Integrative Medicine

Providers across OHSU offer integrative medicine services, also known as complementary and alternative medicine. Our goal is to support you as a whole person. Our health care options draw on the wisdom and healing practices of many cultures, and include natural medicines.
We offer:
- Specialists in acupuncture, massage, chiropractic care and more.
- Doctors of naturopathy and Chinese medicine with expertise in natural and herbal medicine.
- Doctors of osteopathic medicine who help patients achieve whole body health.
- Medical doctors with special training in natural medicine and integrative medicine.
On this page, learn about integrative medicine options at OHSU and where to find them. To schedule an appointment with any provider listed here, call their clinic directly.
What is integrative medicine?
Integrative medicine providers start by building a relationship with you. Your needs and preferences aren’t the same as anyone else’s. We take the time to understand you and what might benefit your health.
Integrative medicine brings together wisdom from a variety of practices to support you and meet your health care needs. Integrative medicine:
- Focuses on the whole person.
- Is informed by research and evidence.
- Makes use of all types of medicine – conventional and alternative – to heal people.
At OHSU, we offer:
- Acupuncture
- Chinese medicine
- Chiropractic
- Health psychology
- Lifestyle medicine
- Massage
- Mindfulness
- Naturopathy
- Osteopathy and osteopathic manipulative treatment
- Rolfing structural integration
- Medical doctors with integrative medicine expertise
Our excellence
As Oregon’s only academic health center, OHSU is uniquely able to both study integrative medicine, and offer holistic care to patients.
We partner with other schools that focus on integrative medicine to help train our providers and expand our offerings. These partners include the University of Western States (chiropractic medicine), the National University of Natural Medicine (naturopathy) , and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (traditional Chinese medicine).
For more than 30 years, we have studied integrative medicine. Our research topics include:
- Using yoga and acupuncture in clinical settings
- Non-drug treatment options for asthma
- Finding treatment options using botanical dietary supplements
Integrative medicine options at OHSU
We offer many integrative medicine services at OHSU. Below you can learn about them – what they are, and where to find them at OHSU.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves placing needles into the skin at precise points on the body. Traditional Chinese medicine teaches that channels of energy run through the body. Acupuncture accesses these channels to help remove barriers and improve energy flow.
Acupuncture can treat all types of pain, such as:
- Headaches or migraines
- Menstrual cramps
- Pain from injuries or accidents
- Arthritis
- Pain during pregnancy
- Fibromyalgia
Learn more: Acupuncture in Depth, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, South Waterfront
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- Colin Gold, D.A.O.M., L.Ac.
- Licensed Acupuncturist
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- Scott Mist, Ph.D., M.Ac.O.M.
- Clinical acupuncturist
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, Beaverton
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- Diane Behall, D.A.O.M., L.Ac.
- Acupuncturist
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- David M. Vitello, N.P., L.Ac.
- Acupuncturist
OHSU Neurology Wellness Clinic, Marquam Hill
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- Alexandra Dimitrova, M.D., M.A.
- Assistant professor
OHSU Center for Women’s Health, Marquam Hill
OHSU Primary Care, Gabriel Park
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute (referral required)
OHSU Primary Care Clinic, South Waterfront
Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine is a complete medical system, just like Western medicine. For thousands of years, trained doctors have used it to treat and prevent health conditions.
In traditional Chinese medicine, illness is understood as an imbalance of Qi, or vital energy. Practitioners use treatments like Chinese herbs and acupuncture to help Qi flow freely and balance the whole body.
Traditional Chinese medicine can treat:
- Muscle, nerve and pelvic pain
- Headaches or migraines
- Menstrual disorders, endometriosis, menopause symptoms and infertility
- Pain from injuries or accidents
- Stress, anxiety and depression
- Irritable bowel syndrome and digestive symptoms
- Insomnia
Learn more: Traditional Chinese Medicine, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, South Waterfront
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- Scott Mist, Ph.D., M.Ac.O.M.
- Clinical acupuncturist
OHSU Center for Women’s Health, Marquam Hill
OHSU Primary Care, Gabriel Park
OHSU Primary Care Clinic, South Waterfront
Chiropractic
Chiropractic medicine focuses on problems in the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Chiropractors use their hands (manual manipulation) to help your joints move better and relax your muscles. They use Active Release Techniques to find and isolate adhesions. Adhesions are areas where inflammation has caused muscle or other tissue to feel firm.
Chiropractors also offer nutrition and exercise support to help you reduce pain and improve your whole body health.
Chiropractic medicine can treat:
- Back, neck and joint pain
- Headaches or migraines
- Muscle strains and sprains
- Injuries from sports or accidents
- Muscle spasms
- Trapped or compressed nerves
Learn more: Chiropractic, MedlinePlus
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, South Waterfront
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- Jordan Graeme, D.C., M.S.H.N.F.M.
- Chiropractor
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- Ty Weingard, M.S., D.C., D.C.N.
- Chiropractor
Health psychology
Health psychology is the study of how mental, emotional, behavioral and cultural factors affect physical health and illness. A health psychologist can support you to:
- Understand how your physical illness may affect your psychological health.
- Understand mental, emotional or cultural distress may affect your physical health.
- Make healthy lifestyle choices, even if you are sick or struggling.
- Prevent illness and promote health through behavior or lifestyle changes.
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, South Waterfront
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- Stephen Boyd, Ph.D.
- Clinical Psychologist
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- Catriona Buist, Psy.D.
- Pain Psychologist
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- James W. Carson, Ph.D.
- Clinical Psychologist
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- Thomas Kern, Ph.D.
