Today is featured a guest post by
Mary Jo Blackwood, RN, MPH.
I spoke with her recently about how acupuncture is useful in treating neck and shoulder pain, and our conversation quickly spilled into a discussion of the responsibility that is ultimately ours having the final say on our health care; that doctors make great consultants, but we usually know much more about your bodies and conditions. And it is incumbent on us take a leadership role
in our health and wellbeing.
****************************************

For years, I have taught a community class called “Getting Healthwise,” how to maximize your health and handle many common health problems as they arise. My audiences range from seniors, to factory workers, parents, and even health care professionals. One of the points we spend time discussing is how to work with your physician as an equal partner. Often, I hear: “But he (or she) is a doctor, and I’m just an ordinary person. How could I possibly question treatment decisions?” To that, I reply:

“Half of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class” and one of them had to be last! But of course your doctor was first in his/her class and has kept up with all the latest developments in that field. Despite all that, you are the expert on your body and how it reacts, what things you have tried in the past and the outcome. If you and your physician do not pool that knowledge and work together, you don’t get the best care, and in fact, it could be downright dangerous.

When one class participant asked me what she should do if her doctor did not want a partner and preferred to call the shots, my response was to get another doctor. Thankfully, that situation is becoming less and less common, but if you don’t feel your participation is valued and that you are not listened to, my advice still stands.

Of course being a partner doesn’t just give you clout. It comes with certain responsibilities. Once you and your doctor decide on a course of treatment, you have an obligation to follow it and communicate on any progress or lack of progress.

You are also responsible for making sure you fully understand what the doctor is trying to accomplish with this approach, how medications work, and when side effects require follow-up. Just deciding not to follow a particular regimen or to stop taking a medication because you don’t like it isn’t a very smart thing for a partner to do. Work out a regimen you can live with, and that meets your mutual goals. That regimen may include lifestyle changes, medication, and complementary therapies such as offered at the Yong Kang Chinese Medicine Clinic. And make sure every practitioner knows any therapies, medications, or supplements you are taking. That way, your partners are all in the loop!

Today is featured a guest post by
Mary Jo Blackwood, RN, MPH.
I spoke with her recently about how acupuncture is useful in treating neck and shoulder pain, and our conversation quickly spilled into a discussion of the responsibility that is ultimately ours having the final say on our health care; that doctors make great consultants, but we usually know much more about your bodies and conditions. And it is incumbent on us take a leadership role
in our health and wellbeing.
****************************************

For years, I have taught a community class called “Getting Healthwise,” how to maximize your health and handle many common health problems as they arise. My audiences range from seniors, to factory workers, parents, and even health care professionals. One of the points we spend time discussing is how to work with your physician as an equal partner. Often, I hear: “But he (or she) is a doctor, and I’m just an ordinary person. How could I possibly question treatment decisions?” To that, I reply:

“Half of all doctors graduated in the bottom half of their class” and one of them had to be last! But of course your doctor was first in his/her class and has kept up with all the latest developments in that field. Despite all that, you are the expert on your body and how it reacts, what things you have tried in the past and the outcome. If you and your physician do not pool that knowledge and work together, you don’t get the best care, and in fact, it could be downright dangerous.

When one class participant asked me what she should do if her doctor did not want a partner and preferred to call the shots, my response was to get another doctor. Thankfully, that situation is becoming less and less common, but if you don’t feel your participation is valued and that you are not listened to, my advice still stands.

Of course being a partner doesn’t just give you clout. It comes with certain responsibilities. Once you and your doctor decide on a course of treatment, you have an obligation to follow it and communicate on any progress or lack of progress.

You are also responsible for making sure you fully understand what the doctor is trying to accomplish with this approach, how medications work, and when side effects require follow-up. Just deciding not to follow a particular regimen or to stop taking a medication because you don’t like it isn’t a very smart thing for a partner to do. Work out a regimen you can live with, and that meets your mutual goals. That regimen may include lifestyle changes, medication, and complementary therapies such as offered at the Yong Kang Chinese Medicine Clinic. And make sure every practitioner knows any therapies, medications, or supplements you are taking. That way, your partners are all in the loop!