HEALTH IS WEALTH
People tend to schedule their massage sessions for when they already really, really hurt. Similarly, they tend to make doctors’ appointments once they are already ill or not feeling well. But preventative care can be huge in one’s self-care regimen.
WHAT IS “PREVENTATIVE CARE”?
Preventative care services are those health care visits/services you make with health care professionals to help ensure or maintain your health. Annual physicals, OB visits, vaccines and health screenings are some traditional examples of these services.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
If you only see your health care team when you are ill, they can’t get a complete or accurate picture of your health as a whole; they have no comparison to when you are “well”. It also makes it very difficult (or impossible) to identify as health problems do arise.
IS MY YEARLY PHYSICAL ENOUGH?
Actually, what kind of preventative or maintenance care one has can vary quite a bit. I’m a middle-aged female with no chronic conditions that call for monitoring. I have also decided upon what is probably considered a more tradition/conventional course of health care so my plan typically consists of an annual physical with my general practitioner (with standard blood work, vaccines, and mammograms as recommended), OB/GYN visit, annual vision check, dental cleanings and dental check-up. But folks with chronic conditions will have other considerations. For example, those with diabetes may include endocrinology, podiatry, and additional vision services every year as part of their recommended maintenance care.
But perhaps you also have mental health professionals as part of your regular health team. Or chiropractic services to keep you in tip-top health. Acupuncture? Medication management? Naturopath? Dietitian? Other specialists? Give a good thorough look at who you consider as part of your individualized health care team.
TAKE A FULL INVENTORY AND SCHEDULE WELL IN ADVANCE
If I don’t list out all the health visits I need to consider, I’ll lose track and forget to make the time. Or my practitioners will be booked up and not be able to make the time for me when I am available. So, year-end is a great time for me to take care of this for the following year if I haven’t already. Sure it means I am scheduling it way in advance, but if I want this to be a priority, it works well for me to block these visits out before life can crowd them out of my schedule. Maybe I can even cluster them together to have the least impact on my busy schedule.
So go ahead and have that apple a day, and consider seeing your doc anyway!
Article From: Soothe
