What You Must Know To Choose The Right Doctor

Our health care has become compartmentalized and there is a specialist for every body part. The body of knowledge for each organ system is so great that it takes dedication to one specific part to develop expertise. This works to some degree, I would surely go to an orthopedist for a broken bone, a cardiologist for a heart attack and a gastroenterologist for a liver or intestinal disorder. What do you do when you have a lot going on and get conflicting information from various doctors?

With the average office visit in a primary care physician’s office being less than 11 minutes. It is hard to get to the root cause of what is ailing you unless it is something specific and full blown illness like a fever, sore throat, diarrhea, or pain in a specific area. When symptoms are chronic, generalized and vague, and medication is causing side effects or you are on too many medications, it may be worthwhile to get a different perspective and try a different approach.

Integrative Medicine

Holistic medicine has taken on many forms and names. What used to be known as complimentary medicine is now known as Integrative Medicine. All over the country hospitals are embracing this type of medicine and have dedicated teams that offer a variety of treatments. For example, the Integrative Medicine Departments in New Jersey combine anything from acupuncture, massage, energy work, Aruyvedic, meditation and other mind body techniques to aid healing. They integrate with many disciplines that have some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness.

Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine is based on getting to the root cause of illness taking into account the interaction amongst genetics, environment, lifestyle, and the body’s interconnected systems. It addresses the way a person functions and is not just about diagnosing a disease and giving a treatment. Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just the isolated symptoms and looks for contributing factors that influence illness.

Blended Approach

What both have in common is they treat the whole person, not just the symptoms of illness. Neither rejects conventional treatment. Both strive to find a balance between natural and conventional therapies and spend time with patients. In addition, develop treatment plans in partnership with the patients. Both have been found to be helpful with chronic illness as well as vague symptoms that don’t have a diagnosis.

The type of doctor you choose has to suit your philosophy, goals and lifestyle. Having an open mind and being willing to get another opinion regarding your health can enable you to function optimally. Therefore, combine the best of both worlds.

Lorraine Maita, MD is an award winning physician, speaker and author of “Vibrance for Life: How to Live Younger and Healthier” and can make you slim, sharp, sexy and supercharged. She is an expert in anti aging medicine, bioidentical hormone replacement, and weight loss, medical nutrition, supplements and executive health.  Dr. Maita has a private practice in Functional, Integrative, Personalized and Anti Aging Medicine in Short Hills, NJ howtoliveyounger.com and educates virtually at www.vibranceforlife.com.  Live and look younger and healthier by scheduling a consultation today.