People use the terms complementary, alternative, integrative, and functional medicine in different ways. Knowing how they are being used can help you ask clearer questions when discussing care.
Complementary, alternative, and integrative care
A complementary approach is used alongside conventional health care. An alternative approach is used in its place. Integrative health brings conventional and complementary approaches together in a coordinated way, with attention to the whole person and communication among care providers. These terms describe how care is organized; they do not establish that a particular therapy is effective for a particular condition. NCCIH explains these terms and their current usage.
The term functional medicine is used inconsistently. NCCIH notes that it sometimes refers to an approach similar to integrative health, and sometimes to an approach more like naturopathy. Ask a practitioner what they mean by the term, what training and licenses they hold, what tests or treatments they recommend, and how they coordinate with your usual clinician. The term itself does not show that a proposed test or treatment is appropriate for you.
Examples of complementary approaches
Approaches often described as complementary include:
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Reiki
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Tai chi
- Nutrition counseling and, in some settings, herbs or supplements
The evidence, possible risks, and appropriate uses differ by approach and health concern. Reiki, for example, has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health-related purpose, and its proposed energy field has no scientific support, according to NCCIH's Reiki overview.
Questions to ask before choosing care
- What is the goal of this approach, and what evidence supports it for my concern?
- What are the possible risks, costs, and interactions with my current care or medicines?
- Will the practitioner coordinate with my qualified health care provider?
- What should I do if symptoms change or the approach does not help?
Do not use an unproven approach in place of conventional treatment or as a reason to postpone medical care. Tell your health care providers about the approaches you use so they can help coordinate your care. NCCIH offers further questions for people considering complementary health approaches.
What integrative care can look like
In practice, integrative care is less about a particular therapy than about how care is organised. Ask which services the clinic actually offers and how the clinicians involved coordinate them. The distinguishing features are coordination, communication and a plan that names what is conventional, what is complementary, and how the two fit together.
That coordination matters because more is not automatically better. Adding approaches can add cost, time, supplement interactions and conflicting advice. A good integrative plan has a clear goal, a way to tell whether it is helping, and a point at which it will be reviewed or stopped. Ask who is leading the plan and who will see the results.
Questions that reveal a careful provider
- What is your training, and what are you licensed or registered to do?
- What do you think is causing my symptoms, and how would you know if you were wrong?
- Which parts of this plan are conventional treatment, and which are supportive?
- What are the likely benefits, harms, costs and alternatives?
- Will you write to my usual clinician, and may I see what you send?
- What should I do if I feel worse or develop a new symptom?
A provider who welcomes these questions, gives specific answers and is comfortable saying “I don't know” is usually safer than one who promises a definite result or discourages you from seeing anyone else.
Where Reiki fits
Reiki can be offered as a quiet complementary practice alongside conventional care. It should not be described as diagnosing, curing or replacing treatment, and a practitioner should not advise changes to medication or medical care. If you are considering Reiki in a hospital or clinic, ask how it is integrated, whether the practitioner is insured and supervised, and how your privacy will be protected.
The term “functional medicine” deserves particular care because it can cover a wide range of practice. Some providers use it for a holistic, nutrition-focused approach; others use it to sell panels of tests and supplements. Ask what specific tests are recommended, what evidence supports them, what they cost, and what would change if you did not take them. A test that does not change a decision is not automatically useful.
Related topic: Running a Reiki practice, Equipment you need, Getting the business started, The therapist-client relationship, Home space clearing.