Integrating modern medicine with ancient wisdom

There has always been a gulf, and perceived incompatibility, between modern medicine and integrative medicine.

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While modern medicine is focused largely on abnormalities and finding cures for them, integrative medicine is focused on the entire continuum of human healthcare engagement: prevention, maintenance and cure, or to put it more specifically in medical treatment terms, rejuvenation, restoration and rehabilitation. Ancient medical systems such as ayurveda, yoga, acupuncture and tai chi have great potential for the human body, brain and mind, as many research papers have revealed. It has been pointed out too, that we may be erroneous in calling these older systems complementary, as they not only preceded much of modern medicine as we know it but have stood the test of time.

Integrative medicine sits well within the philosophy that healthcare must be pluralistic, inclusive and adopt complementary approaches that restore equilibrium (the healthy condition) in an individual. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, United States, emphasises that integrative medicine is a holistic approach to health and well-being, using a coordinated and conjoint but optimal use of allopathy and complementary medicines. Integrative medicine may be defined as a 'single-window' healthcare service that adopts an evidence-based blend of traditional and modern medicines, with optimal use as either a combination or as monotherapy. Here we present one client's healing journey from a plethora of long COVID symptoms, to a state of well-being, with an approach that combines the best of modern science and the wisdom of ancient medical traditions.