Imagine a place where you have the energy to play with your kids, a healthy weight is effortless to maintain, your hormones are balanced, your sleep is restorative and energizing, your digestion is flawless, and your autoimmunity is in remission. You feel confident in your body and have a clear mind that improves your relationships, impact, and lifestyle. This is what I help my patients achieve through integrating functional medicine with bioidentical hormone therapy. I have been doing this for over 15 years and have seen my clients take control of their health.
Integrative Medicine (IM) is a broad term that refers to an approach to healing that combines conventional Western symptom-based treatments with holistic and alternative medicine. The practice of IM focuses on the whole person, including mind, spirit and community, and emphasizes a therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient. It also includes appropriate use of all available therapies to encourage the body’s innate healing response.
Unlike complementary medicine, which is used as an adjunct to treatment, IM incorporates CAM into medical diagnosis and treatment. It also considers a patient’s spiritual and psychological well-being in addition to their physical symptoms, and helps them make lifestyle choices that support health and healing.
A patient undergoing a consultation with an integrative physician is expected to bring in a complete health history and will undergo a full physical exam. They may be tested with a variety of labs as well as have the opportunity to discuss their diet and exercise habits, and any stressors or medications they are currently taking.
In a comprehensive IM consult, the patient and the doctor will work together to discover the root cause of their illness and determine how best to address it. This often involves addressing hormonal imbalances, reducing inflammation and toxic exposures, improving the digestive system, balancing blood sugar, identifying vitamin deficiencies, addressing food sensitivities, removing toxins from the environment, and helping patients to manage their stressors in order to find a path towards remission or wellness.
AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine has 135 graduate students and 22 undergraduates enrolled this year (2023). Their tuition & fees is a bit high when compared to other similar schools. However, the school does offer a scholarship program for eligible applicants that can lower their tuition costs significantly. Moreover, they offer the option to pay their tuition through monthly installments. You can check out the breakdown of their tuition and fees on their website. integrative medicine austin