Your child’s health affects every part of their life. You want them to feel better as soon as possible. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. When symptoms continue after treatment, or new ones show up, it’s natural to feel frustrated. Integrative medicine may be the missing piece of the total solution you’ve been looking for.
Integrative medicine blends traditional and complementary treatments. The goal is to work with your child’s existing treatment plan, but also add to it. This fills in the gaps sometimes left by traditional care. By focusing on a “whole” solution, we’re able to deliver truly holistic pediatric services. Combining traditional medicine with complementary care creates comprehensive solutions.
UVA Health Children’s integrative health department has experience working with a wide range of ages and conditions. Many of our patients have medical complexities and multiple diagnoses. Some don’t even have a diagnosis yet. But all are looking for care that treats the whole child.
Integrative Health at UVA Health Children’s
Before your first visit, we’ll ask you to fill out a few forms. These help us get to know you and your child. They also help us understand your treatment goals.
Your First Visit
Whether or not your child already has a diagnosis, expect their first visit to take at least an hour. That’s because our integrative health pediatricians want to look at all the factors that influence your child’s health. That includes:
Physical Assessment
Your child’s vitals are vital. We’ll check heart rate, blood pressure, weight, and height. And we’ll go over their medical history. We may also suggest different tests as appropriate.
Discussing Emotional Health
Health can often affect behavior, and vice versa. We want to know about fatigue, lack of focus, hyperactivity, and any other behavioral concerns. How your child sees themselves, and those around them, matters. We’ll talk about friendships, family relationships, and self-esteem.
Diagnosis through Integrative Health
When symptoms are widespread, it can be hard for doctors to diagnose them. Many of the patients we see long-term symptoms, but still don’t know what’s wrong.
One of the reasons our first session is a full hour is so we can assess these symptoms, ask questions, and maybe find answers.
But even without answers, we can still help with treatment.
Conditions We Treat
- Connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos
- Digestive issues
- Handling medical complexities
- Headaches
- Long COVID
- Muscle and joint pain
- Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Side effects from chemotherapy or other cancer treatment
Follow-Up Care
Integrative health doesn’t replace your child’s pediatrician. We’ll work with your family and your pediatrician to create a treatment plan that addresses all of your child’s needs. Additional visits often last between 30-45 minutes.
Integrative Medicine for Complex Medical Treatment
When children are diagnosed with complex medical conditions, they often see many specialists. Extensive treatment requires extensive support. Integrative medicine is uniquely equipped to handle some of these supports.
Healing is often helped by factors that are harder to measure. These can include:
- Emotional well-being
- Stress management
- Support networks
- Strong sense of self
Integrative treatment plans look to bolster these while maintaining treatment.
What Makes Integrative Treatment Different?
All patients are different, and so is every treatment plan. While some children may have no side effects from a medication, another child may need help dealing with nausea. One child may need help feeling energized at the end of the day, while another needs strategies to wind down for a solid night’s rest.
Integrative medicine can help in all of these situations.
Treatment Plans May Include
- Nutrition
- Dietary modification
- Movement
- Yoga
- Sleep hygiene
- Supplements
- Herbal medication
- Physical therapy
- Mindfulness
Yoga with Dr. Stephens
Gentle movements are beneficial for almost everyone. Dr. Stephens helps patients through routines like this. Chair yoga can help reduce stress, but also improve strength.
Integrative Medicine Frequently Asked Questions
Because integrative medicine is so individualized, your questions are best answered by your provider. But these are some questions many people have.
Does integrative medicine actually work?
While feeling better is wonderful, many patients want to know if integrative medicine can actually help them heal. The answer is yes. Rest, diet, and exercise can make other treatments more effective. Emotions also affect health, so feeling better is an important first step to getting better.
Are crystals involved?
Only if having something pretty in your home helps you emotionally. Integrative medicine is still medicine. It focuses on treatments that are proven effective through science and research.
What if I don’t like my pediatrician’s treatment plan?
Getting a second opinion is every patient’s right. But it isn’t the primary goal of integrative medicine. Our goal is to work with your primary care provider.
Do I need a referral?
We accept patients who are self-referred.