Primary care
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Naturopathy is a distinct type of primary care medicine that blends age-old healing traditions with scientific advances and current research. Naturopathy is guided by a unique set of principles that recognize the body's innate healing capacity, emphasize disease prevention, and encourage individual responsibility to obtain optimal health. ⋯ Naturopathic physicians (NDs) are trained as primary care physicians in 4-year, accredited doctoral-level naturopathic medical schools. At present, there are 15 US states, 2 US territories, and several provinces in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that recognize licensure for NDs.
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Integrative medicine is healing-oriented medicine that accounts for the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle. Integrative medicine emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative. ⋯ Several approaches are described, including some that are routinely used in the authors' practice. Changes in practice philosophy that can (1) help inform primary care redesign, (2) facilitate the creation of patient-centered medical homes, (3) strengthen provider-patient relationships, and (4) enhance patient satisfaction are also provided.
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Prolotherapy is an injection-based complementary and alternative medical therapy for chronic musculoskeletal pain. Prolotherapy techniques and injected solutions vary by condition, clinical severity, and practitioner preferences; over several treatment sessions, a fairly small volume of an irritant or sclerosing solution is injected at sites on painful ligament and tendon insertions and in adjacent joint space during several treatment sessions. ⋯ Prolotherapy has been assessed as a treatment for various painful chronic musculoskeletal conditions that are refractory to "standard of care" therapies. Although anecdotal clinical success guides the use of prolotherapy for many conditions, clinical trial literature supporting evidence-based decision-making for the use of prolotherapy exists for low back pain, several tendinopathies, and osteoarthritis.