Integrative medicine

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Unit 627

October 2025

Integrative medicine

The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate the use of integrative medicine in Australian general practice for a range of common health presentations.

Integrative medicine in Australian general practice combines conventional medical approaches with complementary therapies to provide holistic, patient-centred care. Complementary medicines include:

  • mind–body interventions, such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, tai chi and qigong
  • nutritional supplements and herbal medicines
  • manipulative and body-based therapies, such as acupuncture, chiropractic, osteopathy and massage
  • traditional medicine systems, such as Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and traditional Aboriginal medicine
  • environmental medicine.

The RACGP curriculum includes integrative medicine and highlights that it needs to be informed by evidence.

A cross-sectional study of Australians found that 49.4% reported use of a complementary medicine over the previous 12 months. The RACGP curriculum states that all general practitioners should be able to demonstrate basic skills and knowledge of integrative medicine ‘due to the high prevalence of community use and need for informed decision-making’. Integrative medicine also plays an important role in the management of chronic disease, an area that contributes a significant case load in clinical practice.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • understand the importance of prescribing nutritional interventions that consider cultural, family and social factors
  • take a comprehensive history that incorporates the use of complementary and traditional medicines, lifestyle, habits and factors affecting the patient’s biological, psychological and spiritual wellbeing
  • identify the limitations of integrative medicine and scope of practice
  • evaluate the potential risks and benefits of integrative medicine use
  • demonstrate clinical reasoning and ethical use of community resources when coordinating integrative management plans.

Case studies

Below is a list of the case studies found in this month's unit of check. To see how these case studies unfold and gain valuable insights into this month's topic, log into gplearning to complete the course. 

Graham, aged 65 years, lives at home with his wife Alice, their two children, aged 12 and nine years, and their dog Turbo. He works as a senior manager at a major bank. He presents with progressively worsening chronic lower back pain secondary to a motor vehicle accident two years ago. Graham is taking multiple medications:
  • meloxicam 15 mg once daily in the evening
  • paracetamol 1500 mg + codeine phosphate hemihydrate 90 mg tablet in three divided doses daily
  • pregabalin 50 mg once daily at night.
Graham is unhappy with the management of his back pain. He has recently tried acupuncture; however, this has not helped. He has also seen a pain specialist and had a ketamine infusion, with limited efficacy.

Diego, a software developer aged 28 years, attends your clinic describing persistent low mood, fatigue, poor motivation and loss of enjoyment in daily activities for the past six months. He trialled fluoxetine (20 mg daily for eight weeks) and subsequently venlafaxine extended release (150 mg daily for six weeks) but discontinued both due to side effects (sexual dysfunction and increased anxiety). Diego reports passive suicidal thoughts without specific plans. He has no prior psychotherapy history. Lifestyle factors include nightly alcohol consumption (2–3 beers), smoking (five cigarettes per day), inactivity, poor diet and social withdrawal. He is feeling increasingly desperate about his symptoms and is becoming disillusioned with standard care. He has booked this consultation with you, seeking an alternative management approach.

Elise, a woman aged 23 years, is studying to become a professional dancer. For the past six months, she has been struggling to keep up with the demands of her study and part-time work. She can no longer keep up with her previously lively social life. She reports persistently feeling excessively tired, even more so in the days after doing more activities. Elise has also been troubled by brain fog, dizziness, headaches, nausea, abdominal bloating, hives and irregular bowel habits in the past six months. She has noticed some numbness and pins and needles in her hands and feet that was not present prior to her becoming unwell.

Swetha, aged 42 years, would like to lose weight. She has gained 5 kg in the past few years, especially around her waistline. She has tried many different dietary approaches to weight loss, including consuming low-fat foods and whole grains, limiting red meat, eating vegetarian, commercial weight loss programs and calorie restriction, without long-term success. She feels tired and hungry all the time. She had gestational diabetes with both her pregnancies (with her children now aged eight and four years). She works part time as an administration officer and cares for her elderly Indian parents who live with her and her husband. Her dad has type 2 diabetes, and her mum has osteoporosis and Hashimoto’s disease. Swetha is thus worried about her future health and wishes to avoid developing type 2 diabetes.

Naomi, aged 48 years, presents with persistent bloating, abdominal discomfort and irregular bowel movements. Naomi has been experiencing these symptoms for five years. She reports high stress levels from her corporate job, the demands of raising two children and an overall busy lifestyle. Sleep disturbances and poor nutrition have exacerbated her symptoms.

CPD

This unit of check is approved for 10 hours of CPD activity (two hours per case). The 10 hours, when completed, including the online questions, comprise five hours’ Educational Activities and five hours’ Reviewing Performance.
Educational
Activities
5
hours
Measuring
Outcomes
0
hours
Reviewing
Performance
5
hours

Complete check online

To enroll in this check unit online: 

  1. Log into myCPD home page
  2. Select 'Browse' and search for 1281375
  3. Select the course and register

Please note: If you're not a member of the RACGP or don't have a check subscription, click here.

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