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Integrative Medicine for Arthritis Treatment

Arthritis Treatment Integrative MedicineOne of the reasons why Integrative Medicine is as effective as it is at managing arthritis is that physicians who specialize in this branch of medicine not only seek to alleviate the patient’s pain in the short-term but also develop strategies to improve their overall health and wellness moving forward. As Ann Marie Chiasson, MD, a Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Medicine® (ABOIM) explains in a recent article for the Arthritis Foundation, when developing a treatment plan Integrative Medicine physicians “consider the modalities that have the strongest evidence and do the least harm.”

One great example of this is that patients who suffer from arthritis have issues with inflammation in their joints. While anti-inflammatory medication can be extremely beneficial for delivering relatively rapid pain relief, an Integrative Medicine physician might also recommend that the patient consider adjusting his or her diet to incorporate foods with anti-inflammatory properties. Foods like tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, and fatty fish all have been shown in clinical studies to alleviate inflammation and reduce the risk for chronic disease.

Integrative Medicine Emphasizes the Patient-Doctor Relationship

One tenet of Integrative Medicine is to educate patients on practical ways to improve their mind, body, and spirit. While many patients only visit the doctor when they’re sick or injured, Integrative Medicine encourages the forging of a strong patient-physician relationship that seeks to identify opportunities to not only address disease but also help reduce the chance of avoidable health conditions developing later in life. If a person has a family history of arthritis, for example, the practitioner might be proactive in recommending lifestyle adjustments, like dietary improvements, stretching exercises, and other techniques to reduce the risk for, and severity of, arthritis. Ultimately, “having a partner you can really talk to is a huge part of healing,” says Dr. Chiasson and Integrative Medicine physicians pride themselves on working closely with their patients to develop personalized treatment plans that take factors like family medical histories and lifestyle into consideration in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for their patients.

Core Principles of Integrative Medicine

Integrative medicine adopts a holistic approach to healthcare, focusing on the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—instead of merely treating symptoms or diseases. This all-encompassing approach allows physicians to gain a deeper understanding of a patient’s overall health and work collaboratively to improve their well-being. As the field of integrative medicine gains broader acceptance, its foundational principles steadfastly anchor its practices:

  • Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness, and disease.
  • Utilization of both traditional and alternative methods to enhance the body’s inherent healing response.
  • Preference for less invasive and less harmful interventions when appropriate, treating the individual holistically rather than focusing solely on the disease.
  • Commitment to medically sound practices based on solid science, fostering ongoing inquiry and openness to new paradigms.
  • Promotion of healthcare as a collaborative partnership between the physician and the patient.

Increased Demand for an Integrative Approach to Medicine

In recent years, Integrative Medicine has become one of the most sought-after medical specialties in modern healthcare, and with good reason. At the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), we recognized the growing popularity of this field and developed the nation’s first certifying body – the ABOIM–  to recognize highly experienced and trained Integrative Medicine physicians with board certification.

The ABOIM collaborates extensively with hospital recruiters, lawmakers, credentialers, and other key stakeholders to ensure that our Diplomates have significant opportunities to advance this emerging specialty throughout the nation. Currently, our Diplomates are employed in hospitals across the United States, within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and by various other premier healthcare providers across North America.

If you are interested in learning if a physician is board certified in Integrative Medicine through the ABOIM, you are welcome to visit our free online physician verification tool here.

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Medical organizations throughout North America understand that our rigorous certification standards prove that ABPS Diplomates are capable of delivering the best patient care possible.

Far too often, medicine is led by less than 5% of non-practicing physicians taking away and replacing the voice of the 95% of physicians practicing and placing patient safety and care first on the front lines every day. The American Board of Physician Specialties has raised the standards in physician board certification not only in the quality of their boards of certification, but in hearing and allowing for the voice of those active physicians caring directly for patients. Having been a part of the ABPS over the last 28 years has allowed me to grow as a woman leader in a field often wrought with challenges. It helped me and others raise the bar of the standards of care in my specialty, Emergency Medicine, through their Board Certification in Emergency Medicine (BCEM). ABPS also helped raise the standards of care for 21st century medicine through their certifications in other specialties, particularly in Integrative Medicine & Disaster Medicine. Having physician voices heard matters to medicine and is essential in the betterment of patient safety and care.

Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Sarah E. Gilbert, MD, FAAEP
Emergency Medicine
On October 18, 2007, President George W. Bush released Homeland Security Presidential Directive 21 (HSPD-21), calling on our nation, among other initiatives, to “collectively support and facilitate the establishment of a discipline of disaster health”. It is a great testament to the wisdom and foresight of the American Board of Physician Specialties that it immediately set to work and created, within the short span of only one year, an educational blueprint and set of certification examinations, both written and oral, for a new subspecialty of disaster medicine—and it is why I chose to be part this vital initiative and this wonderful organization. This is but one of the many innovative programs initiated by the American Board of Physician Specialties over the years, and why I am proud to support its work on behalf of our nation’s public health.

Art Cooper, MD
Disaster Medicine
When the American Board of Physician Specialties offered to host the American Board of Integrative Medicine, ABPS became a landmark organization working to move medicine into the twenty first century. Certifying physicians who have completed rigorous academic training in Integrative Medicine ensures that the field of Integrative Medicine will continue to develop academically, clinically, and professionally. The leadership of ABPS continues to impress me - they are diligent in constantly innovating to provide certifications for physicians who want to advance their careers and their areas of expertise. I am honored to be a part of this organization.

Ann Marie Chiasson, MD
Integrative Medicine
There are many ways board certification advances a physician career. ABPS Board examination verifies your accuracy, precision, and reflects your mastery of your residency training verifying your expertise. ABPS Board certification demonstrates your level of expertise beyond your practice experience, primary education degrees, and training which are necessary for insurance reimbursement and practice privilege requirements. Attaining your ABPS Board Certification will clarify your purpose, secure your practice growth, and expand into leadership positions. Board certification can serve as an indication of a physician’s commitment to medicine, beyond the minimal standards and competency of training, their measurement to quality of care, and attaining an award for excellence.

Chris Kunis MD
Internal Medicine
When I think historically, advancement in medicine and patient safety and care has been driven by the diversity of people and scientific thought. That’s what I found at the ABPS and more. For over 60 years that is just who we are. I found a physician certifying body that provides a choice and voice to all physicians ensuring that patients are always placed first.

Jerry Allison, MD
Emergency Medicine
When I decided to pursue a full time role as a physician executive it was important to me to obtain additional professional training, education and work experience. Board certification through the ABPS in Administrative Medicine is validation of my efforts and a demonstration of dedication to professional development. We need more physicians to become full time health care executives, knowing there is a board certification option in Administrative Medicine encourages physicians to take the leap from full time clinical practice to healthcare organizational leadership.

Richard Paula, MD
Administrative Medicine
The American Board of Physician Specialties has provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of internal medicine through board certification. As a hospitalist, board certification is an expected credential, and hospitals recognize the American Board of Physician Specialties (ABPS) as one of the three standard credentialling bodies for Internal Medicine. Additionally, the ABPS has helped me develop leadership skills as a Board member and Committee Chairperson. ABPS has also helped me sharpen critical thinking skills as a test question developer and reviewer. The Allopathic (MD) and Osteopathic (DO) physicians in the ABPS are lifelong learners and frequently pursue multiple board certifications. I enjoy the camaraderie of my peers in ABPS.

Loren Jay Chassels, DO
Internal Medicine
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