Let me be honest. I’ve seen almost every kind of doctor. When you have Lyme disease, symptoms pop up all over your body. But not all medical professionals who use the term “physician” or “doctor” are the same, and how we view MDs, NDs, and DOs can sometimes get political.
In my humble opinion, they all have their place, and believe it or not, they can all partner together to help you and your family stay as healthy as possible. Where I live in Illinois, and in many other states, a doctor’s “power” is both granted and limited by the state in which they practice. So follow along as I dive into the different areas of expertise and how their training and philosophies may be right for you.
What is an M.D.?
An MD is a medical doctor, sometimes referred to as an allopathic physician. Allopathy is another term for “Western medicine” or “modern medicine” and requires at least eight years of education:
- Four-year undergraduate degree
- Four years of medical school
- Training within a residency program
- Fellowships for specialties such as surgery, neurology, and orthopedics
- State licensing exam
Conventional medicine typically responds to diseases and their symptoms with pharmaceuticals, surgery, lab tests, and diagnostic imaging.
MDs may be the majority choice for primary care, but their training in hospitals sometimes makes them more in tune with critical issues and patients as opposed to prevention or lifestyle care.
What is a D.O.?
Osteopathic doctors require the same schooling, training, and licensing as MDs but don’t always share the same philosophy of treating symptoms in isolation. DOs recognize that the body’s systems always interact and that disease happens when communication is broken or overloaded.
They also complete 200-500 hours of training in osteopathic manual medicine (OMM) to learn how bones, nerves, and muscles work to influence health.
DOs gravitate towards primary care. Although they’re no less qualified than a surgeon or cardiologist since they receive the same training as an MD, the whole-person approach makes them better suited for internal medicine, orthopedics, or rheumatology.
What is an N.D.?
Naturopathic doctors focus on non-surgical, non-pharmaceutical approaches to healing the body. Disease prevention, advanced nutrition, and non-synthetic substances are also a primary focus. Contrary to popular belief, credible NDs require extensive education:
- Degree from one of seven accredited naturopathic medical schools appointed by the
- American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC)
- Two years of allopathic education
- Two years of clinical and integrative medicine education (e.g. plant and herbal medicine, nutrition, behavioral medicine, homeopathy)
NDs are trained to be primary care doctors because their approach to wellness isn’t focused
solely on symptoms but on the health of all systems and organs in your body.
Which type of doctor should I see?
In general, medical doctors are educated on how to relieve symptoms. They may also focus on treating diseases or problems as they appear on a lab or imaging result instead of questioning why the problem exists in the first place. Many DOs and NDs will call this type of questioning, “finding the root cause.”
This is why DOs and NDs are particularly effective as a second line of defense. When an MD diagnoses your condition (e.g. hypothyroidism, obesity, allergies, asthma, cancer, or heart disease), an ND may search for the reason behind the malfunction. Using herbs, supplements, bodywork, counseling, or advanced lab tests, they often offer a safer, less invasive way to address the root cause and symptoms at the same time.
Conditions often treated by DOs and NDs may include:
- Infertility and women’s issues
- Menopause and hormonal imbalances
- Chronic pain
- Arthritis and degenerative conditions
- Autoimmune diseases
- Mental health issues such as anxiety, insomnia, and fatigue
When the needs are immediate and critical, MDs are the ideal partners. Because it’s more common for medical doctors to specialize, they are often better equipped for surgeries, diagnostic imaging, prescriptions, and time-sensitive ailments like broken bones and complex diseases.
Are all doctors licensed in Illinois?
MDs and DOs are required to pass licensing exams required by the Illinois Medical Board. Licensing grants the right to legally prescribe and practice the type of medicine that they’ve been educated to practice.
Licensing protects the public by ensuring that a person claiming to be a doctor has full medical education and training. They can also be held accountable for complaints and negligence.
At this time, NDs are not given the right to become licensed although the Illinois Association of Naturopathic Physicians has petitioned for years to change legislation. This means that insurance companies won’t participate in much of the care they give, and they have practice limitations. For example, NDs are trained to prescribe, draw, and interpret lab tests. But they’re not licensed to use needles to draw blood.
Fortunately, NDs are trained to work with MDs. They’re trained to both understand pharmaceutical side effects and avoid treatments that could have negative interactions. They often see their role to co-manage patient treatment and refer them to conventional doctors and specialists when necessary.
Choose the doctor or team of doctors that’s right for you and your family. Knowing your health history, ongoing needs, and financial status will all impact your healthcare decisions. But if you feel that you need more from your current provider, know you have options.
