What “Integrative” Really Means in Medicine (And What It Doesn’t)

By Dr. Jason FauntLeRoy, ND – Specialist in Integrative Diabetes Care 

In the world of modern healthcare, the term “integrative medicine” gets thrown around a lot. It sounds nice—wholesome, even. But I’ve found that many people don’t actually know what it means. Even more confusing is how it gets conflated with naturopathic medicine, which is something distinct, though often complementary. 

I’m a naturopathic doctor who specializes in diabetes care. That means I’ve chosen to deeply understand how to manage a complex, lifelong condition using both natural and conventional medical tools. I consider myself integrative because I don’t reject one side of medicine in favor of another—I use the right tool for the right job. 

Let’s unpack this a little. 

Naturopathic vs. Integrative: What’s the Difference? 

Naturopathic medicine is a philosophy and system of care that emphasizes prevention, treating the root cause, and supporting the body’s natural healing ability. We use lifestyle interventions, nutrition, herbal medicine, counseling, and more. We’re trained as primary care doctors in many states, and yes—we are educated in pharmacology, labs, and diagnostics. 

Integrative medicine, on the other hand, is a broader concept. It means using both conventional tools (like medications, imaging, or surgery) and complementary approaches (like nutrition, acupuncture, or botanical medicine) in a cohesive, personalized plan. 

So, when people come to me thinking that “naturopath” means I’ll never prescribe a medication or that I’ll cure a serious illness with only an herb—they’ve misunderstood. And that misunderstanding can be dangerous. 

The Therapeutic Order: Using the Right Tool at the Right Time 

In naturopathic medicine, we use a model called the Therapeutic Order. It’s a framework that helps guide our decisions—always aiming to use the least force necessary to promote healing, but recognizing when higher-force interventions are needed. 

The Therapeutic Order starts with the most foundational and least invasive interventions—like improving diet, hydration, sleep, and reducing stress—and progresses toward more invasive treatments like pharmaceuticals or surgery when necessary. The idea is not to avoid stronger interventions, but to use them wisely and only when warranted. 

For example: 

• If you’re tired, stressed, and your blood sugar is creeping up, maybe what you need is better sleep, hydration, and movement—not metformin. 

• If you have a severe infection or a ruptured appendix, antibiotics or surgery aren’t just helpful—they’re lifesaving. 

• If you have an inguinal hernia, no amount of turmeric or elimination diet will repair it. You need a surgeon. 

We’re not anti-medicine. We’re anti-misuse of medicine. When used properly, medications can be miracles. When overused, they can cause harm or mask the root issue. 

When Misunderstanding Becomes Dangerous: A Personal Story 

When I was in naturopathic medical school, I was injecting insulin in the lunchroom one day before a meal—something I’ve done thousands of times as a person living with type 1 diabetes. A fellow student approached me, unprompted, and said:“I can’t believe you’re doing that. You’re a naturopath. You’re one of the good ones.” 

I blinked. “What do you mean?” 

He responded, “Well… insulin is synthetic.” 

I paused. “Right. But I’m a type 1 diabetic. My pancreas doesn’t produce insulin at all. Without this, I die. Literally.” 

He nodded. “I know. Still…” 

I realized then that even this medical student—someone studying physiology and pathology like I was—didn’t understand what type 1 diabetes is. I gently reminded him, “We learned this in class, remember? My pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin. Without it, my body can't get glucose into cells. I slowly starve to death—even if I’m eating.” 

There is no herbal replacement for insulin. There is no naturopathic workaround. This disease, before the discovery of insulin, was a death sentence. Synthetic insulin is a miracle for me. It’s not a compromise—it’s a lifeline. 

This Is Why Precision in Medicine Matters 

What shocked me was not the confrontation itself—but the fact that a fellow medical student was so misinformed. If someone training to be a doctor doesn’t understand the necessity of insulin for type 1 diabetics, how can we expect the average person to know what is or isn’t “natural,” or when it even matters? 

This moment crystallized something I now see in my practice almost every day: the danger of ideology overriding physiology. 

Being “natural” is not a value system. It’s not a religion. It’s not about rejecting all pharmaceuticals or surgeries. It's about discerning what supports the body best, in that moment, for that condition. 

When Medicine Overreaches: The Limits of the Pharmaceutical Model 

Now, let me share the other side of this story—because it matters just as much. 

As a naturopathic doctor, I’ve seen the life-saving power of medications, including synthetic insulin, firsthand. But I’ve also seen the damage that can come from relying too heavily—or blindly—on pharmaceuticals without considering long-term effects or patient context. 

