| Half of the people that come to us have been to | | | | this. Just imagine yourself shopping for a new car. |
| dozens if not more doctors for their back | | | | I know this is definitely off subject and has |
| problems, herniated disc problems, sciatica, | | | | nothing to do with doctors or your back pain so |
| degenerative disc disease or what ever kind of | | | | decide to stick with me here for just a minute |
| pain they are experiencing. The other half have | | | | and we'll illustrate the point quite clearly. |
| just refused traditional medical interventions. | | | | Back to the car. First you start out with a style |
| Saying no to injections, surgeries, medications. | | | | of car or maybe the model of car. If you're stuck |
| Even those patients have a reason as to why | | | | on a certain manufacture then you have to then |
| they choose to not have the procedures or | | | | decide the model. From the model then we go |
| solutions, and in doing so are imparting the secret | | | | into, probably in no certain order, options, |
| into their health care plan. If you've ever went to | | | | packages, colors, wheels, year and so on. |
| a doctor then you'll know the sad but true reality | | | | Depending on what's really important to you, you'll |
| that nothing comes without a cost. Depending on | | | | prioritize these in a different order. Being |
| what type of doctor you go to or what type of | | | | somewhat flexible on price if you can get most |
| treatment you receive then the costs can be | | | | of what you want. Then you go, look at the car, |
| different. Don't worry, we'll get to the secret here | | | | then think about it for a day or so, then make |
| in a few minutes. | | | | the purchase. So why not approach your |
| Let's say for example you go to your family | | | | healthcare the same way. Approach it like you |
| physician. The one that you've been taking your | | | | we're shopping. |
| family to for years, maybe even decades. The | | | | Not exactly like that. If you have back pain, it's |
| one you know and trust to take care of your | | | | not something to take lightly. More often than not, |
| colds, flu, or what ever else that pops up. It's well | | | | back pain is progressive in nature. Why? Because |
| known in the healthcare arena that back pain is | | | | most of the time it is compressive in nature. It's |
| the number two reason why people go to the | | | | an injury that the weight of the upper body with |
| doctor in the first place. Second only to guess | | | | gravity combining to cause pressure that pinches |
| what, the common cold. Then closely following, | | | | and ends up creating swelling and pain. That's the |
| pregnancy. So what happens is thousands of | | | | first reason. |
| people just like you every day go to their family | | | | The second reason is that the decision you make |
| doctor to talk to them about their back pain. | | | | will shape your future and the quality of your daily |
| Now, every doctor is different and runs a | | | | life. Not something to be taken lightly. |
| different type of practice, but let's talk about the | | | | There is a high probability that back pain turns into |
| average family doctor. No one wants to think of | | | | a surgical or chronic irreversible pain if left |
| their doctor as average, but if most of them | | | | untreated for any prolonged time period. It's a |
| weren't average then we wouldn't even have the | | | | huge problem for you and our healthcare system |
| word, so let's make that single assumption here. | | | | in general. The reason it's number two for trips to |
| So you have some pain in your back, maybe it's | | | | the doc is because the majority of treatments |
| constant, maybe it's of the come and go type, | | | | leave the person with the same pain that was |
| maybe it's a back that "goes out" from time to | | | | there to begin with or are just a temporary |
| time, whatever the case maybe you end up at | | | | solution that masks the pain and doesn't deal with |
| his or her office. Walk in, sit for a certain length | | | | the issue of the pressure and pinching pain that is |
| of time in the waiting room, then your finally | | | | the real issue. |
| escorted back to an exam room. | | | | The majority of treatments don't work to |
| This is the first cost. There's a reason we're going | | | | reverse and reconstruct the tissues back into a |
| through this and as you read through you'll come | | | | healthy state. They actually do the opposite. This |
| to a clear understanding. A cost doesn't have to | | | | is where the secret comes in. There is a word |
| necessarily have to do with the finances. The cost | | | | that is at the base of the secret to how you |
| of time is the most valuable that we have. It's | | | | should approach your healthcare. It's the word |
