Dr Jim Dolan trained as a conventional doctor in Ireland and worked in a group GP practice in England. Rather than continue to work as a GP in England or return to Ireland to set up a new conventional c practice, he turned his attention to alternative therapies.
He did a six-month course in homoeopathy at the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital, followed by a 13-month course in osteopathy at the London College of Osteopathic Medicine. He then returned to Ireland in the mid-1980s and set up a practice in Killester, Dublin, working as an osteopath using both homoeopathy and orthodox medical treatments. He now has a second practice on Dame Street.
What prompted your interest in complementary health therapies?
My interest in complementary health therapies sprang from the fact that I didn't want to come back to Ireland and work solely as a GP. Setting up a practice from scratch in the mid-1980s wasn't an easy task. So I decided I would need some particular skills and new expertise to have as extras to those of a GP.
I was one of those people who was attracted to complementary therapies and at that time there were established pathways which GPs in the UK could follow to gain professional qualifications in disciplines such as homoeopathy and osteopathy.
When I came back to Ireland, I got great encouragement and support from three doctors in Dublin (Dr Rice, Dr Hanna and Dr McGready).
Do you believe complementary therapies work better than orthodox approaches for some conditions/illnesses?
Rather than saying that they work better, I would argue that they work differently. In the case of osteopathy, the central concept is that much pain and disability stems from abnormality in function and body structures rather than degeneration and inflammation.
Abnormal function in the absence of pathology (e.g. when nothing shows up on an X-ray) is not usually regarded by the medical profession as a common cause of symptom but this is the area in which osteopathy shows its unique value. By restoring balance to muscles, joints and other structures which make up the locomotive system, the development of actual disease is prevented.
Obviously, in cases where pathology has already occurred (e.g. in a worn-out hip joint), orthopaedic treatment may be required. A lot of alternative therapies have a central belief that the body is trying to correct and balance itself. The aim, therefore, is to encourage this in a non-invasive and non-coercive way and thereby limit injury and disease. It is working in a predisease situation. Orthodox medicine would say there is nothing wrong and nothing can be done at this stage. Its emphasis is on establishing pathology.
Do you find it difficult to combine the two disciplines?
The art of manipulation of the spine is a very old one, practised by doctors since prehistoric times and known to Hippocrates and physicians of ancient Rome.
Bonesetters have also been described for as long as there have been records. Following in the footsteps of these people is a privilege. Also, it is very satisfying and natural to be working with your hands. The person who can combine physical work and intellectual work is very fortunate.
The most pleasant thing about osteopathy is that it can often work very quickly and give immediate relief of symptoms. As regards combining alternative and orthodox medicine, there are many GPs now who incorporate some type of alternative treatment into their practice. This can be very rewarding.
It also presents a more human face than a pure orthodox approach which can at times seem too severe and harsh. In Germany and France, the majority of GPs incorporate alternative therapies into their practice and in the UK osteopathy and homoeopathy are incorporated into the National Health Service by an act of parliament.
How have your medical colleagues responded to your interest in complementary therapies?
The vast majority of medical doctors have a benign attitude to complementary therapies as long as they are safe and reasonably effective. Orthodox medicine has never claimed to have all the answers. I've had many referrals from colleagues over the years, particularly for patients with back pain. And, in fact, I have treated many colleagues themselves.
How have your patients responded to your change of focus?
I've always practised a combination of alternative and orthodox treatments. I tend to attract the type of patient who likes this approach. As time goes by, alternative therapies are becoming more acceptable and manipulative treatment is now almost mainstream. In the US, patients are consulting alternative practitioners more frequently than they are consulting GPs.
I believe in the future there will be a two-tier system of medical care: the broader bottom tier will consist of inexpensive, softer-type alternative treatments alongside holistic GP care, while the upper tier will consist of hospital-based, high-tech, expensive treatments for the seriously ill.