Over the years, I have used various healthcare practitioners to help treat illness, as well as to help improve patients’ overall health. For example, I have utilized the expertise of holistic dentists, pharmacists, chiropractors, and nutritionists to help my patients. Achieving or maintaining your optimal health may require you to work with a competent healthcare team.

 

So where do you start? I tell most people that it’s good to have one person who can lead the effort — a kind of “quarterback” for your healthcare team. The right quarterback is a healthcare provider who understands your overall health, including any difficulties you’ve had in the past and goals you have for the future. He or she will coordinate your care.

 

As an advocate for my patients, I try to steer them to the appropriate healthcare providers who can improve their health. For example, if a patient has mercury toxicity and needs their mercury fillings removed from their mouth, I will refer them to a holistic dentist who is knowledgeable about mercury removal.

 

Yes, any dentist can remove a mercury filling, but if the removal is not done correctly, mercury levels can rise in the patient and their health can suffer. I wrote more extensively about this in the December 2010 issue of Natural Way to Health.

 

If you are choosing a holistic doctor as your quarterback — which I recommend — ask him or her if they will feel comfortable referring you to other holistic practitioners. If the answer is “no,” you may want to move on and continue the search.

 

A holistic doctor should be able to explain the difference between synthetic and bioidentical, natural hormones. Furthermore, a holistic doctor should not prescribe synthetic hormones when there are bioidentical, natural versions available.