| the only resource that we can't get back. It's not | | | | that you should focus on to help you get what |
| one of our renewable resources. If you've ever | | | | you want out of your healthcare for the best |
| gone to a doctors office and spent your entire | | | | chance at having a beautiful productive future for |
| day waiting this is one of the pet peeves of most | | | | you and your family. |
| patients. Anyway, then you finally get to see the | | | | The word is Savvy. |
| doctor. | | | | The dictionary definition of Savvy is....savovy |
| Doctors spend their entire education and career | | | | [sav-ee] verb, -vied, -vyoing, noun, adjective, |
| studying and practicing. The way it works is that | | | | -vioer, -vioest. Informal. -verb (used with object), |
| doctors are required to have a certain number of | | | | verb (used without object) 1. to know; |
| hours of continuing education to 'keep up with' | | | | understand. 2.Also, savovioness. practical |
| current trends. The catch here is that this time is | | | | understanding; shrewdness or intelligence; common |
| to stay current on the entire medical system. Not | | | | sense: a candidate who seemed to have no |
| just their specialty. That's why there are constant | | | | political savvy. 3.shrewdly informed; experienced |
| new specialties that are emerging. The | | | | and well-informed; canny. |
| emergence of these new specialties every year | | | | So now that it's all layed out. The secret is to be |
| tells patients that for one doctor it is impossible to | | | | savvy in your healthcare. |
| know it all and to keep up with everything that is | | | | You need to understand the pros and the cons of |
| going on. | | | | different treatments. You need to be 'experienced |
| By the way the number of hours is usually less | | | | and well informed' with your healthcare and have |
| than a weeks worth of time total for the whole | | | | a practical understanding. |
| year, give or take depending on the state they | | | | The other side to that is if you want to really get |
| received their license. On top of that it's usually | | | | what you want and be intelligent about your |
| broken down into small bit size one day chunks of | | | | healthcare, you don't want to be...fruogal |
| material on different topics. Topics the doctor | | | | [froo-guhl] -adjective 1.economical in use or |
| selects and that that doctor is interested in. Most | | | | expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not |
| doctors don't go off topic, or of specialty because | | | | wasteful: a frugal manager. 2.entailing little |
| it doesn't help their practice. | | | | expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: |
| So you get to see the doctor. He let's you know | | | | a frugal meal. |
| the typical practice of how he treats patients and | | | | You don't want to be cheap in using your time, |
| maybe answers your questions that you bring up. | | | | energy, and resources to getting back on your |
| Depending on the type of practice the doctors | | | | feet. No pun intended. |
| treatment recommendations maybe shaped by | | | | Use your resources. |
| how you answer the questions that the doctor | | | | After all do you want to go get a solution to your |
| poses. | | | | problem that skimps on time with you, on energy |
| What we're getting at here was sparked up by a | | | | to help answer the hard questions, that is the |
| recent debate over how to handle the entire | | | | 'cheap' back surgery alternative in all definitions of |
| medical system in general. If you've seen any | | | | the words. No one want to go to the cheap |
| recent debates there is a huge issue with | | | | doctor for their back pain. Cheap means that they |
| healthcare in the United States in general. The | | | | skimp on the important stuff. This is your life and |
| quality of care, cost of care, access of care, | | | | the cost to you is the ability to live a life of fun, |
| patient rights. But it all boils down to one thing. | | | | activity, and happiness. |
| The Patients | | | | You need to be the savvy patient and understand |
| That's you. How to handle you in the best way. | | | | the cost of being frugal versus educated and |
| Now what I'm about to say maybe a little | | | | intelligent about your decisions. You must have the |
| troubling for some, especially if you are of | | | | single factors influencing the pros verses cons of |
| Medicare age, but it's truly up to you to decide | | | | treatment, and cost verses benefit. Your health is |
| what it is that you want to have happen. | | | | priceless and should be treated like is worth a |
| Now it's not as hard as you think. Trust me on | | | | million dollars to have the life you deserve! |