- APOM Director of Pain Psychology
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- Jenna Stapleton, Ph.D.
- Clinical Psychologist
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, Beaverton
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- Catriona Buist, Psy.D.
- Pain Psychologist
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- James W. Carson, Ph.D.
- Clinical Psychologist
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- Jenna Stapleton, Ph.D.
- Clinical Psychologist
Lifestyle medicine
Lifestyle medicine focuses on how patients can take control of their health by making changes to their daily life. While conventional medicine diagnoses disease and treats symptoms, lifestyle medicine is about treating the causes of disease through lifestyle changes. A lifestyle medicine specialist helps you with:
- Nutrition and eating habits
- Exercise and activity level
- Sleep habits
- Stress management
- Substance use
- Social relationships and connection
OHSU Primary Care, Beaverton
OHSU Primary Care, Gabriel Park
OHSU Primary Care, Scappoose
OHSU Primary Care, South Waterfront
Massage
Massage therapy is the use of pressure, motion and other techniques to manipulate your muscles and other soft tissues. In general, massage is used to treat stress and body pain. Massage can also increase your circulation, body awareness and flexibility. We offer many different massage techniques, such as:
- Myofascial release can relieve pain in the connective tissue between your muscles, joints and bones.
- Neuromuscular therapy is applying steady pressure to an area of muscle spasm to relieve pain.
- Craniosacral therapy uses gentle pressure to help your organs and muscles relax, improving their function.
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, South Waterfront
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- Leslie Christiansen, L.M.T.
- Massage Therapist
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- Jennifer Hessick, L.M.T.
- Massage Therapist
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- Lisa Shorett, L.M.T
- Massage Therapist
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- Tyler Kragerud, L.M.T.
- Massage Therapist
Mindfulness
Mindfulness simply means being aware of the present moment, without any judgement. It’s a wonderful tool for navigating life’s challenges that can be practiced through meditation, yoga or other techniques. Benefits include:
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduced depression or anxiety
- Pain relief
- Improved neurological function
Face-to-face mindfulness classes are suspended due to COVID-19. Visit Mindfulness at OHSU to learn about virtual options.
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, South Waterfront
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, Beaverton
Naturopathy
Naturopathic medicine is about supporting your body’s ability to heal itself. A naturopathic doctor will work with you to find the root cause of illness and create a personalized care plan. Naturopathic medicine helps you find balance and well-being by treating you as a whole person. Treatment can include one or more therapies, and can be combined with conventional or other integrative approaches. Naturopathic therapies include:
- Nutrition and lifestyle changes
- Herbs, vitamins and minerals
- Homeopathy (using tiny amounts of natural substances to stimulate healing)
- Physical medicine (recovering physical, emotional or other functions after a disease or injury)
- Counseling
Learn more: Naturopathy, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, Beaverton and South Waterfront
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- Alena Guggenheim, N.D.
- Naturopath
OHSU Center for Women’s Health, Marquam Hill
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- Lynne Shinto, N.D., M.P.H.
- Professor
OHSU Knight Cancer Institute (referral required)
Osteopathy and osteopathic manipulative treatment
Osteopathic medicine focuses on whole-person health and disease prevention.
Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine make treatment decisions based on these basic tenants:
- Body unity. You are your body, mind and spirit.
- Self-healing. Your body can regulate and heal itself.
- The relationship between structure and function. The physical health of your body parts affects how well they work, and how well your body works affects its physical structure.
D.O.s are fully-licensed physicians, with medical degrees and residency training. They offer all the benefits of modern medicine, like prescription drugs, surgery, and diagnosis of disease. They also factor your life story and experiences into your treatment plan, and offer the added benefit of hands-on diagnosis and treatment through OMT.
Read more: The Philosophy of Osteopathic Medicine, AACOM
OMT is a hands-on, gentle technique based on a strong understanding of the human body and musculoskeletal system. It works on many levels to help you feel better by adjusting your joints, muscles, nerves and other body parts. OMT techniques help your body work better.
OMT can support treatment of almost any health condition, including:
- Muscle or joint pain
- Other types of chronic or temporary pain
- Asthma, heart and lung conditions
- Stress, depression and anxiety
- Headaches and migraines
- Pain during pregnancy
OHSU Primary Care, Gabriel Park
OHSU Primary Care, Scappoose
Rolfing Structural Integration
Rolfing Structural Integration is a bodywork system that uses soft tissue manipulation and movement patterns to balance your body better in gravity. Rolfing techniques focus on the fascia, the soft connective tissues throughout your body.
Benefits of Rolfing may include:
- Improved posture and freedom of movement
- Less pain and tension
- Less stress and a greater sense of comfort in your body
Learn more: What is Rolfing Structural Integration?, Dr. Ida Rolf Institute
OHSU Comprehensive Pain Center, Beaverton and South Waterfront
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- Jessie Nethercote
- Rolfing Therapist
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- Gina Purl
- Certified Advanced Rolfer
Medical doctors with integrative medicine expertise
Some medical doctors (M.D.s) at OHSU have additional expertise or training in integrative medicine. This means that they bring a whole-body approach and the wisdom of other practices to caring for their patients.
For patients
Schedule an appointment: Call the clinic for the provider you want to see. No referral is required for most of these services.
Insurance: Check with your insurance carrier about coverage for the service you need. See OHSU’s billing and insurance page for more information.
For students and providers
The OHSU Integrative Health Collaborative is advancing integrative health in patient care, education and research.
Contact Us
Email OIHC@ohsu.edu with questions or comments. We will respond within 3 business days.