WASHINGTON 鈥� Whether it鈥檚 a pulled muscle you鈥檙e nursing or a chronic disease you鈥檙e fighting, a treatment from the doctor鈥檚 office will only help so much.
That鈥檚 according to , a practicing physician and former director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, who says pills and operations only account for 20 percent of the healing journey.
鈥淲e鈥檙e leaving 80 percent on the table because most of that comes from outside of your doctor鈥檚 office,鈥� Jonas said.
In his new book, 鈥�,鈥� Jonas draws on 40 years of research and patient care to make the case that mending comes from more than just medicine.
鈥淚t comes from what you do in life, it comes from your physical and social environment, and it comes from what鈥檚 meaningful to you, what really matters to you in life,鈥� Jonas said.
鈥淲hen you engage in that, you can really access that healing response.鈥�
He鈥檚 found that supplementing immediate interventions with activities such as yoga, massage, volunteer work and meaningful social interactions can help heal and prevent chronic disease.
鈥淰ery often, you鈥檒l see a response, a physical response, in their pain, their inflammation, their function, just by that [activity], and they can get off their medications,鈥� he added.
Even reconfiguring a physical space can have a profound impact on a health outcome. 聽
But in today鈥檚 overly scheduled and stressed-out society, carving out time for self-care can seem impossible 鈥� Jonas hears that a lot. However, he says squeezing in that 30-minute meditation could save you time in the long run.
鈥淲hat happens is [patients] end up spending even more time jumping from doctor to doctor getting procedures 鈥� injections and physical therapy, surgery perhaps. The reality is, they鈥檙e already spending a lot of time at it, and if they would spend some time at this, and if they had some assistance to do it from their doctor, they could actually end up spending less time and get better faster,鈥� Jonas said.
Integrative medicine is becoming increasingly more common in medical institutions throughout the country 鈥� from academic centers to veteran services. Still, Jonas says it鈥檚 鈥渘ot nearly common enough.鈥�
There鈥檚 good news, however: Constructing and implementing a healing plan at home to mitigate and prevent chronic disease is possible. Here are Jonas鈥� top tips for getting started:
Make one or two small and realistic changes. This could be as simple as decluttering your space, reconnecting with nature, or making more time for things that bring you joy.
鈥淎re you doing something that gets you up in the morning and say, 鈥業 really like this?鈥� That鈥檚 going to go a long way and motivate you into getting better and feeling well,鈥� Jonas said.
Surround yourself with those who are most important to you.
鈥淭he social environment is very important 鈥� friends and family, getting them engaged in the process then stimulates you to get better.鈥�
Assess your current behaviors. Understand why you engage in them (eating, drinking, cooking) and why you want to change them.
Finally, talk to your doctor about developing a more integrative plan for managing your illnesses. Jonas offers a detailed plan in his book and a number of free resources and tools for patients and providers .
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to wait around for things to change in medicine. You can do this right now,鈥� he said. 聽
