Orthopaedics and Alternative Therapies

The world of integrative and alternative medicine is more popular now that ever. But how do you wade through the vast amounts of information available online without becoming more confused, or falling for scams from unsafe practitioners and their advice? I have spent many years reading books, magazines, peer-reviewed journal articles, and following discussion groups moderated by highly trained naturopathic doctors and herbalists, and yet there are still many times when I am not certain how to choose between two or more conflicting opinions. Oftentimes we ask our physicians for advice on certain modalities or supplements we’ve read about and they may know from personal experience which ones are good and which aren’t. But other times, physicians have not studied these modalities in depth and prefer to stay within the boundaries of what they were taught as generally accepted practices in medical school. That does not mean that many of the alternative therapies are not good, or even bad, it just means that your doctor either may not know enough about it or does not want to recommend it to protect their practice from liability.

One medical professional source for physicians and patients provides an overview of several of the alternative therapies that people with orthopaedic injury might find useful is the “Your Orthopaedic Connection” section of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. There you can read more about the various types of alternative treatments and practitioners, such as:

Acupuncturist
Ayurvedic Practitioner
Chiropractor
Chinese Herbalist
Homeopaths
Massage Therapist
Naturopath

Take a look around other areas of the AAOS website where you may find information that is very helpful for your particular injury or surgery.