With preventable and chronic diseases among the leading, ever-increasing health care expenses, it’s no surprise that billions of dollars in the U.S. are spent annually treating conditions related to obesity, tobacco use, and diabetes, which can be treated or avoided with preventive approaches.  In fact, some studies estimate that more than 85% of health care claims costs are related to individual lifestyle. While those are daunting numbers, the exciting aspect of these costs should be recognized, too: that improved preventive services can effectively help people reach their goals for healthy and organic living. 

Preventive care includes promoting a healthy diet, activity level, and lifestyle choices (including interventions for risky behaviors, like smoking).  To be effective, proactive approaches to health must go beyond trendy, generic programs that do little more than offer healthy living tips.  Instead, research suggests that appropriate interventions can help reverse some health damage and drastically reduce risks for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.   Integrative and alternative medicine, often termed CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine),  excels in effective treatment options to manage and prevent chronic disease.  

While medical nutrition therapy has obvious benefits for conditions related to obesity, cardiovascular, and diabetes, other CAM services are equally invaluable in prevention and disease management.  Chronic pain alone is estimated to cost employers more than $60 billion annually.  Therapeutic massage, acupuncture, and other CAM interventions have exciting results for effective chronic pain management, including reduced reliance on pain medication.  For instance, patients using acupuncture to treat chronic pain associated with headaches report making 25% fewer physician visits, using 15% fewer sick days, and using 15% less medication.  Acupuncture patients seeking relief from back pain found long term pain relief, a faster return to work from sick leave, and a 28% reduction in pain medication usage.  

Overall, CAM therapies are less invasive and based in healing modalities that are often appealing to LOHAS and other conscious consumers.  Supporting access to holistic alternative medicine practitioners can be an important, socially responsible investment in employee health, and CAM PPO of America, Inc. offers a national credentialed network with an exclusive focus on integrative medicine.