Integrative Medicine and Alternative Therapies
Eating disorder treatment traditionally involves individual therapy, nutrition, medical care, and family therapy. While we know that this team-based approach gives clients the best chance of receiving a holistic standard of care, research on the efficacy of eating disorder treatment is still grossly underfunded. According to clinicaltrials.gov, only 303 eating disorder studies have been funded in the United States.
Reuniting Body, Mind and Spirit
Many clients and their families seek to supplement their team-based treatment with alternative therapies, like integrative medicine, acupuncture, and naturopathy. Meant to reunite body, mind, and spirit in a healing way, alternative treatments can be a wonderful adjunct to traditional therapies. Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, writing for PsychCentral (www.psychcentral.com), discusses how integrative medicine and alternative therapies can help heal even the most difficult cases, provided the necessary changes in behavior and lifestyle are made. The patient must let go of behaviors and routines in order to heal. This is perhaps one of the most difficult truths clients must face in recovery. An integrative approach to eating disorder treatment can include: Medical treatment to mitigate complications from the eating disorder
- Nutrition counseling
- Body movement therapies such as yoga or tai chi
- Acupuncture, massage, chiropractic work
- Psychological assessment and prescription medication if needed
- Cognitive behavioral or dialectical behavior skills therapy
Road to Recovery
Taken together, these holistic therapies provide clients with a way to reconnect mind, body and spirit. Eating disorders have psychological and physical ramifications and clients can feel very unsure of how to rebuild a relationship with themselves. An integrative treatment regimen ensures that all of the patient’s needs are being met as they walk the road to recovery. Although there isn’t much research on the use of alternative therapies in eating disorder treatment, many programs incorporate acupuncture, yoga, aromatherapy, and other therapies. Sara Calabro, writing for Everyday Health (www.everydayhealth.com) reports that alternative treatments like acupuncture have been shown to help clients with anxiety and depression. These illnesses often co-occur with eating disorders, indicating that using an alternative therapy may help to mitigate at least some of the troubles experienced by eating disorder clients. Less anxiety and depression may make it easier for the patient to focus in therapy and commit to a nutrition plan, therefore impacting eating disorder recovery in a positive way.