Integrating Modern Medicine and Complementary Therapies for Holistic Healing

Abstract

Objective: Integrative medicine (IM) combines the best of both modern medicine and traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) based on evidence for efficacy and safety along with a holistic personalized approach that focuses on health and wellbeing. Both have been known and established to have different strengths and weaknesses and so their integration might be beneficial to the general population.

Aim and Scope: The scope and role of complementary therapies such as yoga and music have been broadened currently as a popular pathway to holistic health and wellness.

Methods: Many scientific studies have shown that they can positively impact the body-mind complex in multiple ways and the healthcare providers are responding appropriately to these positive findings.

Results: Yoga and music therapies and modern medicine are complementary systems apart from being life changing and lifesaving sciences that understand the importance of holistic health. Their collaboration has a significant impact on our health care system. Need of the hour is to promote such an integrated approach and tap the potentials of both these sciences for benefit of humanity.

Conclusion: Integration of grand Medical Science with traditional complementary therapies is being achieved to a significant extent at Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pondicherry, India, in order to coordinate and bring benefits of both systems to all patients. This is a unique effort and the first in India for integration of an Institute of Complementary Medicine within a university devoted to provide allopathic medicine care for promotion of Salutogenesis and holistic wellness.