Karen H. Seal, MD, MPH. Physician Chief of Integrative Health at the San Francisco VA Health Care System and Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Psychiatry at UCSF. Principal Investigator of the Whole Health Options and Pain Education (wHOPE) clinical trial, published in JAMA (2026).
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Cites Whole Health Options and Pain Education (wHOPE): A Pragmatic Trial Comparing Whole Health Team vs Primary Care Group Education to Promote Nonpharmacological Strategies to Improve Pain, Functioning, and Quality of Life in Veterans—Rationale, Methods, and Implementation
A whole-health approach treats chronic pain as more than a symptom — pairing medical care with movement, mindfulness, and coaching. The wHOPE trial is testing exactly this in 750 veterans, and the strategies apply well beyond the VA.
Cites Whole Health Options and Pain Education (wHOPE): A Pragmatic Trial Comparing Whole Health Team vs Primary Care Group Education to Promote Nonpharmacological Strategies to Improve Pain, Functioning, and Quality of Life in Veterans—Rationale, Methods, and Implementation
Traditional care asks what's wrong and treats it. Whole person health asks what matters to you and builds around it. They aren't rivals — but the differences in question, team, and goal change how care actually feels and works.
