by Renee Rotto

Created on: March 05, 2011

Alternative medicine is becoming very popular today. Patients may wonder if some of what conventional medicine offers will do anything more than treat their symptoms. With the many side affects of medications causing more problems than the initial disease, a patient has every right to expect their doctor to be open to alternative therapies.

You may want to get more information about these therapies from your doctor. You may have even done your homework on a certain therapy over the Internet. If you think you have found a particular therapy that you are interested in trying, you will want your doctor to know about it and you will want your doctor’s opinion. If you have a treatment plan currently in progress, you may want your doctor to integrate the conventional treatment with an alternative one. In any case you will want your doctor to be on board with any alternative therapies that you want to try.

While some doctors are open to integrating the two approaches, other doctors want nothing to do with alternative medicine. Many doctors are not familiar with eastern medicine or alternative medicines, since they were never taught about this in medical school. They may feel uninformed or uneducated in these areas, preferring to stick with therapies that they are familiar with. Your doctor may have a busy and thriving practice and may not have the time or the inclination to learn about alternative medicine. Many doctors are skeptical of alternative medicine, while still others regard it as ‘snake oil cures’.

If you have a good rapport with your doctor, you should feel comfortable to discuss all your possible health options. Unfortunately some patients become frustrated when their doctor sidesteps their questions. Your doctor may feels unsure or uncomfortable about these treatments because of the lack of knowledge he or she has. Your doctor may even say something like, "well, I’m the doctor". If your doctor will not discuss complementary treatments or alternative therapies with you than maybe it’s time to get a second opinion. But if you have a solid relationship with your doctor, you should not be afraid to broach the subject. Here are a few way to accomplish that directive.

Tell your doctor that you would like to explore alternative or complimentary therapies. If you have checked the Internet, make some suggestions on what therapies you might consider trying and why. Your doctor may ask you about the information you have researched so

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