How Integrative health clinics work
When you hear a clinic calling itself "integrative health" , you know this clinic has some combination of traditional western medicine, holistic/naturopathic care, chiropractic, and/or therapy (PT, OT, ST, nutrition). The idea is to allow the consumer to integrate her/his health care choices in one location, with all the providers being aware of what all is going on in this patient's health-related life. There are many benefits to this, including the patient not being given conflicting information, not being over-treated, medicated, etc., and not having to re-tell the story multiple times.
Here at Lubbock Advanced Physical Medicine, we offer JohnFBarnes-Myofascial release, provided by myself (occupational therapist), Chiropractic care, and medical management which includes joint injections for pain, trigger point injections, and headache protocol, as well as pain related prescriptions if the consumer is not already receiving this care somewhere else. This is a great convenience for the pain patient to be able to address his/her pain management all in one location. However, it is very important for the consumer to be aware of his/her rights and responsibilities regarding such a convenience.
To begin with, a consumer is not obligated to accept ALL care provided in an integrative health clinic simply because it is provided or even recommended. So, for instance, if the chiropractor recommends the patient receive OT for JFB-MFR, but the patient neither has the time nor the inclination , the patient may reject this recommendation and still receive the best chiropractic care in Lubbock without any fear of penalty, rejection or lesser treatment while accepting other treatments provided. Furthermore, if a patient begins with a treatment plan with multiple providers here, and decides one isn't contributing to his overall wellbeing and medical improvement, that patient can discontinue the plan with any one provider at any time and continue to receive stellar service from the providers he/she chooses to continue with. There is no penalty for this.
In addition, if a consumer were to receive a referral from his primary care physician for Chiropractic care or JFB-MFR, this consumer is not obligated to receive treatment from all the providers in an integrative health clinic. He/she may only participate in treatment from the one provider to whom she was sent. This is not a problem at all.
Each person is ultimately in charge of her/his own body, as each of us has to live in our own body and we are usually experts in the history and pain issues of our bodies. Part of our goal as integrative health providers is to return to each person who comes to us full autonomy and authority over his/her own body.
As far as consumer responsibility goes, there is one large issue that each person must take personal authority for. If you are already being followed medically for pain, and receiving any prescription medications or injections for pain from an outside source, our medical practitioners MUST be made aware of this. this is critical to your health, so as to not over medicate you causing further damage to your already injured system. In such a case, our medical provider may not follow you at all, or only enough to keep the rest of us informed regarding your level of medical intervention.
It is also the patient responsibility to be assertive regarding his/her wishes regarding care accepted, but to also keep an open mind. Many people have tried so many things to obtain relief from pain by the time they get here that they find it hard to trust that anything else could help. Yet, they come, because any small hope is better than none. We are very excited about the integrative health plans we offer, and we are very optimistic about our own service as well as the service of the other providers we work with! You will become quickly aware of how excited we are about this and how confident we are that we can help. We all believe that the increased benefit of our combined services is exponential, and that you will improve much faster if you combine services. Because of our excitement and our belief systems, we may come over as being "pushy"... for lack of a better term. Please don't silently feel coerced! Just be as assertive as we are, speak up! For instance, maybe you have tried a decompression table before and it caused you pain and spasm that you were unwilling to tolerate. Then one of our providers here recommends it. Just be honest about your experience and your unwillingness to try that again. It is really ok! It is YOUR body, after all, and only you have to sleep with the pain at night!
If you have any other questions regarding an integrative health clinic, just ask! You can post your questions here, or you can ask at the clinic you are choosing to trust with your body; but ask. It is YOUR body, ALWAYS be informed. You are in charge!