You may go over other similar terms like integrated care, integrated health systems, and integrated health services regarding integrated health and wellness. However, they are somehow different. Most of the matching terms are more focused on improving a person’s illness. Like True Health Medical in Potts Point, you can get services related to diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and health promotion. So, how are integrated health and wellness different? Keep reading to know more about these combined services and the difference between health and wellness.
Health vs. Wellness: What’s The Difference?
Though you cannot select the state of health, sometimes, knowing oneself and your own self-concept affects your lifestyle and how to view your health and wellness. Also, you can consciously embrace wellness by having a proactive lifestyle.
- Health contains the finding of an illness, predisposition to a disease, and any unforeseen injury.
- Wellness is an active course of progress and change to attain your most whole health and well-being.
Risk factors are conditions or activities that expand a person’s danger of injury or illness. In any case, here are a few factors that can be damaging to good health:
- Smoking is a significant danger factor for lung cancer and heart disease.
- Drinking alcohol can result in liver damage, heart diseases, stroke, and cancer.
- Extreme physical activity may lead to broken bones and other kinds of injuries.
- Unprotected sex spreads sexually transmitted diseases such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
If you think you are prone to multiple health problems, you can go to a bulk billing doctor to save money. Delaying a medical checkup, especially if you notice some symptoms, can worsen your condition and your expenses.
Dimensions of Wellness
Generally, wellness is something beyond physical health. In fact, it is holistic and multidimensional.
Physical
Though some foreseeable physical problems may occur, improving physical wellness by being physically fit can help a person enhance the ability to prevent illness and diseases. For example, people can get cataracts because of old age. Still, some prevention, such as getting good nutrition, drinking plenty of water, and having a good night’s sleep, can help prevent health issues and promote physical wellness. In addition, exercise invigorates a healthy mind and body. You can avoid an inactive lifestyle by increasing physical activity in daily life, such as cycling, walking, and hiking.
Intellectual
Creativity and mental exercises, such as problem-solving, support intellectual wellness and improve a better attitude. Individuals who challenge their minds and learn new things can stay away from mental health problems.
Emotional
An individual with emotional wellness can manage stressful circumstances. In addition, a person who knows about their own feelings, has great confidence, and has empathy toward others’ sentiments would have emotional wellness.
Environmental
The role we play in enhancing our natural environment promotes wellness. Instead of denigrating it, keeping up with and living in a healthy physical environment free of hazards can improve our health and wellness.
Social
Social support networks are significant to the general wellness of a person. Communicating, relating, and contributing to a local area, making good interpersonal connections, and maintaining long-term relationships with loved ones make an individual happier and healthier.
Spiritual
Spiritual wellness does not only suggest the religion or faith of an individual. However, the quest for significance and purpose of human life. Creating empathy, caring, and having a reason in life help in spiritual wellness. A person can accomplish this by doing volunteer work, meditation, spending time in nature, etc.
Integrated Health and Wellness
There are two things you need to know to define Integrated Health and Wellness. Commonly this refers to:
Combining Aspects of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) with Conventional Medicine
CAM incorporates chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, and mind-body therapies. Thus, Integrated Health and Wellness refers to conveying CAM together with traditional treatments. In addition, a health and wellness center often focuses on one of these treatments to give more holistic care to the patient.
Moreover, several studies indicate that alternative medicines can manage pain and anxiety from acute and chronic disorders. In fact, these approaches are a more cost-effective substitute for painkillers and anxiety-relieving medications.
Coordination of Health Care Services
This approach is designed to give more patient-centered, streamlined care. Generally, this practice refers to integrated health, health services, health systems, and integrated care. These four terms mean essentially the same thing. Let us use the term ‘Integrated Care’ to address the above four terms since it is more usually used. Integrated Care is somehow different from Integrated Health and Wellness. Here you may begin to comprehend why most people merge these two terms.
There are generally five broad components of Integrated Care. These include:
- Coordinating health systems around the holistic requirements of a person, their caregivers, and their family.
- Facilitating collaboration between medical care disciplines across the continuum of care.
- Bridging healthcare foundations situated along the continuum of care consistently across settings.
- Making sure that the cost-efficiency of the healthcare system over a long period.
- Centering around early community detection and prevention of illness.
Many countries are now acknowledging the new healthcare reforms and organizational arrangements. This helps them to focus on more coordinated and integrated forms of care provision.
Takeaway
Integrative health and wellness empower and encourage individuals and providers to look beyond traditional medicine. Also, with this practice, you can effectively partake in your own well-being through exercise, healthy eating, and new or alternative techniques. In addition, you can look for holistic nutritionists, get chiropractic care, explore massage therapy, or seek the advantages of aromatherapy for daily pain.
References:
What are mental health problems?
The pain-anxiety-depression connection.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-pain-anxiety-depression-connection
Is chiropractic a CAM therapy or is it a separate profession?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1839911/