●  Motto : practice, research, and education of comprehensive medicine

Our motto is “the practice, research and education of comprehensive medicine.” The best medical practice should contribute to the quality of life of a patient who is suffering from various symptoms. Comprehensive medicine is essential to realize it.

Comprehensive medicine always encourages healthcare professionals to see a patient as a whole person with illness. It also helps make the patient’s quality of life better.

Patients live a whole person. They are more than just the collection of cells or organs. Their biological (body), psychological (mind), social (environment) and existential (meaning) and spirituality aspects make up their whole life.

The biopsychosocial and existential medical model that is applied to comprehensive medicine consists of our concept and the ideas proposed by Prof. Day (World Health Organization), Prof. Engel (University of Rochester, US), Prof. Ikemi (Kyusyu University, Japan) and Prof. Frankl (University of Vienna, Austria). It took hard work to develop the medical model.

The practitioners of comprehensive medicine apply the latest knowledge of modern medicine to the maximum. At the same time, however, they should know and try to overcome the limitations of modern medicine. Fortunately, there are various kinds of medicine practiced in Japan, such as Oriental medicine (e.g. Kampo prescriptions, acupuncture, moxibustion, and life nurturing with nutrition) and psychosomatic medicine. So the practitioners of comprehensive medicine are required to utilize them as well as modern medicine and to understand a patient while taking account of the influence of body and mind on him/her. They should also find the meaning of life of a patient through logotherapy and existential analysis. Knowing the strengths and limitations of each method, we will seek the rational integration of medical treatments.

 As pointed out by Dr. Michael Balint, who was a precursor of primary care in the United Kingdom, good medical practice always requires seeing a whole person. The doctor-patient relationship also has a great impact on treatment. Thus, doctors should establish a doctor-patient relationship (interpersonal communication) that allows them to identify underlying problems and resources of a patient, and understand how his or her biological, psychological, social and existential aspects affect each other (intrapersonal communication). Balint medical interview helps doctors achieve it.

A doctor’s attitude (an affective domain) plays an important role in building such a relationship. It strongly influences the effectiveness of treatment, and thus needs to be reviewed regularly. We hold a Balint group for staff members once a month.

The doctor-patient relationship must be based upon mutual respect with both a doctor and a patient being independent of and responsive to each other. Cooperation with other health care professionals is also crucial, which leads to team-based medicine. Every doctor should know their strengths and limitations, and be able to cooperate with and refer their patients to other doctors and healthcare workers when necessary.

In short, Balint medical interview enables healthcare professionals to find the biopsychosocial and existential problems and resources of a patient that are hidden behind symptoms, investigate their interrelationship and choose the most appropriate treatment for the patient.

 Among symptoms reported by a patient, pain and fatigue can hardly be explained by common tests of modern medicine. Therefore, special examinations, which may be uncommon but are significant to the patient, are required.

Medical tests conducted at our clinic include stress hormones test, head-up tilt table test (used to assess hemodynamic responses), the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test, anti-oxidant defense system test, dark field microscopy of blood cells, Oriental medical diagnosis, psychological tests and logotherapeutic tests. They allow us to see a whole person.

To practice comprehensive medicine requires the integration of various medical treatments. Based upon modern medicine and pharmacotherapy, comprehensive medicine embraces the knowledge and methods of Oriental medicine, psychosomatic medicine (music therapy, counselling, psychoanalysis, and logotherapy and existential analysis), and physical therapy (exercise therapy, Tai Chi, Jikyouhou, acupuncture, moxibustion, balneotherapy, balneo-logotherapy and heat therapy).

But there is nothing more important than a patient’s will of self-care. Our patient support group is an opportunity for you to learn about your illness and how to control it.

Patient education is inevitable to achieve this goal. We have Seiryu-no-kai (a support group for pain patient) twice a month (the 2^nd and 4^th Wed). Seiryu-no-kai offers breathing exercise, Jikyouhou (physical exercise), Pain Meister program, and peer counselling. Peer counselling is supervised by a doctor and psychotherapists (registered international logotherapists).

Pain Meister program will enable you to understand your pain and become able to control it. It will also encourage you to help other pain patients as a peer counsellor.

Comprehensive medicine cannot be mastered overnight. The practice of comprehensive medicine should be grounded in good education. We will make every effort to educate health care professionals on comprehensive medicine. Balint groups are open to anyone.

We will organize an internship program and a visitor training program to provide healthcare professionals with an opportunity to learn comprehensive medicine.

We will also work hard for patient education.

Illnesses and conditions that we treat are: stress-related illnesses (psychosomatic illnesses), chronic pain (e.g. Fibromyalgia), hypotension and orthostatic hypotension, reactive and functional hypoglycemia, chronic fatigue, ME/CFS (myalgic encephalopathy / chronic fatigue syndrome), and cancer and intractable diseases (prevention of side effects caused by cancer treatments, palliative care).

Chronic pain (FMS, in particular) is the main focus of attention because it gives a huge impact on the quality of life of a patient. We are working to establish diagnostics and therapeutics for it.

Our aim is to practice comprehensive medicine. Our sincere wish is to help patients realize their full potential and live a fulfilling life, which will come true through the collaboration between patients and us.

We will support patients who wish to overcome their illness and get back their life, hoping that every patient will make an effort to manage their symptoms. We invite you to take part in the patient support group and other activities, where you can learn actively and willingly.

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