What is Complementary Medicine?

I am often asked, “What does the term complementary Medicine or Integrative Medicine mean?”   Its meaning and definition is the topic of many seminars, group professional discussions, articles and talk shows.  As a Traditional Chinese Medical Physician the meaning for me is that complementary medicine is a very natural progression and meeting of medicines, Eastern and Western - a global merging of the best of both worlds. In fact, it can mean an integration or combination of many different types of medicines and therapies.

But the question remains why not one or the other?  Why not a complete western approach or a complete eastern approach? Why combine treatments? This is not to say that any one medicine alone is not effective but we need to look at the advantage to you, the potential patient, by combining medicines.

At SCRC you are fortunate to have Doctors who recognize that creating a fertile outcome for their patient is a blending of their technical and laboratory expertise and the health, and wellbeing of the patient. They know that with these two elements in place the optimal environment for pregnancy is present. They have opened their doors to complementary medicine because they want to create a healthy, positive, and successful outcome for you at their clinic.

Let me tell you a story to demonstrate:

A patient came to my office wanting help with pregnancy.  She and her husband were both in their mid-thirties and had actively been trying to get pregnant for 3 years.  She was overworked, undernourished, underweight, and frustrated.  I knew we had a lot of work to do. She and her husband had not done any testing or analysis through a reproductive clinic.  I suggested that they both be pre-tested by a Reproductive Endocrinologist so we could rule out any obvious physical reasons for her infertility.   She was very frightened by this suggestion, maybe even a little angry at me for sending her immediately to Western Doctors! She also expressed that she was “afraid to go to an IVF Doctor because it would be like stepping through the doors of a Science Fiction movie!”  She had also heard about the experience from chat rooms describing it as cold, clinical and impersonal.  I told her I would be her advocate and my role would to support and guide her through the experience and that I would only refer her to Doctors that would provide a caring and supportive environment. So I called the SCRC clinic and told them what we would like and she kept the appointment.  Her results were “both tubes complete blocked” and her husbands sperm health left a lot to be desired.  Because of the severity of the blockage, IVF was going to be her answer.  I told her lets prepare for this with a two to three month program of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, diet and lifestyle changes.  We let the clinic know our plan and she would be back in 3 cycles - a better patient.  We worked on her body fat (good fat) and weight, her stress level, reduced her work load and exercise program, improved her sleep, energy level, her skin quality, PMS,  mood swings, and moved “Qi and blood” to the uterus for a healthy uterine lining for implantation with acupuncture.  She began her IVF treatments 3 months later excited about the process, rested and feeling better than ever about the possibility of pregnancy.

I worked with her during her cycle of medications and frequent visits, was with her during the transfer of 3 healthy embryo’s into the uterus.  The doctors and nurses were kind and helpful to her explaining their procedure all along, making sure she, her husband and myself were comfortable.  She came in several times in between the transfer and her pregnancy blood test to maintain Qi and blood to the uterus and to gather support and calming techniques during the wait.  Her blood test came back a positive pregnancy.  She immediately called me and we set up a program to support her during her pregnancy for a healthy happy pregnancy delivery and baby.

Nine months latter she delivered a beautiful, healthy baby girl and came to my office to show me her precious gift. She had just come from her SCRC and relayed all of her attending Doctors had come out to see and hold the new arrival and pictures were taken.  The same occurred at my office and she is back seeing me and her SCRC doctors for a successful baby number two.

Cooperation, respect, and a mutual common goal of creating a positive, enriched, supportive terrain for a successful pregnancy by complementing science with holistic treatments for our mutual patient – that is COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE!