Inform Your Doctors

List all supplements, medications, and alternative therapies you are using for your health.

• Inform your doctor about what you are taking (nutritional supplements, medications, etc.). Supply your doctor with a detailed list of the vitamins, minerals, herbs, and medications that you are taking. Write down doses and how long you’ve been taking each.
• Write down all other natural therapies you are using, including acupuncture, massage, meditation, and yoga. Most of these therapies are beneficial to use as adjunct therapies if they’re administered or guided by a qualified therapist. You still should inform your doctor, you never know when a therapy might interfere.
• Make a copy of your list, give it to your doctor at your next visit, and ask for it to be included in your medical file. Be sure to update the list and inform your physician if you change your supplements and/or therapies.

Ask Questions

The best way to have a discussion with your doctor about alternative therapies is to ask questions. Ask if any of the supplements or therapies on your list may cause complications and mention additional therapeutic treatments you might want to try. It is a good idea to write down your questions ahead of time so you won’t forget them. If your doctor doesn’t have the time to answer all of your questions, ask to talk with a physician’s assistant or nurse. They may be more open to such communication and can advise you on how to safely integrate alternative and conventional therapies. If your doctor cannot answer your questions or doesn’t want to have a discussion about alternative therapies then you may have to do your own research. The internet can be a valuable source of information - but there is so much information - what is the patient to believe? Again, ask a physician’s assistant, a nurse, or even a pharmacist to help you evaluate the information.

Your Alternative Doctor

If you are seeing an alternative care practitioner (e.g. Naturopath or chiropractor) then it is just as important to talk with them about your conventional treatments. The information may have a bearing on the natural treatments they recommend. You want the alternative therapy to complement your conventional treatment protocol. Ask your conventional doctor to send your alternative doctor a copy of your record, and vice versa. Many patients may already be doing this. Additionally keep copies of your medical records at home. Studies show that most patients do share their medical records with their alternative therapy practitioners but are more reluctant to reveal alternative therapies to conventional doctors.

When patients believe their conventional doctors are open-minded they are more likely to reveal details about alternative treatments. The outcome is better care when you can speak openly about your use of natural therapies. It is truly complementary medicine!

How to Find the Doctor or Research You Need

If, despite your best efforts, you can’t get your doctor to talk to you about alternative therapies then you may have to find another doctor. One suggestion is to look at major medical centers and teaching institutes. Staff physicians and surgeons at these institutions have access to the latest research and may be more open-minded about alternative medicine. Or contact an organization of medical practitioners specifically geared to alternative medicine like one of the following:

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians: provides a list of naturopaths (866-538-2267; www.naturopathic.org).

Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine: provides a list of holistic doctors (218-525-5651; http://aihm.org/).

Genova Diagnostics Lab: Established in 1986 as Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory, Genova Diagnostics today serves over 8000 primary/specialty physicians and healthcare providers, offering over 125 specialized diagnostic assessments. A physician referral list is available by calling Genova Diagnostics at 1-800-522-4762 or through e-mail via their web site at www.gdx.net.

Institute of Functional Medicine: IFM provides a list of practitioners who have completed their five-day course, Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice. They are interested in helping patients find healthcare professionals who are familiar with the concepts and approaches of functional medicine. Access to these healthcare professionals is through their website at https://www.functionalmedicine.org/.

For the latest research on complementary and alternative medicine, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has links that automatically narrow your searches in PubMed® to the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) subset (available at: https://nccih.nih.gov/research/camonpubmed) and to the dietary supplement (DS) subset, (available at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/Research/PubMed_Dietary_Supplement_Subset.aspx)