Looking for a holistic pediatrician near Philadelphia

November 13, 2007 6:21 AM

Any Philly MeFites know of a local holistic pediatrician or family practitioner? Definitely looking for someone with an MD (rather than a chiropractor), within 50 miles or so of the city. Nearby NJ and DE are okay as well.

I have a 3-year-old daughter and my friend has two children under 3. We're with the same pediatrician right now, but both of us have been wanting to find someone with a more holistic focus for a while. Any recommendations? Thanks!

posted by chihiro to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

Try a doctor of osteopathy. Same medical board certification and licensing, different training. I've found DO's to be more holistic in their approach, but with all doctors, ymmv.
posted by iamabot at 6:59 AM on November 13, 2007

Yes, you are looking for a DO not an MD. "Mind, Body, and Spirit" is their approach to medicine. One thing to know is that not every DO takes the holistic approach to medicine but they will know how to manipulate the body like a chiropractor as well as be able to write prescriptions.
posted by remthewanderer at 7:29 AM on November 13, 2007

You might want to define 'holistic', since that's an overused term that could mean a willingness to avoid antibiotics for mild infections to a belief in curing asthma with spinal manipulation.

And a DO v. MD for a child is sort of meaningless at the end of the day, since the odds of a child needing manipulation is pretty much zero. They heal real well without a lick of help in all but the most egregious situations.

Pediatrics is more a paradigm of treating the parents concerns and anxieties alongside the child's illness issues, which in most cases are quite minimal. You ought to devote your energy to finding a doctor that listens to you and allows your input, and above all explains their medical decision making to you.
posted by docpops at 2:41 PM on November 13, 2007