostly on the CAM side of things. This practice offers only holistic medicine, abstaining from pharmaceuticals and surgery. The team of “functional mind-body practitioners,” includes specialists in energetic medicine, Tai Chi and spiritual counselors. Patients can expect to develop a more personalized, more human connection with their practitioners.
By Drew Mortier