Discussing Alternative Medicine with your family doctor

by Cathy Wong

Do you dare tell your family doctor that you are using alternative therapies?  It's not easy, given the dismissal and contempt that patients are often met with, but you must; a study conducted in 1997 revealed that patients inform their doctors of only two fifths of the alternative therapies they use.  And with an increasing number of adverse interactions between natural health products and conventional care being reported, there is a clear potential for danger.  Here is some advice on how to approach your family doctor.

Don't assume your doctor will dismiss alternative medicine

An increasing number of doctors are recommending therapies such as acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic to their patients. Go into the discussion with a positive attitude, clearing your mind of assumptions and fear about how your doctor might react - you may be surprised.

Do your research

If your doctor reacts with aloofness or contempt, remember that it is often masks ignorance.  You can help by giving your doctor information to read about your therapy.  A good place to start is the bookstore or library, where you can find in-depth, critical material about alternative medicine.  If you are ambitious, you can search an alternative medicine research database for journal abstracts and articles that will appeal to believers of the evidence-based, biomedical approach.

Another option is to ask your alternative practitioner to send your doctor an introductory letter to open the lines of communication and show your doctor that he or she is willing to work as a team. Most practitioners would welcome the opportunity to work with other members of your health care team.

If your doctor refuses to listen

Attitudes are changing.  But while many doctors acknowledge the clinical effectiveness of alternative medicine and share their patients concerns about over-reliance on synthetic drugs and invasive surgery, this is not always the case.  If you are uncomfortable with your doctors reaction, you can either persist in providing him or her with information about your treatments, or you can find a doctor who is more open-minded about the nontraditional therapies that may help your condition.

Reference

Eisenberg, DM, Davis, RB, Ettner, SL, Appel, S, Wilkey, S, Rompay, M, Kessler, RC. Trends in Alternative Medicine Use in the United States, 1990-1997.  Results of a Follow-up National Survey. JAMA 280 (18): 1569-1575.