People exeprience pain every day and head to the doctor to find out what to do. Often, they find themselves at an orthopedic office to learn about both surgical and non-surgical options for their concern. With emotions running high, tons of new information and pain in the body, a person can become flustered and forget what to ask.
At an early age my mom taught me to make a list of questions for the doctor before a visit. Any doctor. This practice has been very helpful in keeping myself healthy and also become a useful skill for my career in helping others. We are each ultimately responsible for our healthcare and need to be accountable.
My clients often inquire about what to ask their doctor when going for a regular visit, having surgery or when seeing a specialist.
Here is some information to gather and bring with you:
1) When did the pain begin? Was there an incident?
2) When do you feel the pain most? Sitting, Standing, Lying down?
3) Are there any exercises that exacerbate the pain?
Here are some questions to ask:
1) What are my surgical and non-surgical options?
2) Are there any exercises I should avoid?
3) Do you know of any good specialists for this body region? (knee, hip, shoulder)
4) Should I see a chiropractor, massage therapist or physical therapist?
5) Have you seen similar cases to mine? What did those patients do?
Some final tips:
1) Do as much research as you can to be educated about the subject, your muscles, etc.
2) Let the doctor be the expert. There is nothing a doctor hates more then a patient who comes in and wants to tell him/her their own diagnosis. (They didn't go to medical school for a decade to be out-done by wikipedia).
3) Doctors are busy and are probably used to people wanting a quick fix. If you go the extra mile and show an interest in your health, they will meet you there and give you better advice.
Good luck with your health-care plan and let me know if you have any questions!
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