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Get Regular Health Check Ups
by Kory Zimney, PT - July 1, 2011
So what benefits are there of keeping regular visits with your primary care physician for routine check ups? If you feel healthy, why waste the time and money to go to your yearly check up?
Lets look at a few reasons:
Many disease processes can be found early with a gradual decline or change in simple tests. While obviously most of us are fearful that by going in to the doctor they will find one of these problems. But we have to be honest and realize by not knowing does not make the problem go away. Plus most often the sooner the problem is found the more treatable it is and can often not cause us any long term damage to our health as compared to if we wait.
For some of us knowing that a doctor is going to ask us about our health habits can be a motivating factor to make sure we are trying to maintain a healthier life style. Just as most of us probably would not think of showing up at the Dentist for our 6 month check up and not having brushed our teeth in that time.
Studies suggest that maintaining a relationship with your physician may reduce non-urgent use of emergency department. Which shows when we keep a good and regular relationship with our physician we become more knowledgeable about our health.
Keeping regular physician check-ups has lots of potential advantages to our health.
Another new concept to consider is to add to your yearly physician physical with a yearly physical from your Physical Therapist. Understanding the amazing importance proper exercise and movement have to health it seems almost common sense that you would add a yearly check up with the health care provider that specializes in exercise and movement - a Physical Therapist.
They can assess gait speed and balance if you are elderly and starting to be at risk for falls. These tests can determine your risk of falling. If you show to be at increased risk, the Physical
Therapist will show you balance and strengthening exercises to minimize that risk.
They can assess functional movement and assess general fitness and give you exercises and mobility tips to enhance your current health and fitness.
Keeping regular scheduled visits with health care providers to make sure you are maintaining and enhancing your health is key to living a healthy and vibrant.
Kory Zimney is a practicing physical therapist in Iowa. He focuses on helping people move forward with their health and function through movement and exercise. This and other articles by Kory can be found at his blog: http://koryzimney.blogspot.com/
The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.
