Integrative Health

Integrative Health

In 1997, Beebe Medical Center established the Department of Integrative Health, which specializes in the integration of conventional medicine and alternative health practices. Integrative Health provides complementary and alternative education and services to inpatients, outpatients, community organizations, and healthcare professionals. Emphasis is on the concept of wellness, with a focus on prevention, disease management, and rehabilitation through lifestyle modification, stress and pain management, and education. The staff and medical director work in conjunction with conventional medical treatments and practitioners.

The goals of Integrative Health are to combine complementary and alternative medicine with conventional care:

  • To promote wellness and prevention through healthy living
  • To increase awareness and understanding of alternative and complementary medicine
  • To offer additional methods to aid prevention and healing
  • To offer public and professional education and resource services
Integrative Health Services

Wellness and prevention methods:

  • Acupressure
  • Acupuncture
  • Aromas
  • Biofeedback
  • Guided Imagery
  • Herb Information
  • Laughter Yoga
  • Massage
  • Meditation
  • Music / Sound
  • Tai Chi / Qi Gong
  • Touch
    • Reiki
    • Therapeutic Touch
    • Hawaiian Laulima (Laying of Hands)

Wellness classes
Classes vary but may include:

  • Acupressure Self-Care
  • Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Chronic Pain
  • Healing Through Listening
  • Laughter Yoga
  • Meditation Drumming
  • Mindfulness Meditation (MBSR)
  • Qi Gong
  • Reiki Meditation
  • Self-Hypnosis for Stress and Pain
  • Stress Management

Other Services:

  • Herb Information Website
  • Newsletter
  • Professional Education
Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Acupuncture

  • One of the most researched and documented alternative practices
  • Originated in ancient China using insertion of hair-like needles and other means to stimulate flow of life force energy called "chi"
  • Conditions treated include osteoarthritis, chemotherapy-induced nausea, asthma, back pain, menstrual pain, bladder instability, migraine, chronic pain, and addictions

Aromas

  • Essential oils extracted from plants are used to help with sleep, stress, nausea and pain

Music / Sound

  • Music and the sounds of nature aid relaxation and sleep
  • Anxiety and pain are lessened

Meditation

  • A self-directed practice of calming the mind and body
  • Studies show benefits including reduction of chronic pain, anxiety, high blood pressure, serum cholesterol levels, substance abuse, blood cortisol levels related to stress, and post-traumatic stress as well as an increase in intelligence-related measures
  • Used widely in programs for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, AIDS, arthritis, and chronic pain

Biofeedback

  • Uses instruments to monitor and feed back to patients physiological information of which they are normally unaware. Patients learn to control bodily processes.
  • Used to treat a wide variety of conditions including stress, addictions, sleep disorders, epilepsy, respiratory problems, incontinence, partial paralysis, migraine, hypertension, gastrointestinal and vascular disorders, blood pressure, and more

Yoga

  • Includes ethical precepts, dietary prescriptions, and physical exercise
  • Recent studies show that yoga practice helps reduce anxiety, blood pressure, respiratory rate, metabolism, and cholesterol levels in addition to helping with arthritis and smoking cessation

Massage Therapy

  • Scientific manipulation of the soft body tissues to return them to their normal state
  • Reduces stress and pain, and increases lymphatic drainage and general healing

Herbal Supplements

  • The World Health Organization estimates 80% of the world population presently uses herbal medicine
  • Research supports positive results in a variety of chronic illnesses

Tai Chi / Qi Gong

  • Part exercise, part marital art, part spiritual practice developed about 600 years ago in China
  • Helps reduce stress, depression, pain, arthritis, and fibromyalgia
  • Decreases risk of falling with Parkinson's disease and aging

Healing Touch

  • Reiki derives from ancient oriental practices
  • Therapeutic Touch developed in the 1970s in the U.S.
  • Increases function — decreases time for wound healing, and reduces pain, stress, and anxiety
  • Involves little or no physical contact

Relaxation

  • Various methods elicit the body's relaxation response
  • Useful for stress, pain, addictions, immune function, and general well-being

Imagery

  • Vividly imagining the desired outcome while in a relaxed state of mind and body with or without the aid of a practitioner
  • Used to control pain, overcome phobias, treat addictions, and improve immune function and physical performance

Self-hypnosis

  • A technique of altered consciousness to help focus attention and foster relaxation
  • Useful to overcome addictions, reduce pain, and relieve irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and arthritis

The staff and medical director work in conjunction with conventional medical treatments and practitioners.

Download Beebe's Integrative Health Department
Newsletter and Programs List
Websites for Integrative Medicine
Contact us for more information
  • Department of Integrative Health
    Beebe Medical Center
    424 Savannah Road
    (First Floor across from Visitor's Elevators
    East Zone – 15)
    Lewes, DE 19958
    Phone: 302-645-3528