The Development of Integrative Medicine

Abstract

There is not a single system of medicine that can address all the health-care needs of the modern society in light of the rise of medical pluralism, and there is growing concern about adverse effects of chemical drugs and the need for more accessible care [1] . These factors have led to an increase in the utilization of services from other health-care systems in the world, such as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional medicines. Concomitant with the limitations of Western medicine, the impact of other branches of medicine becoming more necessary and apparent, there is a call for a new type of additional medicine, namely integrative medicine (IM). IM has developed very quickly over the past two decades. Since the 1950s, in China, IM has been defined as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with Western medicine. In other countries, IM has been used as complementary therapies or additional therapies in order to distinguish it from modern medicine [2] . IM treatment has been shown to improve physical and mental health in patients with various diseases and can benefit patients with many diseases in China and all over the world [3] . It may include traditional medicines (traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, etc.), acupuncture and moxibustion, manipulation, tai chi chuan, yoga, meditation, mind therapy, vitamin therapy, and medicinal diets. Recently, in the United States, CAM as one type of IM has become an independent discipline, although it still occupies a subordinate position, and it is also considered to be complementary and supplementary to modern medicine [4] . In China, it has achieved the same level and importance as Western medicine and is now eligible for reimbursement through the national medical insurance program [5] . Not only in Europe and the United States but also in China, the initial concept of IM was one of CAM or a section of medicine; thus, the concept of IM was somewhat narrow and should be termed ‘specialized IM’ (SIM). With the development Received: August 22, 2016 Accepted after revision: September 14, 2016 Published online: October 14, 2016