For Physicians

At Philadelphia Mind-Body Acupuncture, we recognize the importance of modern biomedicine and understand that there are many conditions and situations where biomedicine remains an absolutely vital, and often life-saving, treatment option.  In some cases, such as with emergency medicine or in cases of acute trauma, it is the only option.  

We aim to work with biomedical practitioners of all types, in anyway necessary, to help attain the best results for each individual.  We often receive diagnostic reports of all kinds from patients: Comprehensive Metabolic Panels (CMP), ultrasounds, MRIs, XRAYs, CT scans, etc, as well as lists of their medications, current therapies and other relevant interventions.  

As an acupuncture/herbalism clinic that believes the best medicine is whatever gets the best results for that particular individual at any given time, we aim to stay aware of new therapies/treatments within biomedicine.  We also recognize that a majority of the patients that enter our doors are also receiving care of some form from their biomedical provider- even if it is simply an annual check up.  Thus, we’d like to keep collegial dialogue open between our clinic and the clinics of other practitioners and specialists.  In other words, we would like to do whatever we can to get the best results possible for each individual.

For example, at Philadelphia Mind-Body Acupuncture, we take great care in prescribing the highest quality herbal medicinals from the best herbal companies with the highest testing standards.  We are also very careful in regard to herb-drug interactions and how herbs could potentially affect pharmaceutical intake.  If we believe there might be an herb-drug interaction that could even cause a minor problem, we will refrain from offering herbs.  We do not prescribe herbs to pregnant or nursing patients unless we have prior consent from that patient’s PCP.  The same is true of patients who are using blood-thinning drugs such as Coumadin (Warfarin sodium).

Within the growing realm of Integrative Medicine (IM), a field that combines the best of both modern biomedicine with non-mainstream (non-biomedical) therapies such as acupuncture and herbal medicinals, our clinic hopes that the future of world medicine will look to some of the foundational principles of the Integrative Medicine field for guidance and clarity in choosing the most appropriate methods and interventions for each individual at any given time.

Integrative Medicine

Some of the foundational principles of Integrative Medicine (summarized from Duke University’s IM site): 

• A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process (patient=active role)
• Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science… and be open to new paradigms
• Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
• Use of broader concepts of promotion of health & prevention of illness as well as treatment of disease
• Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development
• Addresses ALL influences affecting health: physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual & environmental
• Use of conventional and alternative means to facilitate the body’s innate healing response
• Employs a personalized strategy that considers the patient’s unique conditions, needs & circumstances