Spend your healthcare dollars wisely by choosing the right healthcare provider
According to the first national estimate on healthcare spending, Americans spend more that a 10th of their out-of-pocket health care dollars on alternative medicine. That amounts to approximately $34 billion in 2007 alone.
According to the 2007 survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the main reason people have turned to alternative medicine is for the treatment of chronic pain.
For chronic muscle and joint pain, there are a multitude of alternative treatments available. How does one choose the best treatment and the right practitioner in order to solve your problem? The answer is – do your homework.
Ask the following questions before starting therapy with any healthcare provider:
- Does the therapy address the actual cause of my pain (e.g., from an injury, disease etc) or merely treat my painful symptoms?
- How will this therapy reduce my pain?
- Are there any published reports or research that demonstrates the effectiveness of this therapy?
- What are the potential risks of this therapy?
- How long will the therapy take and what will it cost?
If these questions are not answered to your satisfaction, seek another therapy.
Concurrently, do not choose a healthcare provider simply because they have a charismatic personality. Do a Google search on your healthcare provider to address the following questions:
- What is the healthcare provider’s training and does he hold advanced training in the area of your problem?
- How long has he been providing this therapy?
- Has he been published or done research in his area of expertise?
- What is his philosophy and approach in treating patients?
- Do you feel that your healthcare provider takes the necessary time to listen to you and does he actively express an interest in what you have to say or do you feel like you are being 'herded like cattle' in and out of his office?
- Does he provide you with written information about his treatment that you can understand?
- What do his patients have to say about him?
If these questions are not answered to your satisfaction, seek another healthcare provider.
When you do your homework, finding out as much as you can before choosing a healthcare provider and therapy to address your chronic pain, you will save yourself not only money, but also time and potential disappointment.
Reference:
U.S. report on alternative medicine spending: http://nccam.nih.gov/news/camstats/costs/
Professor/Dr. Brian A. Rothbart
Chronic Pain Elimination Specialist
Discovered the Rothbarts Foot and PreClinical Clubfoot Deformity
Developer of Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy
Designer of Rothbart Proprioceptive Insoles
Founder of International Academy of Rothbart Proprioceptive Therapy
Author of Forever Free From Chronic Pain
Sign Up Now to get a free chapter from my book, Forever Free From Chronic Pain
Posted by rothbart at 8/13/2009 1:04 PM 
Categories: Education
Tags: chronic muscle and joint pain healthcare spending alternative medicine
Categories: Education
Tags: chronic muscle and joint pain healthcare spending alternative medicine
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