What is Integrative Health?
Integrative Health is an approach to medical care that recognizes the benefit of combining conventional therapies (medication, psychotherapy, PT) with complementary therapies (plant medicine, yoga, meditation). It is an approach to care that puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health. It aims for well coordinated care among different providers and institutions. More importantly, it relies upon evidence-based, safe and effective medicines and healing approaches, along with valid principles of lifestyle or preventative medicine from a variety of traditions. Some of the health enhancing approaches include nutrition, diet, fitness and exercise, behavior modification, meditation and yoga. For medicine, it includes medical cannabis, as well as solutions from a world of healing options, including naturopathic, Ayurveda, indigenous and traditional Chinese medicine.
Learn how the human body responds to cannabis
Our bodies have a unique communication system throughout our brains and bodies, called the endocannabinoid system (from the root “endo” meaning internal or within). This system affects many important functions, including how a person feels, moves and reacts.
Two important components of this system are endocannabinoids and endocannabinoid receptors. Amazingly, our bodies naturally create endocannabinoids that are bioidentical to the phytochemicals found in the cannabis plant! An example of an endocannabinoid that our body naturally creates, is the neurotransmitter anandamide. Anandamide is considered the “bliss compound” and is responsible for stimulating feelings of joy and happiness.
Begin the journey toward greater health
Medical cannabis is a good place to start. Cannabis definitely has a full spectrum of health benefits, but using cannabis as medicine is complex. Each medical condition requires a precise dose and ratio of CBD, THC and other cannabinoids. To complicate matters, each person processes cannabis differently. Finally, there are an infinite variety of products available on the market, most with unclear labeling and dosing information. The process of trial and error can be exhausting.
With the help of your own personal pharmacist, you can learn more about how cannabis can benefit you on your individualized journey to better health. I keep myself updated on the latest studies, products, and protocols and utilize the science of pharmacogenomics (the study of how your gene affects your response to cannabis). All of these efforts help me to create an effective, safe cannabis protocol, tailored specifically for you. If medical cannabis is not the right solution for you, fortunately, there are many other safe and effective products that can be explored. Your protocol is tailored specifically for you.