A good example is the class of medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)—commonly prescribed for acid reflux or GERD. These drugs are highly effective at reducing stomach acid in the short term. But they were never designed for long-term use. 

Yet many patients remain on them for years without ever being told the risks. 

Research has now shown that chronic use of PPIs is associated with: 

• Malabsorption of magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B12 

• Increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures 

• Increased risk of Clostridium difficile infections 

• Higher rates of chronic kidney disease and potentially dementia in some long-term studies¹ 

These are not minor concerns. And they are often not communicated clearly to the patient before starting therapy. Whose fault is that? The prescriber? The pharmaceutical company? The system? 

Sometimes it’s no one’s fault and everyone’s fault. 

You Don’t Have a Metformin Deficiency 

Take type 2 diabetes. At the very top of every medical guideline—before any pill—is diet and exercise. Lifestyle changes. And yet, we often skip right over that and go straight to medications. Why? 

Because changing your life is hard. It’s slow. It doesn’t fit neatly into a 15-minute visit. And there’s no money in vegetables or walking shoes. 

But the truth is: You don’t have a metformin deficiency. You don’t have an Ozempic deficiency. 

You have too much glucose in your system, likely from a combination of genetics, chronic stress, sedentary work life, processed food, and lack of movement. That doesn’t mean medication has no place—sometimes it’s essential just to get out of the danger zone. But it is not the end of the treatment plan. It's the starting point. 

And sometimes the deeper solution requires a hard decision.

Maybe the sedentary desk job is killing you. Maybe your high blood pressure and blood sugar are tied to your environment. But not everyone can just quit their job or move to the forest and start over. 

That’s why real medicine—integrative medicine—meets you where you are, with honesty, empathy, and flexibility. 

Evidence-Based… But Whose Evidence? 

I want to make something very clear: Evidence matters. A lot. But how we get that evidence and who pays for it also matters. 

You’re unlikely to find large randomized clinical trials on things like: 

• Proper hydration 

• Sleep hygiene 

• An affordable, unpatented herb 

Why? Because there’s no billion-dollar pharmaceutical company funding it. Meanwhile, those same companies regularly sponsor the studies that shape clinical guidelines. Sometimes they even ghostwrite them.² 

So when a conventional doctor says, “There’s no evidence for that herb,” they may not be wrong—but they may be missing the larger picture: the lack of financial incentive to research non-patentable solutions doesn’t mean those treatments are ineffective. It means they’re understudied. 

And sometimes, medications are fast-tracked through approvals before long-term risks are fully understood—like the opioid epidemic taught us all too painfully. 

Your Health Journey: You Drive the Car, I Help Keep You on the Road 

Here’s how I think about my role: You’re in the driver’s seat. I'm the guardrails that keep you from flying off a cliff. 

And once we’ve stabilized, I help you steer—toward balance, toward health, toward sustainability. 

Maybe that means not taking a statin because you feel unwell on it—even if the data says it reduces your cardiovascular risk. Okay. That’s your call. My job is to: 

• Respect your experience 

• Present the real data 

• Offer Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D 

• Monitor you more closely if we skip the first-line therapy 

  
  

Likewise, maybe you don’t feel comfortable with a certain vaccine. I’ll walk you through the risks, the benefits, the data—and I’ll listen to your beliefs. That doesn’t mean I’ll tell you what you want to hear. It means I’ll tell you the truth, clearly and compassionately, so you can make an informed choice. 

And if you have a cardiologist, a mental health therapist, or a nutritionist already on your team, I’m not here to replace them—I’m here to collaborate. I’m more than happy to consult with your other providers, because integrated care means shared care, not fragmented care. 

That’s what true integrative care looks like. 

In the End, It’s About Wisdom—Not War 

We live in a time when medicine is too often divided into camps: Natural vs. Pharmaceutical. Western vs. Holistic. Skeptic vs. Believer. 

But, healing doesn’t come from choosing a side. It comes from choosing what works—for you. Sometimes that’s a statin. Sometimes it’s a green smoothie. Sometimes it’s surgery. Sometimes it’s a long walk, a good cry, and a full night’s sleep. 

As your doctor, my job isn’t to push an agenda. It’s to walk beside you—to help you see the whole map, not just the road someone else paved for you. I bring the science. I bring the caution. I bring the creativity. And I bring the humility to say, “I don’t have all the answers. But I’ll help you ask the right questions.” 

Because this is your health journey. You are the driver. I'm just here to keep you on the road—and make sure you don’t mistake the ditch for a destination. 

So when we say “integrative,” we don’t mean halfway natural or half-heartedly conventional. We mean wise. We mean informed. We mean whole. 

And we mean you’re not in this alone. 

Dr. Jason FauntLeRoy, ND