Table 1.
Integrative modalities in the Military Health System.
| Modality | # of MTFs (2013) [4] | Conventional? [20] | Clinical indications | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acupuncture [4, 9, 18, 19] | 83 | No | Chronic pain, stress, anxiety, TBI, substance withdrawal [9], chronic pain [9, 25–27], PTSD [9, 28, 29] | |
|
| ||||
| Biofeedback [4, 9, 18, 19] | 13 | No | Physical rehabilitation [30, 31], mental health issues [32] | |
|
| ||||
| Breath-based practices [4, 9] | 9 | No | Relaxation, reversal of hypocapnia [33] | Often a component of meditation or yoga |
|
| ||||
| Chiropractic [4, 9, 18, 19] | 58 | No | Pain in back or neck, headache, radiculopathy [9] | |
| Osseous manipulation [9, 19] | ||||
|
| ||||
| Cognitive behavioral therapy [4] | 5 | Yes | Psychological issues [34], chronic pain [35], PTSD [36, 37], TBI, anxiety, depression [38, 39] | |
|
| ||||
| Hypnosis [18] | Not listed | No | PTSD [28, 40, 41], TBI [41] | |
|
| ||||
| Light therapy [18] | Not listed | Varies | TBI [42], depression [43], pain control [44–46], wound healing [47–52], neuropsychiatric disorders [50–52] | Multiple techniques; exact uses in MHS not established in literature |
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| ||||
| Massage [4, 18] | 9 | No | Relaxation, physical therapy, sports medicine, pain control [53, 54] | |
| Soft tissue manipulation [9] | ||||
| Structural integration [18] | 3 | |||
|
| ||||
| Meditation [4, 9, 18] | 14 | No | Stress management, anxiety, PTSD, TBI [55, 56], pain, depression [9], relaxation, control of anxiety [57, 58] | Mostly for mindfulness |
| Meditative behavioral techniques [18] Imagery [18] Mindfulness [9] |
||||
|
| ||||
| Naturopathy [4, 9] | 1 | No | Primary care [59, 60] | |
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| ||||
| Nutritional counseling [18] | Not listed | Varies | Hypertension, diabetes, weight loss, coronary disease, prevention, general health [9], prevention of chronic disease [61] | “Diet therapy” listed as alternative by Cochrane but specific usage may vary |
| Clinical nutrition [4, 9] | 68 | |||
|
| ||||
| Relaxation [18] | Not listed | No | May be provided through massage, breathing techniques, or meditation (see modalities) | Listed as conventional for PTSD [29] |
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| ||||
| Spiritual healing [18] | 3 | No | Relaxation, psychotherapy, resolution of internal conflict [62, 63] | |
|
| ||||
| TENS [18] | Not listed | Yes | Pain control [64, 65] | Not listed alternative by Cochrane |
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| ||||
| Yoga [4, 9, 18] | 11 | No | Relaxation, pain control [66], building of mental resilience [67], rehabilitation [68, 69] | |
| Movement meditation [9] | ||||