Examples of complementary care include the use of acupuncture to treat migraine headache and clinical hypnosis to improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The term integrative health describes the blending of complementary and conventional therapies by the practitioner to include all appropriate therapies in a patient-centered and evidence-informed fashion.
In an integrative approach, evidence-based complementary therapies may be used as primary treatments or used in combination with conventional therapies. In contrast, alternative therapies are not evidence-based, are used in place of conventional care, and are not covered in this report.
Interest in the field of pediatric integrative medicine is driven by a number of factors, including the prevalence of use in children living with chronic illness, the desire to reduce frequency and duration of pediatric prescription medication use, and the need for more effective approaches to preventive health in children. To date, consumer interest in and use of complementary therapies has outpaced training options in pediatric integrative medicine, leaving pediatricians with a desire for more training and familiarity with resources
reference:
Weydert, J. A., Brown, M. L., & Mcclafferty, H. (2018). Integrative Medicine in Pediatrics. Advances in Pediatrics,65(1), 19-39. doi:10.1016/j.yapd.2018.04.011