Page 57 - Time Special Edition Alternative Medicine (January 2020)
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Immersive virtual-reality and relaxation techniques are being used to help ease pain.
than say [to parents], ‘That’s stupid’—which some ting enough vitamins and minerals? How does the
doctors do—they can say, ‘Tell me more about your child’s gut function?
experience with that.’ They can at least learn from Alternative medicine—especially when it is for
their patients’ experiences, which may be helpful kids—should be a collaboration. Parents know their
to another family.” Too often, says Weydert, there is children best, says Weydert, but “pediatricians may
too little exchange of information and families seek have knowledge about potential interactions be-
complementary treatments only as a “last-ditch ef- tween dietary supplements and the child’s condi-
fort” after they have exhausted all conventional ap- tion or medications. The pediatrician may also have
proaches. “I saw this so frequently.” access to clinical studies that support the safety and
Though interest among physicians continues to efficacy for these natural [treatments] so that they
grow, Weydert still sees resistance. After all, medi- can be used with confidence.”
cine is a scientific field that demands hard evidence By listening and asking questions and taking into
from clinical trials. “Little by little as physicians account a wide range of factors, Weydert, while she
we’re starting to do the research to show the effec- was in clinical practice, was able to help families
tiveness” of natural remedies, she says. who had long been searching for help. When a di-
Weydert would like to see conventional physi- etary change or other action finally made a differ-
cians working alongside their patients to come up ence, explains Weydert, “they would ask, ‘Why
with solutions to health problems when there seems aren’t there more physicians like you out there?’ ”
to be none. This requires time—listening to their For Weydert, the answer is clear, and so is the solu-
story, getting a diet history, asking what they’ve tion: “So what I’m trying to do is reach the doctors
already tried—and an open mind. Is the child get- who can reach them.”
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