Where do you go when you have a medical question? Do you get online and check Web MD or Shirley’s Wellness Café? Do you go to see your family physician, a local vitamin retailer, or call your grandmother? The answer depends on who you trust. Who has the most knowledge and the best reputation for providing relevant information that will lead to wellness?

Last week a good friend of mine was very sick. She was coughing so badly she thought that she had a few cracked ribs. Because I always control my symptoms with over-the-counter medications, I couldn’t understand why she was deliberately prolonging her own suffering by not taking some kind of medicine.

Then she told me she was going to see her acupuncturist for treatment. I was really surprised. How is that going to help her cough? How can sticking little needles in her skin going get rid of a chest cold? I thought it sounded strange but I decided to wait and see.

The next day when we talked, she told me that she was feeling much better. She had gone to the acupuncturist and, after her treatment she had gone home with a special preparation of natural herbs. After she saw her chiropractor and had her ribs eased back into place she was getting back to normal.

I guess there can be more than one right answer?

Her experience reminded me of one time years ago when I went to the doctor to be treated for a sinus infection. I had waited through the customary three days of suffering after my over-the-counter antihistamine and decongestant stopped working. I knew from experience that this was the point at which I needed an antibiotic. Why else would I go to the doctor?

The family practice resident who was available that day told me that it would be very helpful to use a nettie pot to flush out my sinuses. I scowled as I thought: “Look lady, I don’t want to hear about this. I know what I need, now give it to me!” I did get my antibiotic that day, but I have since learned to love the practice of rinsing my sinuses with saline. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to take any antibiotics.

Maybe you too have been skeptical about this ‘go natural’ trend. We’ve all had years of indoctrination teaching us that the medical community knows best and we shouldn’t question their authority. Why should we venture beyond what we know and trust?

Fortunately, there are some special healthcare providers, like the doctors at Southwest Integrative Medicine, who keep you from having to choose sides. They bring together the benefits of traditional medicine and naturopathic medicine.

A holistic practitioner will ask about all aspects of your life and surprise you with their ability to prove that there are connections between what seem to be unrelated health issues. This is the beauty of integrative medicine.

Another benefit of adopting a more natural approach to health and wellness is avoiding adverse side effects. We have all heard: “Don’t worry, this nausea, headache, and body aches usually only last through the first week; after that you’ll be fine. Just hang on.” Who wants to have to tolerate feeling worse in order to get better?

Most naturopathic remedies work by stimulating your body’s built-in healing mechanisms. It may take longer than swallowing a pill, but it also lasts longer and will likely prevent a recurrence.

At Southwest Integrative Medicine, acupuncture treatments, nutritional therapies, hormone balancing, herbal remedies, and many other naturopathic treatments are blended with traditional medical therapies to help you achieve and sustain optimal health and wellness.