How to Choose a Holistic Physician/Practitioner

“For decades, options have been limited for those seeking a true partnership with their healthcare adviser,” observes Andrew Weil, MD, a Harvard-educated physician and author of Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being. Trips to the doctor are often-times rushed visits, leading to a lapse in the healthcare services received by the patient and hampering the physician/patient relationship.

Today, a more integrative approach to healthcare has resonated with a growing number of Americans. With an emphasis on the value of a partnered relationship among doctors and their patients, focus on preventative care as well as viewing a person’s health in respect to all facets - physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental and social, has become significant. When looking for a healthcare provider who will offer knowledge and understanding of complementary and integrative modalities, here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

1. Trained in holistic medicine
   
   When selecting a physician or practitioner, keep in mind the method of referral. Was it professional or personal and do you know someone who has seen this healthcare provider? Just as other professionals are recommended by people, make sure you trust the person or business from whom you’ve received the suggestion, and do your homework. Research the organization - their technical certifications, professional organizations or hospital affiliations.
   
    
2. Your visit addresses you as a whole, not just the symptoms that brought you in
   
   Because holistic healthcare places a focus on wellness and a healthy partnership between you and your doctor, the actual visit and length of time should be considered. More importantly, it’s the content of the appointment that truly matters, so make sure you feel the visit was adequate. Holistically-minded doctors tend to ask patients about diet, exercise, and other lifestyle habits, including stress level, emotional well-being, and even spiritual beliefs and practices.
   
    
3. Open and honest appointment
   
   For many, a visit to the doctor often causes anxiety and worry. It’s important that your healthcare provider not only put you at ease, but be open to discussing your concerns and your options. You should feel comfortable enough to inform and educate yourself on other options and opinions, and the doctor or practitioner should be respectful and helpful regarding outside research.
   
    
4. Drugs are not the only solution they offer
   
   Whereas an integrative healthcare provider may recognize the need for a prescription, in many cases there are other methods that treat or aid in the treatment of certain ailments. For example, a patient with a family history of heart disease may be prescribed medication but an assessment of lifestyle choices, exercise, diet, environment factors should be taken into consideration. A holistic physician will address those areas of a patient’s life and discuss or suggest any improvement to be made that might allow for more efficient treatment as a whole.
   
    
5. Recommendation
   
   Patients should have a good level of confidence, personal comfort, and trust in their physician and practitioner. A good measure of a how well you trust the practice and physician is to ask yourself, “Would I recommend this person to a family member and close friend?”
   
    

Physician Options & Common Credentials to Know

Medical Doctor (MD) For help in finding a medical doctor (MD) trained in holistic medicine, there are a variety of helpful resources. For example, you can contact the University of Arizona Program in Integrative Medicine, the American Board of Holistic Medicine, the American Holistic Medical Association (that’s us!) or the American Holistic Health Association. A list of various organizations with online directories or other helpful information is available on the Resources page of our website.

Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) Osteopaths are fully licensed physicians who are similar to MDs - they both can prescribe medicine and perform surgery, and are covered by insurance. Doctors of osteopathic medicine practice a whole-person approach, which means they consider both the physical and mental needs of their patients. Osteopathic physicians also identify the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health, and highlight the belief that muscles, nerves, bones, and organs are all interrelated. To learn more or find an osteopath, visit www.academyofosteopathy.org.

Naturopathic Doctor (ND) Licensed naturopaths attend four-year naturopathic medical schools, studying the same basic sciences as MDs , as well as a wide variety of natural therapies. They focus on preventati ve medicine and the body's innate healing capacity. In the states that have licensing laws, a growing number of insurance plans cover naturopathy and a few states mandate it. But in many regions, naturopaths are not yet covered. Visit the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at www.naturopathic.org for more information.

Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) Chiropractors diagnose and treat patients with health problems of the musculoskeletal system and treat the effects of those problems on the nervous system and on general health. The chiropractic approach to healthcare stresses the patient’s overall health. Chiropractors provide natural, drugless, non-surgical health treatments, relying on the body’s inherent recuperative abilities. They also recognize that many factors affect health, including exercise, diet, rest, environment and heredity. Visit www.chiromed.org to learn more from the National Association for Chiropractic Medicine.

Homeopathic Doctor. Homeopathy is based upon the belief that symptoms are the body’s own attempt at self-healing and that any suppression of those symptoms will drive the disease further into the body. Homeopathic remedies are derived from raw, natural resources generally from the vegetable, animal and mineral kingdom. Homeopathy is holistic, treating the whole person and not just the symptoms. Contact the American Institute of Homeopathy at www.homeopathyusa.org for more information.

Note: Thanks to Mind /Body Magazine article, “How Holistic is Your Doc?”, Jan. 2008, and the US Department of Labor website for some of the information included above.