The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital

Integrative Medicine

For children and families who are struggling with a chronic or life-threatening disease – The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital has community physicians on staff who provide integrative care. This approach brings together the best of conventional medicine with the most proven, effective alternative therapies to give kids a remarkable healing experience focused on wellness, not just on their disease. We offer an extensive array of therapeutic resources which can be tailored to the unique needs of each young patient, taking into account the whole person – body, mind and spirit.

Integrative medicine is an open-minded way of providing care that is characterized by:

  • A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process
  • Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response
  • Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community – as well as the physical body
  • A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically
  • Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven, and be open to new paradigms
  • Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible
  • Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development

Our team of physicians, therapists and other healers sees patients with a variety of chronic or life-limiting conditions including:

The integrative medicine program provides a comprehensive array of inpatient and outpatient therapies to help children with chronic or life-threatening disease achieve optimal wellness and quality of life:

  • Conventional medicine (sometimes called allopathic or western medicine) from board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians in all pediatric subspecialties
  • Nutrition and diet
  • Exercise and physical activity
  • Whole body systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture, Ayurveda, naturopathy and homeopathy
  • Botanical medicine
  • Energy medicine including Reiki, healing touch and qi gong
  • Nutritional supplements
  • Spirituality, with inpatient support provided by the hospital’s Spiritual Services Department
  • Manual medicine including osteopathic manipulation, chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, reflexology and zero balancing
  • Mind-body medicine including hypnosis, biofeedback, guided imagery and creative/arts therapy
  • Yoga

A patient’s initial consultation lasts approximately 60 to 90 minutes and will cover medical history as well as any lifestyle considerations, values or beliefs that may influence treatment options. A variety of treatment options are discussed with the patient and family, and a personalized care plan is established.