MHS 612 INTRODUCTION TO INTEGRATIVE HEALTH AND WELLNESS
In this course, students will examine the fundamental concepts of integrative health and wellness (IHW), including the history, philosophies, and methods of prominent integrative therapies. Perceived differences between and limitations of traditional “allopathic” medicine and IHW “nontraditional” medicine will be identified. Patients’ motivations and patterns of use of IHW approaches will be explored. Students will consider multicultural and diversity aspects as they relate to the major concepts of this course and how health is provided and perceived by people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, religious and non-religious beliefs.
We will explore major areas of IHW, including functional and lifestyle medicine, nutrition and the gut-immune-brain connection, and models of integrative health (e.g., Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Chinese Medicine). The state of basic scientific knowledge and data from controlled trials relating to the safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of action of integrative therapies are presented. Theories for how these approaches function to affect health are examined, such as psychoneuroimmunology, the role of inflammation, and the gut microbiome. Key practice, legal, and ethical issues facing CAM researchers and practitioners are reviewed, as well as future directions in IHW.