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Complementary Approaches for Integrative Medicine

What are complementary approaches?

Teen girl meditating outdoors

Complementary approaches such as mind-body therapies can help children and teens cope with illness.

Complementary approaches are health practices that are used along with other treatments but are not part of standard medical care. Complementary therapies may help your child:

  • Cope better with their illness
  • Manage symptoms and side effects
  • Improve well-being and quality of life

Complementary approaches, used by themselves, cannot cure or lessen a disease. Your health care provider may treat your child with complementary approaches and standard medical treatments. Using both types of treatment together is known as integrative medicine.

Types of complementary approaches

Types of complementary approaches include natural or nutritional products, mind-body therapies, and other practices. These techniques use mental focus, movement, breathing, body work, and other strategies to promote relaxation and relieve symptoms.

Natural products and nutritional approaches  

Mind-body and physical approaches 

Other approaches include complementary medicine practices such as traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda (traditional medicine from India). 

Benefits of complementary approaches 

Complementary therapies and integrative medicine approaches may help your child manage symptoms and side effects such as: 

Complementary therapies can have other positive effects. These practices may help your child: 

  • Feel more positive and in control 
  • Have less worry and stress 
  • Get their mind off pain and other physical symptoms 
  • Have improved blood flow and nerve function 
  • Have less swelling and inflammation 

Possible risks of complementary approaches 

Many complementary approaches are safe and work well. But they are still treatments and should be taken seriously. Just because a product is available or worked for someone else, does not mean it is safe. Also, there may be limited information on how well these approaches work for children or for your child’s condition. 

Be aware that some complementary approaches or products: 

  • Can be harmful if not given by a trained provider 
  • May interfere with standard medical treatments, so that the medical treatments do not work as well 
  • Get into the bloodstream and change the way your child’s body works 
  • Cause people to have allergic reactions, skin irritation, soreness, or other reactions after treatment 
  • Could affect children more than adults: children are smaller, and their organs are still developing 
  • Have more risk if your child’s immune system is weak 
  • May contain harmful substances that are not listed on the label 
  • May not give instructions for how much a child should take (dose information) 
  • Should not be used in patients with certain health problems 

Check with your child's care team before using any complementary approach, even if your child used it before their diagnosis. 

Your care team can: 

  • Tell you the risks and benefits 
  • Monitor your child to see if the therapy helps  
  • Watch for problems that may develop 

How to find an integrative medicine professional 

To find a qualified integrative medicine or complementary health practitioner: 

  • Get a referral from your health care provider who understands your child’s medical needs. 
  • Look for a certified health professional with training and experience in complementary approaches. 
  • Check that the provider has appropriate credentials for the therapies they provide. 
  • Schedule a consultation and ask questions: 
    • Does the provider treat children? 
    • Do they have experience with your child's disease? 
    • Does their approach align with your child’s medical needs and treatment plan? 

Questions to ask your doctor about complementary approaches

  • What symptoms or side effects does this therapy treat?
  • What is the evidence that this therapy works?
  • Has this complementary therapy been used to treat other children with my child's disease? If so, what age were they?
  • What are the instructions for using this therapy (what dose and how often)?
  • What are the possible risks or side effects of complementary therapy?
  • How might this therapy interfere with my child's other medical treatments?
  • Is it safe to try this complementary therapy now?

Key points about complementary approaches

  • Doctors who practice integrative medicine use complementary and standard medical treatments together to manage side effects while treating disease.
  • Complementary approaches, used alone, cannot cure or lessen disease.
  • Some complementary approaches are safe, while others can cause harmful reactions or interfere with standard medical treatments.
  • Check with your care team before using complementary approaches.
  • Find a certified, licensed health professional who has experience working with children with your child's disease.

For more information:

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The Together by St. Jude™ online resource does not endorse any branded product mentioned in this article.

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Reviewed: September 2024

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