Finding Your Way Through Pain – An Integrated Approach to Care

The Centre for Health Innovation|August 19, 2025

Dr. Danika Garby, ND, MS. Ac., Naturopathic Doctor.

If you’ve ever tried to navigate the healthcare system while living with pain, you know it can feel like trying to put together a puzzle without all the pieces. You may be referred to one specialist, wait months, then get sent to another. You try different treatments — some help, some don’t — but it’s hard to know what’s working, what’s safe to combine, and what’s worth your time and energy.

Meanwhile, the pain doesn’t take a break.

This is where Integrated Pain Care can make a difference — helping people make sense of their care, understand their options, and bring together different treatments into a plan that works for
them.

Bridging Traditional and Complementary Medicine

One of the biggest challenges in pain care is that traditional medicine and complementary therapies often operate in separate worlds. Doctors, specialists, physiotherapists, naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, and other providers each bring valuable tools — but without coordination, care can become fragmented.

An integrated approach brings these worlds together.

It means looking at your MRI results and your mindfulness practice in the same conversation. It means making space for both physiotherapy exercises and nutrition strategies — because real pain care works best when it’s connected, not siloed.

What an Integrated Pain Care Coordinator Can Offer

Working with an Integrated Pain Care Coordinator starts with understanding the full picture — medical history, current treatments, daily routines, goals, and challenges — and then supporting and connecting care.

This can include:

Personalized Guidance – Helping understand a diagnosis, exploring treatment options, and preparing for appointments with the right questions and information.
Family & Caregiver Support – Providing education on pain science, realistic expectations, and practical strategies for support without burnout.
Care Coordination – Ensuring everyone on the care team — from specialists to complementary health providers — is informed and aligned.
Education & Skills – Learning about pacing, flare-up prevention, movement, nutrition, and safe integration of complementary therapies.

Why This Matters

When living with pain, time and energy are limited. The healthcare system can be complex, and navigating it alone can be exhausting. Because pain doesn’t stay in one place — it follows people into homes, schools, workplaces, and daily life. Support should follow, too.

An integrated approach helps ensure treatment is not only evidence-informed but also personalized to the individual’s life and values — so care is connected, practical, and easier to manage.

Let’s build a plan that supports you and your family, so you can live well, even with pain.

Book a consultation, or a no cost 15-minute meet and greet with Dr. Danika Garby, ND today!

Author: Dr. Danika Garby, ND, MS. Ac. Naturopathic Doctor

Supporting my daughter through her diagnosis of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) over the past decade reshaped both my personal and professional life. What began as a general naturopathic practice evolved into a focused commitment to pain care, driven by the realities of caregiving and the stories of many patients in my practice living with chronic, complex pain. These experiences have continually challenged and inspired me to find more integrative, practical, and compassionate solutions.

Today, as a naturopathic doctor, I work with people of all ages, including children, teens, adults, older adults, and caregivers. My role is to guide, connect, and advocate, offering practical, integrative strategies and coordinating care across interdisciplinary teams in Ottawa and surrounding areas.