Statement Dr. Mimi Guarneri, MD, San Diego (CA, USA)
Integrative Medicine – Building Bridges
Stuttgart, Germany, June 9, 2016. As a physician with conventional cardiology training I came to realize the strengths and weaknesses of western medicine early in my career. While western medicine excels in the treatment of acute conditions such as heart attack and stroke, it falls short in the arena of disease prevention and chronic disease management. In fact, there is a substantial disconnect between the treatment of disease using advanced technology and the simple notion that prevention is truly the best intervention.
In conventional medicine, each and every condition is seen as a distinct entity with a name and pharmaceutical or surgical solution. The human body is not visualized as a dynamic system. In reality, getting to the underlying cause of a health challenge is the key to reversing a health challenge. The ill to the pill thinking simply places us at risk for an ever growing dependence on pharmaceutical therapies at the expense of more basic and cost effective treatments. The fundamental needs for human health including touch, love, social connection, clean air and water and shelter are simply not factored into the equation.
Practicing Integrative Health and Medicine allows for the opportunity to ask what is the cause of any health challenge and provides solutions to the reversal of most chronic diseases. Recognizing the wisdom in all Global Healing Traditions allows us to expand our tool box from surgery and pharmaceuticals to include Homeopathic, Chiropractic, Osteopathic, Naturopathic, Ayurveda and Tradition Chinese Medicine, just to name a few. Therapies within these traditions such as acupuncture, botanical medicine, yoga and meditation provide valuable tools for the treatment and prevention of disease.
Building bridges between disciplines is a first step to the true integration of patient care. Each discipline, working together at their highest scope of practice provides those we serve with the wisdom embedded within all Global Healing Traditions. By definition a bridge connects two points. The bridges we seek to build at the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) foster relationships between all healthcare providers and the patients we serve. The academy is based on a philosophy not on credentials. Our philosophy recognizes that prevention is the best intervention, and that human health is deeply connected to planetary heath. We believe in treating the whole person; body ,mind and spirit and that health is more than simply the absence of disease.
About the organizers – sharing a vision
The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM), the largest association for Integrative Health & Medicine in the USA, and the DAMiD, the umbrella organization for Anthroposophic Medicine in Germany, are jointly organizing the event. The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), the German Hufeland Society, as well as EUROCAM and CAMDOC Alliance, also support the preparation of the event.
- Dachverband Anthroposophische Medizin in Deutschland (DAMiD) / Umbrella Association of Anthroposophic Medicine in Germany is working on political, institutional and practical level for the parent interests of its members: damid.de
- The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine (AIHM) is a global, interprofessional, member organization that educates and trains clinicians in integrative health and medicine to assure exemplary health care. The AIHM’s training incorporates evidence-informed research, emphasizes person-centered care and embraces global healing traditions. By combining science and compassion, the AIHM is transforming health care: aihm.org
Press Contact:
Natascha Hövener
Dachverband Anthroposophische Medizin in Deutschland e.V. (DAMiD)
phone: +49-30-28 87 70 96
hoevener@damid.de
Barbara Ritzert
ProScience Communications –
Die Agentur für Wissenschaftskommunikation GmbH
phone: +49-8157-9397-0
ritzert@proscience-com.de
