Choosing a Sowa-Rigpa practitioner and telling your doctor

This review explains how to choose a Sowa-Rigpa practitioner and how to talk to your doctor about traditional care. It combines advice from the US National Institutes of Health, the Ministry of Ayush and WHO. It makes no claim that any therapy works for any disease. The doctor decides your medical treatment.

1. Introduction

Some people use traditional care and modern medicine at the same time. That is not a problem in itself. The problem arises when the people caring for you do not know about each other, so that a medicine, a herbal product or a procedure is missed. WHO says traditional medicine complements biomedicine, and that collaboration between practitioners of both builds trust and coordinated care ^[6].

2. Choose carefully

NIH advises choosing a complementary practitioner as carefully as you would choose a conventional health provider ^[1]. Its suggestions include ^[1]:

• Ask your own doctor or a local hospital for recommendations.
• Check professional organisations and state licensing boards for licensing and training requirements.
• Make sure the practitioner is willing to work with your other health care providers.

NIH's advice comes from the United States, so ask your state health department which authority applies in your state. In India, the Ministry of Ayush's 2024 report gives its count of registered Sowa-Rigpa practitioners as reported by State Boards or Councils of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy ^[4]. The Ministry pages reviewed do not explain how to check one practitioner's registration, so ask the practitioner for papers.

A Ministry page on regions lists a Sowa Rigpa clinic at District Hospital Leh and an outpatient clinic at the Government Hospital in Gangtok run by the Sikkim government. It also lists two formal clinics in Tawang, four posts created by the Himachal Pradesh government, and 40 to 50 clinics under the Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute in Dharamsala ^[5]. Clinics of this kind are one place to start, though you should still ask about the individual practitioner.

3. Questions to ask

• What is your training, and where did you train?
• Are you registered with a state board or council?
• What exactly are you advising, and what is in any product you give me?
• What are the known risks, and could it affect my other medicines?
• Are you willing to speak to my doctor or read my reports?

4. Be careful with claims

NIH suggests testing claims with a few questions. Is there scientific evidence, not only personal stories? What is the source, and does the maker of a product have a reason to sell it? Be wary of promotional phrases such as "secret ingredient" or "ancient remedy", and remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is ^[1]. Research evidence is stronger and more reliable than an advertisement or a website ^[1]. NIH also reminds readers that "natural" does not necessarily mean "safe", and that supplements and herbal products can interact with medicines and cause side effects ^[1].

When you read a health website, NIH suggests asking five questions: who runs the site, what does it claim, when was it posted or reviewed, where does the information come from, and why does the site exist ^[1]. Some sites that look like news are really advertisements. Warning signs include quoting only people who praise a product and linking to a place that sells it ^[1]. WHO adds that even long-used remedies should have their safety and efficacy established through rigorous scientific validation ^[6].

Do not use an unproven product or practice to delay seeing your doctor, and do not skip or stop a proven conventional treatment without talking to your doctor first, because stopping can have serious consequences ^[1].

5. Tell your doctor

NIH gives clear advice on talking to your providers ^{[1, 2, 3]}:

1. List every practice and product you use on your patient history form, including herbal and other supplements.
2. Mention them at every visit, together with all prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Prepare a list beforehand.
3. Consider bringing the bottles or packets, which can help your provider check ingredients ^[3].
4. Ask before starting something new about its safety, how well it works and whether it could interact with other medicines.
5. Bring it up yourself. Do not wait to be asked ^[2].
6. Tell both your complementary and your conventional providers about every approach you use, so that care stays coordinated and safe ^[1].

If you are being treated for cancer or HIV, discuss every supplement with your doctor, because there is growing concern that supplements may reduce how well these treatments work ^[3].

6. Keeping a simple record

A small notebook or phone note works well. For each item write its name, who recommended it, when you started and any change you noticed. Include foods or drinks you have been advised to change. This also helps a practitioner understand what you already take.

7. When to see a doctor

See your doctor if you have a new, severe, persistent or worsening symptom, if you notice a side effect after starting any product, or before changing a prescribed medicine. Tell the emergency team about any traditional product you have taken. In an emergency, call your local emergency number (112 in India, 911 in the United States).

8. Conclusion

Safe use of traditional care comes down to two habits: choosing a practitioner carefully and talking openly with your doctor. Ask for qualifications and registration papers, check with your state health department, ask what any product contains, be sceptical of big claims, and bring a written list of everything you use to every appointment. Coordination between traditional and conventional practitioners is what WHO encourages.