Integrative Medicine for Gastrointestinal Issues

Integrative medicine uses a combination of evidence-based conventional and holistic treatments to improve gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in a safe and effective way and reduce the need for medication in some cases.

Conditions we treat

GI conditions we treat using an integrative medicine approach include:

What to expect

New or existing gastrointestinal (GI) patients who would like to explore integrative medicine treatments should ask their pediatrician or current GI specialist to specify integrative medicine during the referral process.

An initial 90-minute consultation with the patient, family and integrative medicine specialist Ann Ming Yeh, MD will cover all aspects of a patient’s health, including:

  • Current medications, previous tests and lab work
  • GI symptoms and triggers
  • Diet
  • Sleep
  • Physical activity
  • Social interactions
  • Sources of stress
  • Supplement or herbal remedy use
  • Previous experience with integrative medicine

We will then discuss the patient’s goals for integrative medicine treatment, and Dr. Yeh will develop a comprehensive treatment plan. Depending on each patient’s needs, treatment options can include therapies related to mind–body connection, exercise, nutrition, sleep, a child’s physical environment, relationships, spirituality and traditional Chinese medicine therapies like acupuncture.

Integrative Medicine at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health

Our team of integrative medicine specialists works to provide holistic and evidence-based clinical care, trains future leaders and performs cutting-edge research in pediatric integrative medicine. We have the most pediatric integrative medicine specialists of any children’s hospital in the country, including experts in gastroenterology, neonatology, pain management, pulmonology and rheumatology. Our integrative medicine specialists are also adept at delivering conventional therapies, and they work with a multidisciplinary team of experts to pair conventional and integrative treatments to provide the best outcomes for each patient.

We are also the first children’s hospital in the nation to offer a fellowship in pediatric integrative medicine, helping to train future leaders in childhood holistic medicine. We also conduct research into integrative medicine’s safety and effectiveness, including a recent study on the use of yoga to help manage the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.