Integrative Medizin und Gesundheit

Be that as it may, several academic chairs and institutes have been founded in Europe in the last 10 years that have had either the term “naturopathy”, “Integrative Medicine”, “integrative health”, “integrative health promotion” or “integrative healthcare” in their names. One thing is clear: Integrative Medicine has not only been reaching patients and physicians, it has also had a considerable effect on the academic world. It is also being noticed with ever-increasing frequency by all those involved in working within the healthcare system.

There is also resistance to this development of Integrative Medicine: Current discussions surrounding, for example, the abolition of additional names from the field of complementary medicine, as well as the still small amount of research funding for the scientific investigation and establishment of integrative and complementary medicine should also be mentioned in this context. We would like to point out the passionate internal discussions taking place within the medical profession regarding definitions, terms, target groups, placements in the healthcare system, and the indications for Integrative Medicine – as well as the relationships between the various disciplines involved and “health professionals” among one another. This complex situation still needs to be negotiated in further detail in the future. These developments indicate how important and timely it is to raise discussions surrounding future Integrative Medicine to all concerned parties on a larger, more visible, and easily accessible stage.

The question of whether and why the term – or the specialization – of Integrative Medicine exists/ought to exist and how it can be defined remains a controversial topic. Having a clearly defined term is of the utmost importance for the further development of the whole field, however, especially but not exclusively, in an academic context. Questions of billing and reimbursement in the healthcare system, the concrete care structures or services, and the legitimacy of the various healthcare professions involved in the successful implementation of Integrative Medicine must also be taken into account. All of the above aspects are addressed in this book.

Both an expert and an interested layperson will quickly find out: Integrative Medicine provides us with an immensely exciting, inspiring, and innovative field in which far more has been achieved than is widely recognized. Patients, one might say, have always known in a sense what this branch of medicine has to offer. These therapies are often used in combination with other types of therapy and have always been a source of inspiration.

This book is intended to reflect the current state of knowledge and experience of Integrative Medicine, not to make any pre-determinations or to correspond to the plurality of the current discussion. It is also important to note that in addition to the historical embedding of the topic in the various cultural spheres, space has also been given to current developments and related areas from other departments, and disciplines:

Interprofessionalism and cooperation on the one hand, and clearly identifying the discipline on the other hand, do not have to be mutually exclusive. Today, various medical and therapeutic specializations have a close connection to Integrative Medicine, but also superordinate contexts such as artistic therapy methods, nursing, and other medical systems are considered in an exemplary manner. This relates to the current status of Integrative Medicine – in terms of disciplines, care, systems and structures, but also in terms of theory formation, the image of man and science. It concerns the future of empathetic, communicative and highly effective medicine in the digital age. This is what we would like to let you be a part of with this book.

We, Benno Brinkhaus and Tobias Esch are doctors who possess many years of clinical and specialist experience including important aspects of naturopathy and Integrative Medicine, including Mind Body Medicine. In the process, international influences have also come to the fore in various ways, be it through professional societies or actual work abroad over several years. Despite our different focuses in patient care, teaching and science, we are both united in our pronounced interest in an integrative approach relying on pluralistic methods and perspectives, and, at the same time, on science- as well as evidence-based trends in medicine, with a special reference to Integrative Medicine. In addition, we both understand medicine as an art of healing, not science exclusively.

Let us conclude by expressing our thanks and hopes: A big thanks to our publishing house, its management and its staff, for their extremely professional, always pleasant and supportive assistance. A warm thanks also to our colleagues who have accompanied us on the path of engagement with naturopathy and Integrative Medicine, and of course also to our families, who all too often had the chance to miss us because of our activities concerning this book, just as we missed them back. This book was a challenge for everyone who took part. It came together with considerable foresight and patience and a common goal clear in mind. It was the hope that the contributions that make up this book, as individual pieces or the common theme behind them, may help to outline a vision of medicine for the future. We hope that in a small way we can help to improve the state of medicine as a whole and to lend some courage to those who wish to make the medicine of the future more integrative, holistic, and patient-oriented. Let’s be positive about the future of medicine in the interest of our patients!

Prof. Dr. med. Benno Brinkhaus and Prof. Dr. med. Tobias Esch

Berlin and Witten, March 2021

I I Was ist Integrative Medizin? I

1 1 Integrative Medizin und Gesundheit – Konstrukt einer modernen Medizin Benno Brinkhaus und Tobias Esch Integrative Medizin und Gesundheit – Konstrukt einer modernen Medizin 1 Integrative Medizin und Gesundheit – Konstrukt einer modernen Medizin Benno Brinkhaus und Tobias Esch

Benno Brinkhaus und Tobias Esch

2 2 Die Bedeutung der Selbstregulation in der Integrativen und Mind-Body-Medizin – Ein Überblick Tobias Esch und Benno Brinkhaus Die Bedeutung der Selbstregulation in der Integrativen und Mind-Body-Medizin – Ein Überblick 2 Die Bedeutung der Selbstregulation in der Integrativen und Mind-Body-Medizin – Ein Überblick Tobias Esch und Benno Brinkhaus

Tobias Esch und Benno Brinkhaus

3 3 The Evolution of Integrative Health in the Reform Effort for US Medicine: 1965 to Present John Weeks The Evolution of Integrative Health in the Reform Effort for US Medicine: 1965 to Present 3 The Evolution of Integrative Health in the Reform Effort for US Medicine: 1965 to Present John Weeks John Weeks

4 4 Patientenzentrierte Versorgung Jördis Maria Zill, Stefan Zeh und Isabelle Scholl Patientenzentrierte Versorgung 4 Patientenzentrierte Versorgung Jördis Maria Zill, Stefan Zeh und Isabelle Scholl Jördis Maria Zill, Stefan Zeh und Isabelle Scholl

5 5 Self-Care-Maßnahmen der Integrativen Medizin in einer digitalen Welt Claudia M. Witt und Daniel Pach Self-Care-Maßnahmen der Integrativen Medizin in einer digitalen Welt 5 Self-Care-Maßnahmen der Integrativen Medizin in einer digitalen Welt Claudia M. Witt und Daniel Pach Claudia M. Witt und Daniel Pach