HOMEWORK & HEALTH

If you go to your doctor for your annual physical, what do you expect?

• height and weight check

• blood pressure reading

• auscultate (listen to) heart sounds with a stethoscope

• maybe auscultate the lung fields

• review prescription medications

• blood and urine test

SOUND ABOUT RIGHT?

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Then we wait for the lab reports and the “thumbs up” from the doctor saying, “your in GOOD HEALTH!”

Twelve (or more) months go by and we repeat the same process. Does it seem like something is missing?

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I’ll give you a hint:

How does your doctor know if you’re in good health? Does he or she base conclusions on heart sounds, blood pressure, and lab values? Is this really all it takes to know if you’re in “GOOD HEALTH?”

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If this same patient was taking 2-3 prescriptions, not exercising, eating poorly and maintaining high levels of stress, would you really believe this person was in “GOOD HEALTH?” Even if their heart sounds, blood pressure and lab values were within normal limits, does this mean they’re in GOOD HEALTH or simply that their bodies haven’t reached measurable levels of BAD HEALTH (YET!)

If the patient walked away from this office visit assuming they were in “GOOD HEALTH” as reported by their physician, why would they modify their LIFESTYLE? The patient could actually justify their lifestyle by thinking, “why make changes when my lifestyle has resulted in a report of “GOOD HEALTH?”

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IT COMES DOWN TO DEFINING “GOOD HEALTH”

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• If a person is on one or two or three medications it means something is wrong! They may be STABLE, but the ongoing need for synthetic drugs contradicts the concept of GOOD HEALTH.

• If a person isn’t exercising, their body is gradually losing efficient FUNCTION. This ages a person more quickly making them more susceptible to degeneration (arthritis) and fracture (osteoporosis.) This is NOT how we define GOOD HEALTH.

• If a person isn’t eating a BALANCED (healthy) diet, nutritional deficiencies begin to: (1) weaken immune function, (2) cause systemic inflammation and (3) alter gene expression resulting in a slew of symptoms and diseases. This is NOT the path of GOOD HEALTH.

• If a person is overweight and sedentary, they are at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity and cancer. Again, NOT the path of GOOD HEALTH.

Regardless of blood pressure, heart sounds and lab values, it would be inappropriate to mislead this patient into believing they were in “GOOD HEALTH.” It would be much more accurate to inform this patient they were FORTUNATE not to have EXPERIENCED THE SYMPTOMS of BAD HEALTH YET and the CONDITIONS that would likely manifest if they pursued this path forward!

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TYPICALLY, “GOOD HEALTH” DOESN’T BECOME “BAD HEALTH” OVER NIGHT.

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For those patients seriously interested in EXPERIENCING “GOOD HEALTH,” a HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT should be created by the doctor following the exam. This assignment would be customized to support the individual patient’s needs by making certain to correct the PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL aspects interfering with ACHIEVING AND/OR MAINTAINING “GOOD HEALTH.” Follow up office visits would be scheduled (as needed per individual case) to MEASURE THE RESULTS and make certain the homework’s goals were achieved.

This type of annual office exam (AND FOLLOW UP) requires greater interaction between patient and doctor. It shows greater concern by the doctor for the patient’s well being and greater patient commitment and responsibility based on compliance. This adds VALUE to the patient/doctor relationship and seeks better outcomes for the patient’s LONG TERM HEALTH.

LEAVING AN OFFICE VISIT UNDER THESE TERMS WITH A REPORT OF:

“GOOD HEALTH”

VALIDATES THE PATIENT’S EFFORTS AND ASSURES THEM THEY ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH!

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WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOUR DOCTOR GAVE YOU A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT TO IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH?

REMEMBER, THE 15 MINUTE OFFICE VISIT DOESN’T DETERMINE “GOOD HEALTH.” IT’S THE BEHAVIOR DURING OTHER 23 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES IN THE DAY THAT DOES!

 

Tags: disease, exercise, health, lifestyle, nutrition, pharmaceutical, Quality of living, responsibility, stress