BOB体育

Acupuncture, meditation, massage 鈥� practices once considered 鈥渁lternatives鈥� to conventional medicine 鈥� are now becoming mainstream in hospitals and medical schools nationwide, and University of Florida Health鈥檚 Integrative Medicine Program is leading the way by expanding its services for patients.

As research continues to validate many of these ancient practices as effective treatments for chronic pain, nausea and stress, they鈥檝e earned a new name that represents this unique partnership of conventional and holistic treatments: integrative medicine. This summer marks the one-year anniversary of the integrative medicine program at BOB体育, led by the first fellowship-trained integrative medicine physician in Gainesville, Irene Estores, M.D. The program provides patients and staff with services such as guided imagery, medical acupuncture and yoga.

鈥淚ntegrative medicine addresses the needs of the whole person 鈥� mind, body, spirit 鈥� in the context of community,鈥� said Estores, the program鈥檚 medical director. 鈥淲e鈥檙e coming back to our roots and honoring what was effective in other healing traditions and using that to be able to be more effective in caring for our patients.鈥�

In July, the Integrative Medicine Program began offering services for patients seeking treatment at BOB体育 Shands Hospital and BOB体育 Shands Cancer Hospital. Consultation and referral services for outpatients soon followed, with clinic locations at both BOB体育 Internal Medicine 鈥� Tower Hill and , as well as BOB体育 Hematology/Oncology 鈥� Davis Cancer Pavilion and at BOB体育 Integrative Medicine 鈥� Executive Health.

鈥淲e have a community in Gainesville that really supports these kinds of practices,鈥� said , director of the Integrative Medicine Program and . 鈥淎s a major health provider in this community, we can provide these types of therapies in unison with very high-tech therapies. This is the thing that truly makes this program unique.鈥�

The Integrative Medicine Program is also unique in that it鈥檚 an outgrowth of BOB体育 Shands Arts in Medicine, one of the largest arts in health care programs in the nation, Mullen said. After years of providing services such as massage and yoga to staff but not having the resources or medical expertise to provide these services to patients, Arts in Medicine received several key donations that helped establish the program. BOB体育 leadership selected Estores, a fellow of the University of Arizona鈥檚 nationally recognized integrative medicine center, to lead integrative medicine practices at UF.

In addition to Estores, who also serves a medical acupuncture practitioner, the team includes two yoga practitioners, a martial arts practitioner/massage therapist, a mindfulness practitioner, a dance/movement therapist, a holistic nutritionist/massage therapist, two artists-in-residence and a nurse coordinator.

Doctors throughout the hospital system can now write orders for inpatients to receive an integrative medicine assessment or services, including massage, meditation/relaxation, beside or chair yoga and bedside martial arts during their stay.

During an assessment, patients receive a physical exam, identify problem areas and learn about integrative medicine services, said , M.S.N., R.N., the nurse coordinator for the program.

鈥淏uilding that rapport with patients, being able to introduce them to these practices, adding some humanity back into the system is a gift,鈥� Arce said.

Another addition to the program is the ability to accept referrals for anyone in the community wishing to receive a consultation or medical acupuncture. The program also offers group classes to patients, patients鈥� family and staff interested in practicing yoga, Tai Chi, meditation and mindful-based stress reduction.

A yoga practitioner who is certified to work with oncology patients, Tammy Bernard, M.Ed., said it鈥檚 exciting to see research coming out that substantiates the efficacy of these practices. For example, the National Institutes of Health reports that relaxation techniques such as deep breathing may be effective as part of an overall treatment for anxiety, depression and some types of pain.

鈥淐onnecting with the breath is a very basic technique that can, in turn, support a reduction of various stress hormones,鈥� Bernard said. 鈥淚t empowers patients to feel that they have tools and resources, so that they can actively participate in reducing suffering and stress when the symptoms from treatment are challenging.鈥�

One of Estores鈥� main goals as medical director of Integrative Medicine, besides making sure their practices are safe, ethical and relevant to the needs of patients, is ensuring the techniques used in the center are research-based, she said.

NIH-supported studies show that her own specialty, medical acupuncture, may be an effective treatment for conditions such as migraines, chronic pain, osteoarthritis and nausea caused by chemotherapy or pregnancy.

Many insurance companies cover acupuncture for these conditions and offer limited coverage for other integrative medicine services such as massage, Estores said. As part of the expansion of the program, UF鈥檚 own insurance product, GatorCare, now covers selected Integrative Medicine Program services as well.

Estores said that in the fall, there are plans to add a holistic nutrition and integrative weight management program. A practitioner with training in these areas is developing a program that focuses on mindful eating and health literacy.

鈥淭his is an academic institution that provides us opportunities for research and collaboration between scientists, researchers and clinicians,鈥� Estores said. 鈥淭his is the fertile ground for growth and the formation of a program that is excellent, caring and will be a pioneer in our region.鈥�

For more information, call 352-265-9355 or visit .

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