In the US there are several types of “medical schools.” Let’s look forst at some that are generally considered “alternative medicine.” There are schools of chinese medicine and acupuncture. These schools teach various forms of traditional medicine. Graduates, if permitted to practice in your state, will typically have some form of licensure from a state medical board. These students rarely have contact with hospitalized patients and there is little formal post-graduate training in the US.
Homeopathic medicine involves the use of dilute solutions of chemicals to treat various ailments. Like chinese medicine these graduates have little formal post-graduate education in clinical settings.
http://www.naturopathic.org/ involves the use multimodal therapy to assist the body in natural healing. Several schools exist with varying degrees of hospital involvement.
Chiropractic medicine is well known to most Americans. Licensure for chiropractors is available in every US jurisdiction. Chiropractice education, like most other alternative therapies, generally has little formal post-graduate education.
Other smaller schools based on less common treatment modalities and philosophies exist. These are almost too numerous to count. To varying degrees, under various circumstances these are viable treatment options. None have the scientific rigor of traditional allopathic (MD) or osteopathic (DO) medicine.
Without addressing the merits of alternative therapy there are several questions to address before looking to these modalities. The questions relate to the therapy itself and then to the individual practitioner.
Patients must look to the scientific validity of the medical care. Search hard for real research that confirms the efficacy of the treatment proposed. This is not limited to alternative providers- patients should also verify the validity of mainstream treatment. Some therapy may have value for an individual patient even if there is no clear scientific evidence of overall value. Even placebo makes some people feel better. Second, or multiple opinions, is an excellent way to obtain the necessary information. If your provider is offended that you want additional information or opinions- you need a new provider.
It’s a bad idea to rely on testimonials from family friends or worse- television ads. Testimonials are worthless. Why would you care if someone else got better- unless the treatment has clear scientific validity. Remember- even placebo makes some people feel better. Before you let a provider use your time and take your money, make sure the therapy will work.
After determining that a particular treatment modality if right for you you must find a qualified provider. This is not as easy as it may seem. Ideally you should have someone with formal education. The provider should be subject to licensure and discipline in your state.
Be aggressive and pursue all of your questions. Assure yourself that the therapy is safe, legal, and that the provider is qualified.
It’s your health. Take care of it.
