Communicating With Your Doctor About Alternative Therapies

Have you ever thought about trying an alternative therapy? If so, your physician is the best source for information on treatments not traditionally associated with Western medicine.

"I find that 70 to 80 percent of things I see in family practice are stress-induced. I use a lot of `mind/body' therapy, such as relaxation exercises and meditation, guided imagery, hypnosis, yoga, and also the `power of prayer' - support groups such as a patient's church or synagogue," says Dr. Donald Counts, an Austin family practitioner. "Being a Western-trained physician, I use traditional medicine as my first line of therapy, and I use non-traditional medicine also, depending on what's been diagnosed."

Dr. Counts stresses that communicating with your doctor is vital. You may learn about new forms of therapy from your doctor through your discussions, or you may mention to him things you've researched.

"Communication is key. An open dialog is important. Patients need to communicate with their doctors about what kinds of alternative practices they may be using, and those they may have heard about and want to try," says Dr. Counts. "I have a lot of patients who bring me information from the Internet and I let them know what might work and those that should be approached with caution."

TMA recently voted to develop programming to inform and educate its physician members on the pros and cons of the rapidly expanding field of alternative/complementary practices.

- From Texas Medical Association

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Courtesy of Texas Medical Center News

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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E-Mail: tmc-info@tmc.edu
URL: http://www.tmc.edu/health_briefs/110_01_99-alternative.html