News Briefs
News Briefs
Interest in Integrative Holistic Medicine 'Growing Daily'
Organizers of a board certification course for physicians in integrative holistic medicine expect this year's event to be the largest yet. Interest in certification "is growing on a daily basis," says Mimi Guarneri, MD, founder and medical director Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine and American Board of Holistic Medicine (ABHM) board member.
The course, The Science and Clinical Application of Integrative Holistic Medicine, has certified between 100 and 125 people a year in previous years, Guarneri says. Organizers expect more than 200 to attend this month.
The conference is presented by the ABHM and Scripps Center and will be held from Oct. 28 through Nov. 3, 2006, in San Diego. It also offers continuing medical education credits for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, and nurse midwives. A one-day introductory course on integrative holistic medicine is available for the public on Saturday, Oct. 28.
The interest is huge, but a lot of it is consumer-driven, Guarneri says. "Patients want to know about nutrition. They want to be proactive about their health.
"People believe that the mind and body are connected," she continues. "They know that stress affects them. They are looking for something beyond Xanax to help them. They are looking for things such as yoga, meditation, and tai chi. Up until now, physicians didn't have those tools in their toolbox. We are giving physicians a more holistic, comprehensive set of tools. We are saying, 'Let's use the best of the information we learned in medical school, and let's get these other pieces in as well, so we can complete the circle of care.'"
Medical schools traditionally have not covered topics such as mind-body medicine, herbs, supplements, and the real role of nutrition in disease prevention, Guarneri says. The schools, however, are trying to catch up. "There are 28 medical schools now that are offering classes in integrative medicine, so slowly things are changing. But up until this point, there really have been no experts in the field who also have MD after their last name to 'bridge the gap' between both worlds." Scripps regularly has medical students, interns, and residents rotating through the center for elective studies.
Topics of interest for the physicians this year in holistic integrative medicine include stress and stress management. "Many physicians are now involved in meditation and teaching meditation," Guarneri says. "The research for meditation is as good as research for any drug I know. For example, meditation has been shown to decrease blood pressure, decrease anxiety and stress, even improve the metabolic syndrome."
Physicians also want to better understand the herbal supplement world. "[They ask,] 'What should we and what should we not give our patients? Should we give our patients fish oil and B vitamins? How do we lower cholesterol if someone does not want or can't take a prescription cholesterol-lowering drug?'"
Guarneri laments that physicians aren't learning quickly enough that food is medicine. "I'd really like to see the nutrition pieces excel beyond everything else, because ultimately at the end of the day, if you understand how food affects the body, you can greatly impact your health."
Most of the physicians and nurses who come to the course have interest in the area of integrative holistic medicine and want to learn more, Guarneri says. Many want to incorporate things they learn into their practice.
The information presented also enables physicians to answer patients' questions. "When a patient says, 'I want to take bioidentical hormones,' most physicians don't know what the patient is talking about. The physicians don't know how to prescribe [the hormones]. They don't know how to use them.
"The information from the course gives the physicians at least a language, a footing, to understand: When do you use herbs? When do you use acupuncture? What are the best supplements for each disease category? How does hypnosis work? How does guided imagery work? How do yoga and meditation work? It gives physicians a well-rounded flavor of all of these things."
For more information, call (858) 587-4404 or go to www.scrippsintegrativemedicine.org for a full conference brochure or to register. The Scripps Center is also offering its 4th annual "Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Update," conference in January 2007.
Organizers of a board certification course for physicians in integrative holistic medicine expect this year's event to be the largest yet.Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.