Exploring integrative medicine with UCSF's Dr. Kevin Barrows

Life could get a little easier for low-income earners if the national health plan passes Congress. But some analysts are expressing concerns that providing health care for more people could be costly for a lot of Californians. That’s because the Senate version of the bill would pay for expanded health benefits in part through higher taxes on health insurers. And those would, in turn, probably be passed on to consumers.

There’s a lot at stake in the final health care bill, and one person with a close eye on the consequences is Dr. Kevin Barrows. He’s Interim Director of Clinical Programs at UCSF’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. And what, you might ask, is “Integrative Medicine”?   Well, it’s the concept of bringing modern Western medicine together with tried-and-true practices from around the world. KALW’s Ben Trefny sat down with Kevin Barrows at the Osher Center and asked him if he thought integrative medicine would ever be considered to be mainstream.

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Additional tips from Dr. Barrows on maintaining good health.

Dr. Barrows recommends the Integrator blog for insightful medical news related to Integrative Medicine.

Learn how to perform Dr. Andrew Weil's "4-7-8 breath" or diaphragmatic breathing, and the soft belly breath.