How can i find a gp with alternative knowledge in my area?

Question

i am thinking of some one like dr. chris steel

Answer 1

Sorry, I don't know how to find such a doctor, but here is some reliable information on alternative health: http://www.skepdic.com/althelth.html

Answer 2

Medical Doctors don't know anything about alternative healthcare - that's why they are GPs.

Answer 3

Are you in the UK?

I worked in a PCT that had referals to altmed practitioners and although the GP's refered to US they largely had no idea what we actually did.

Some GP's do course in techniques like acupuncture or Reiki.

Some do post grad courses in Osteopathy for 13 - 19 months but a vast majority  who do refer are happy to refer on but don't actually know a lot about altmed specifically.

Then again why should they?

I'm an Osteopath, i know about Osteopathy. I've learn't a fair bit about Chiorpractic  & Physiotherapy because we tend to see similar patients and there is a lot of cross over, but don't ask me anything about TCM or Homeopathy!

Lets not even mention iridology or herbalism.

There is only so much taught in a specialism and soone or later you just want to pratice what you do and loose interest in what other people are doing.

If you want to find out about 'alternative knowledge' you are best doing some research. You may find GP's that have done additional training but in my experience they are still very allopathic in their way of thinking and tend to practice a very 'reduced' from of whatever they have learn't in addition to allopathy.

NB Chris Steel is an allopathic GP who frequently appears on TV. People ring in and ask questions  and he panals with a herbalist and specialists from other fields. His knowledge of altmed is actually very good.

NB2: Scepdik or whatever it is called is not a reliable website. It is full of anecdote and extremely biased. It's aim isn't to inform but to stop people using alt-med.

Answer 4

At most, you're likely to find a doctor with an interest in alternative / natural healing, not requisite skill. It's such a comprehensive field (each complete in itself, such as acupuncture, herbology, homeopathy, chiropractic) that a conventionally trained practitioner would have to adopt an opposite perspective. Even for open-minded doctors, this is the difficulty. I participated in a panel where our holistic-minded M.D. sought our recommendations to patient problems.

While I do not know if this equates to other fields, in homeopathy there are MDs (or NDs) who later train as a homeopath (for example, http://www.billgrayhomeopathy.com). This provides a person grounded in alternative healing, who also possesses "conventional" knowledge.

It all depends on the level of holistic healing knowledge you wish for your GP.