Complementary and Integrative Medicine Can Have Lasting Benefits for Sleep and Health

Photo by Conscious Design via Unsplash

Complementary and Integrative Medicine Can Have Lasting Benefits for Sleep and Health

By Admin

There has been a shift in recent years toward more holistic and personalized approaches to healthcare. Based on the principles of complementary and integrative medicine, this approach places more emphasis on individual needs and preferences as well as on personal biology and whole body health. Sometimes referred to as patient-centered care, this type of long-term management is extremely important for sleep issues because sleep is a primary health concern throughout one’s life, affecting both the body and mind in a number of ways. And according to research on long-term management of conditions such as sleep apnea, incorporating complementary approaches along with standard care can greatly improve treatment outcomes. Such an approach also considers other related medical conditions and comorbidities, which can be treated at the same time and using similar methods. This approach affects whole body health in numerous ways, depending on patient conditions, and represents a tailored care plan that is more open to holistic or alternative treatments than traditional approaches. In addition to primary treatments such as CPAP for sleep-disordered breathing, this can include anything from acupuncture and meditation to dietary restrictions, exercise regimens (including breathing exercises), and herbal remedies for sleep health. Each treatment consideration is guided by medical best practices and evidence-based research, ensuring that patients receive the best options from a range of disciplines. These diverse and complementary treatments can not only help to reduce the symptoms of conditions, but also result in more comprehensive and lasting health benefits for the patient.

What is Complementary and Integrative Medicine?

Complementary and integrative medicine are two different concepts that are closely related. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), an approach is considered “complementary” if it incorporates “non-mainstream practice” used together with conventional medicine. “Non-mainstream practice” is a diverse classification that includes any treatment not generally prescribed by traditional western medical practitioners. Some examples include Eastern medical traditions such as acupuncture, yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises, other “non-mainstream” treatments such as herbs or dietary supplements, and any number of disciplines not included in conventional western medicine, for example, chiropractic care, holistic medicine, or massage therapy. If one of these practices is used in place of conventional approaches, it is referred to as “alternative medicine.” In the past, the terms complementary and alternative were abbreviated together as CAM (complementary and alternative medicine), but this designation has become less popular in recent years as integrative medicine (or IM) has become the preferred nomenclature.

While integrative medicine uses complementary approaches, it is considered a more specialized, patient-focused approach that emphasizes whole body health, wellbeing, and longevity. Integrative medicine is not only integrative in terms of its treatments, but also in regard to focus, for example, treating conditions along with underlying factors related to mental, emotional, spiritual, and even social health. An integrated approach often involves much more than a single treatment or a single primary practitioner. An integrated system emphasizes coordination between providers and institutions to promote the health of patients throughout their lives.

The NCCIH reports that integrative approaches are on the rise in the United States. Continued research in this area, particularly on the potential benefits of integrative medicine, will help give us a better understanding of the systems required for optimal treatment conditions. But sleep apnea, like a lot of chronic conditions, tend to benefit the most from the ongoing support and long-term focus of integrative approaches.

Patient-Centered Care

A major component of complementary and integrative medicine is the focus on patient needs. Similar to holistic approaches, patient-centered care looks beyond the symptoms of a single ailment to treat underlying conditions and long-term health. Most practitioners define patient-centered approaches according to the Picker Institute’s eight core principles of patient-centered care. These principles, established in 1987, have remained as core concepts of patient-centered standards throughout the world:

1) Respect for patients’ values, preferences, and expressed needs,

2) Coordinated and integrated care,

3) Information, communication, and education,

4) Physical comfort,

5) Emotional support and alleviation of fear and anx,

6) Involvement of family and friends,

7) Continuity of care,

8) Access to care.

The Picker Institute included “coordinated” efforts with integrated care, emphasizing the role of each component in the system. This type of system, according to their principles, requires a network of services, shared decision-making, and as much input from the patient as the provider. This promotes both patient and provider engagement, as the course of treatment is not limited to a single diagnosis and resulting prescription.

In a literature review titled “Patient-centered care in obstructive sleep apnea: A vision for the future,” authors use the term “personalized care” to describe similar goals. “Personalizing the right care for the right patient at the right time,” they conclude, is not only personalized but precise. Thus, “personalized medicine” could also be described as “precision medicine,” and according to the authors can be incorporated into the concept of “predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory (P4) medicine,” a move from reactive to proactive healthcare. Once an approach becomes proactive and personal in this manner, it also becomes integrative, expanding treatment options to include aspects of lifestyle such as diet, social activities, and relationships. Treatment of a disease or a disorder becomes a treatment of the body and mind throughout the patient’s life, and through the support of an entire network of providers, family members, friends, and associates.

Sleep Apnea and Integrative Medicine

Sleep apnea is a common condition that by some estimates affects over a billion people worldwide. Being such a widespread condition, it affects a diverse group of patients in very different ways depending on their mental, physical, and general health conditions. This level of heterogeneity, along with individual needs, preferences, and values, means that personalized treatments for longer periods will help the most.

A study conducted by the Sleep Apnea Patient-Centered Outcomes Network (SAPCON) found that patients who were part of a network of support for extended periods were generally more satisfied with their treatments, and much more likely to remain adherent, especially to CPAP therapy. This involved both peer support and the support of a network of providers by increasing access to specialized care, a textbook example of integrative medicine. As this shift in our approach to medicine becomes standard protocol, patients are likely to benefit as much from prevention of disease as they will from treatment. And at a time when thousands of Americans are hospitalized due to a global pandemic, it is a welcomed change.