Our team approach focuses collective experience and broad expertise to develop individually-tailored treatment plans encompassing a wide range of therapies. Leveraging the human capacity for healing, we nurture the whole person and emphasize the therapeutic relationship between patient and practitioner.
Our physicians and practitioners have received the finest training in conventional, western medicine and the widest range of complementary therapies. We believe in the marriage of traditional medicine, ancient wisdom and enlightened self-care.
We use safe, evidence-based integrative therapies and communicate fully with patients’ traditional western medicine physicians and specialists to optimize health and a heightened sense of well-being.
NorthShore’s Integrative Medicine team works collaboratively within the program and with physicians throughout NorthShore’s entire system and beyond. An advanced Electronic Medical Record ensures seamless communication between care providers.
Supportive Practices
For our patients under Cardiology care, nutritional counseling, stress relief strategies (i.e. meditation, breathing exercises, Yoga, and guided visualizations) can help reduce excess weight, reduce inflammation, and promote a greater sense of relaxation.
Patients under Gastroenterology care with irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, and inflammatory bowel disease may benefit from adding certain herbal and nutritional supplements, acupuncture, nutrition protocols, bodywork, and stress reduction strategies to reduce their symptoms.
For our patients under Neurology care, acupuncture, integrative bodywork, nutrition, and herbal counseling, and stress relief strategies can improve outcomes for patients suffering from migraines, insomnia, spasticity, and peripheral neuropathy.
For our patients under Oncology care, we see that combining acupuncture, integrative bodywork, counseling, Yoga, meditation, and stress relief practices to their treatment plans frequently offers relief from digestive upset, loss of appetite, pain, and fatigue - all of which may accompany chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
For our patients under Orthopedic care with sports injuries or other traumatic physical injuries, massage therapy, Shiatsu, acupuncture, integrative counseling, and stress reduction techniques in conjunction with physical therapy and conventional orthopedic care can be helpful. These therapies can help restore physical stability, affect deep release of muscle spasms and muscle tension, ameliorate the effects of whiplash, and take the body out of the “fight or flight” stress response to bring one back to a sense of normalcy and well-being.
In our patients with autoimmune disorders under Rheumatology care, we see that with varying combinations of nutritional counseling, acupuncture, integrative bodywork, herbal medicine, counseling, gentle yoga, and stress relief strategies to their treatment plans may offer pain relief, improved sleep, less fatigue, and a greater sense of well-being.
For our patients undergoing Surgery, we see that Integrative Bodywork (types of massage therapy – Swedish massage, Shiatsu, craniosacral) can speed up the healing process by increasing blood and lymph circulation and promoting intestinal motility which can be affected by anesthesia. Also, stress reduction techniques (diaphragmatic breathing, guided visualization) and integrative counseling, can take the body out of the “fight or flight” response, help reduce inflammation, and help the patient to return to a sense of normalcy.
Eight Dimensions of Health
A unique aspect of the Integrative Medicine Program is the development of a common philosophical approach to patient care. This approach has emerged from our varied educational backgrounds, collaborations together, observations of patients and the extensive experience of each practitioner. As a team, we have identified eight components essential for optimal health and explore each through the course of our relationships with our patients.
The Mission of the Integrative Medicine Program
We strive to expand the definition of healing to include the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of an individual. We endeavor to create an environment in which both practitioner and patient are engaged in their own healing process and lifelong learning. We intend to serve as a new model for addressing health in this country.