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Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange
Doing Your Own Research on Complementary Therapies
Part of A Practical Guide to Complementary Therapies for People Living With HIV
2004 Although the use of complementary therapies is becoming increasingly common in Canada, depending on where you live, you may have difficulty finding some of the therapies covered in this guide. Buyers' clubs and mail-order health food stores can be useful resources if you are looking for herbal therapies. To find a practitioner, you may have to travel to a larger centre if you live in a small town but check around first. Some practitioners are establishing themselves in smaller centres. Check your phone book or the bulletin boards in health food and drug stores. Also, ask local AIDS service organizations for referrals. If you do have to travel, your practitioner may be willing to do follow-up consultations over the phone. But, obviously, this won't work for hands-on procedures like massage. In some cases, your only alternative may be to do the reading necessary to pursue these therapies on your own. This guide offers basic information on a number of therapies but, to use these therapies effectively, you should gather more information. Any complementary therapist you work with can be a good source of information. You may also ask the person selling the treatment or call the manufacturer. Public libraries often have reference books on complementary medicine. The Internet also carries information on complementary medicine. (See the References and Resources section at the end of this guide.) CATIE and other local AIDS treatment agencies can help you find answers to your questions. Contact CATIE at 1-800-263-1638. Here are ten questions to ask yourself to guide your investigation into any new therapy, either complementary or conventional.
Unfortunately, the answers to some of these questions may be sketchy. It is often difficult to find information on interactions between various complementary therapies or between complementary therapies and prescription drugs. It is always wise to get information from more than one source. Do not rely solely on information provided by people who are profiting from your use of a treatment. You will have to decide when you have enough information to feel comfortable trying a treatment. When gathering information, watch for the following red flags. The presence of several red flags suggests that the person providing the information is more interested in selling something than in helping you improve your health. This list can be used in relation to conventional and complementary therapies.
Red Flags(Things that should make you cautious about complementary therapy information)
When you start a new treatment, it is wise to keep a journal. This applies to any new treatment, complementary or conventional. A journal allows you to record your experiences so that, in a few weeks or months (depending on the time commitment required), you can decide if the treatment is working. In the journal, record how you feel each day and what changes, if any, you think can be attributed to the new treatment. Record when you feel ill or when you think this treatment is interacting with another or with food. If you're experimenting with dosage, you should record the various amounts and your observations. If you get the treatment when you see a practitioner, note the date and time of your appointments. A journal will allow you to evaluate the treatment more fairly. It is a more reliable record than your memory, which often remembers only the most dramatic experiences, good and bad. A journal will help you determine whether changes in your life are associated with a particular treatment. It will give you a record of your treatments, which you can use in discussions with your doctor or practitioner. This type of record-keeping is particularly useful if you are trying a number of treatments. The journal is also a good source of information for PHAs who ask you about your experiences.
Choosing a Complementary TherapistAs there are for choosing a complementary therapy, there are some useful questions to ask when selecting a complementary practitioner. Here are some examples:
When interviewing a practitioner, determine your personal comfort level. Do you trust the practitioner? Do you feel that she or he can help you? There is no point in forcing yourself into an uncomfortable relationship. It is up to you to judge how much training, experience and professional support your practitioner should have to meet your needs. Like all members of society, complementary practitioners may have biases or prejudices that could hinder your relationship with them and affect the treatment you receive. When seeking out a practitioner, look for someone with experience treating HIV/AIDS or at least some knowledge of HIV/AIDS. Any reputable practitioner should be able to provide references from other health-care providers. We encourage you to visit complementary practitioners who are open to referring you to a doctor. Because your immune system is compromised, it is important that the practitioner take precautions to protect you from other infections. In particular, this applies to acupuncture and any other therapy involving devices that may be used on other patients. Finally, practitioners should be able to clearly explain the purpose of any treatment, how long it will take and what you should expect. This ability to communicate will be an important part of your future relationship.
Getting ConnectedFinding out which complementary practitioners are available in your area can often be a challenge. Your doctor or nurse may be able to provide a referral, depending on their openness to and knowledge of the therapy you have chosen. Local AIDS service organizations can sometimes help people living with HIV/AIDS locate complementary practitioners. Bonni and Craig Harden's book, Alternative Health Care: The Canadian Directory, is an excellent resource for seeking out complementary practitioners in Canada. Practitioners are listed for most of the fields covered in this guide as well as many others. National and provincial professional associations are also listed, as are the provincial regulations governing each complementary field. Check the specific sections of this guide for professional organizations that make referrals. Below is a list of organizations representing practitioners of the different complementary therapies discussed in this book. Most of these organizations require their members to achieve certain standards of skill and education. You may wish to contact them for further information about how their members are regulated or to help you begin to connect with others in your region who have experience in a particular type of therapy. Remember, however, qualified complementary practitioners may not be members of any of these organizations. (See the section on choosing a complementary therapist.) This following list is not complete and we do not endorse any of these organizations. HomeopathyCanadian Coalition for Homeopathic Medicine Canadian Association of Homeopathic Physicians Syndicat professionnel des homéopathes du Québec NaturopathyCanadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors (CAND) Quebec Association of Naturopathic Medicine (QANM) The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine and AcupunctureThe Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture The Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute Ordre des acupuncteurs du Québec Herbal TherapiesThe Canadian Association of Herbal Practitioners Massage and Manipulation TechniquesCanadian Massage Therapist Alliance Fédération québécoise des massothérapeutes Shiatsu Therapy Association of British Columbia Shiatsu Therapy Association of Ontario Shiatsu Diffusion Society Trager Canada Tai ChiThe Taoist Tai Chi Society of Canada Therapeutic TouchThe Therapeutic Touch Network of Ontario
This article was provided by Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange. |
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