In the last few decades, a wide array of practices have gained greater acceptance as forms of treatment and healing. If you've ever considered herbal supplements, meditation, acupuncture, yoga, or a change of diet to promote better health, then you're already familiar with integrative medicine.

Integrative medicine describes the addition of natural or holistic practices into the health-care paradigm to complement conventional Western medicine and promote wellness. Western medicine can accomplish incredible feats of healing, but as advanced as it is, it still doesn't have cures for everything. Relying solely on Western medicine, people often wait until they have serious health problems before seeking care - but integrative medicine includes many practices that are particularly good for preventing certain conditions and ameliorating the effects of others.

The therapies discussed here have been shown to help people reach health goals such as presurgery preparation, postsurgery recovery, and better management and reduction of chronic pain. Studies indicate that they directly benefit wellness and can help alleviate, prevent, or remedy issues such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, Alzheimer's disease, high blood pressure, stress, heart disease, menopause, and the common cold.

The Science of Integrative Medicine, produced in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic - one of the finest health institutions on the planet - provides you with 12 informative lectures on the science-based facts and historical context of commonly used integrative treatments. You'll get a foundational explanation of this diverse new field of medicine, which will give you the knowledge you need to explore these techniques and improve your wellness. Taught by Brent Bauer, MD, director of the Mayo Clinic's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, this course provides you with an illuminating exploration of scientifically tested integrative approaches.