Choosing an alternative health healer

by Laura F. Chisholm, MPH

Choose "Choosing a physician is like choosing a car you need someone you can trust who can take you where you need to go," writes Dr. Judith Boice in The Pocket Guide to Naturopathic Medicine. In response to Americas growing interest in complementary medicine, the yellow pages of many local phone books now swell with growing ranks of acupuncturists, naturopaths, and chiropractors. Although the seemingly endless options may be confusing, choosing a healer can be a straightforward process if you know what questions to ask.

What type of complementary therapy appeals to you?The type of therapy you choose should be determined by your ailment or condition, and a treatment practice that is comfortable for you. Three of the most popular are acupuncture, chiropractic, and naturopathy. All take a holistic approach; instead of focusing on symptoms and diseases as conventional doctors do, practitioners of these complementary therapies seek to discover the root causes of medical problems. They then work with patients to create the optimal conditions for restoring health and balance in their lives. Despite this basic similarity, there are some important differences among these three healing styles.

Acupunctureis an ancient healing technique rooted in the Chinese medical theory that health derives from the free flow of life energy through internal organ systems and external meridians. Acupuncture treatment involves the painless insertion and stimulation of fine needles into the skin at specific points. It is used for treating pain, menstrual irregularities, athletic injuries, fatigue, and the complications of chronic and infectious diseases.

Chiropractictakes its name from the Greek words meaning "done by hand." A system of spinal manipulation begun late in the last century, chiropractic uses a variety of realignment techniques, theoretically restoring health by unblocking the flow of the nervous system. Chiropractic offers non-surgical treatment of many health problems, including back and neck pain, arthritis, muscle spasms, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headache.

Naturopathic medicine, based on a holistic philosophy that emphasizes patients individuality, uses many different methods of healing. Some of the most common are vitamin and herbal supplement therapy, nutrition interventions, and homeopathy a system of treating disease with minute doses of a drug that in massive amounts would cause symptoms similar to those it is supposed to cure. Because of its versatility, naturopathic medicine is a good choice for people who seek natural primary care, or who seek relief from chronic conditions, including allergies and recurrent viral infections.

Referrals from friends and family are probably the most reliable way to find an appropriate provider. Henry, a retired plumber from Oregon, found an acupuncturist to treat his back pain through a recommendation from his nephew. "Even though I wasnt crazy about needles, I felt comfortable going to somebody Danny trusted," he says. His treatment was so successful that Henry has now referred four other members of his family to the same practitioner.

If no one you know can give you a recommendation, search your local Yellow Pages, or try the referral resources listed below. Barbara Agnew, head of public relations at Western States Chiropractic College, suggests some additional strategies for finding complementary care providers. "Call a nearby school for a list of graduates in your area, or contact the state professional association for a referral," she says.

Before scheduling an appointment, ask for a free consultation, or at least the opportunity to speak with the provider on the phone. Remember that someone who doesnt have the time to answer your questions may be too busy to give you high-quality care. Write down any questions you might have ahead of time; you may wish to talk about such details as rates for visits, insurance billing, and the practitioners appointment cancellation policy.

Be sure to get satisfactory answers to the following questions:

Where did you receive your training?

Make sure that your practitioner attended a nationally accredited school. In states with strict licensing laws, chiropractors and naturopathic doctors must have completed four years of training and passed rigorous national and state board exams. However, in other states, less qualified people may legally practice. The training and experience of acupuncturists may also vary from state to state. While some states allow only M.D.s to practice acupuncture, be aware that a medical doctor licensed to practice acupuncture may not have the same breadth and depth of knowledge as a practitioner with a Masters degree in acupuncture and oriental medicine. State licensing laws regulating educational requirements for complementary care providers vary greatly and may change at any time. Be sure to check into the current status of licensure in your state by contacting your state medical licensing board or the organizations listed below.

How much clinical experience do you have?

Your provider should have received at least a year of supervised clinical training as part of his or her accredited course of study. But keep in mind that if you live near a school of acupuncture, chiropractic, or naturopathy, the schools training clinic may offer high-quality, low-cost treatment by supervised student practitioners.

What healing techniques do you use?

Make sure that your providers philosophy of healing meshes with your own. If you hope to be treated with a particular healing technique, ask if your practitioner uses it. Its also helpful to find out ahead of time if your treatment might involve expensive lab work or imaging studies.

Be wary of lofty claims or promises of immediate results, especially for problems like obesity or addictions that require long-term behavioral changes. Dr. Boice warns against pushers of "miracle" supplements and fad diets, and urges caution when dealing with practitioners who claim that one technique will fix everyones problems. "A good healer acknowledges the individuality of each patient," she says. "Because each body is different, individuals with the same symptoms or diseases will often end up with different treatments."

Even if a practitioner receives enthusiastic recommendations from your friends, use your own judgment when choosing a healer. Exercising your power of choice is an important way to lay the foundation for a respectful, trusting relationship with your new practitioner.

Intuition can often be your best guide; ask yourself if this is a person you will feel comfortable with. Was she a good listener? Did he respond to your concerns appropriately and compassionately? If so, congratulations you have found a partner to accompany you along the road to health!

Reliable general information about acupuncture, naturopathy, and other forms of "alternative" medicine can be found at a number of sites on the web. The Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health is a good place to start. A large number of commercial sites also exist, but do keep in mind that each has its own point of view. In addition, most referral search engines only include providers who have paid a listing fee, or are a member of a particular organization.

For national information on licensing, check out specific laws listed by state at http://www.ACUPUNCTURE.COM/StateLaws/StateLaws.htm. Alternatively, look in your local library for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Laws by Barbara Mitchell, J.D., L.Ac.

For questions about the accreditation of individual schools, contact the school directly and ask if they are accredited by the National Accreditation Commission for Schools and Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NACSCAOM). If you have questions about the certification status of individual practitioners, contact the National Commission on Certification of Acupuncturists at (202) 232-1404 and ask if the practitioner is listed in their Diplomate Directory. You can gather names of acupuncturists practicing near you at http://www.aaom.org/, or from the international search engine at http://www.acupuncture.com.

For information about chiropractic licensing, contact the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards at http://www.fclb.org/index.htm.You can also find general information on education and licensure, as well as interesting links at http://www.chiroweb.com/find/licen.html.

Look over the list of chiropractic schools accredited by the Association of Chiropractic Colleges at http://www.chirocolleges.org/ for information on school accreditation.

For chiropractic referrals, access the search engine of the American Chiropractic Association at http://www.amerchiro.org, the engine at http://www.chiroweb.com/cgi-bin/locator, or contact the International Chiropractors Association at chiro@erols.com.

For licensing information, contact the Alliance for State Licensing of Naturopathic Physicians at http://www.allianceworkbook.com/lwindex.htm to access naturopathic medicine licensing laws listed by state. You can also contact state naturopathic physician organizations through http://www.naturopathic.org.

Updated naturopathic school accreditation information is available through the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education, located on the web at http://www.cnme.org. Their "frequently asked questions" section lists links to accredited naturopathic colleges. Direct further questions to dir@cnme.org.

For naturopath referrals, contact the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians referral line at (206) 323-7610, or use their search engine at http://www.naturopathic.org/.

Laura Chisholm, M.P.H., is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon who specializes in topics related to womens health and holistic healing. Prior to receiving her masters degree in community health education and promotion from Portland State University, she served as a conservation and health advisor with Peace Corps/Nepal.