Comments on: Looking for a holistic pediatrician near Philadelphia

Question: Looking for a holistic pediatrician near Philadelphia

chihiro — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:21:03 -0800

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!

By: iamabot

iamabot — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:59:31 -0800

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.

By: remthewanderer

remthewanderer — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:29:23 -0800

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.

By: docpops

docpops — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:41:47 -0800

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.