Nowadays, most primary care visits do not evaluate fitness, nutrition and stress management as thoroughly as they could. This is not because physicians want you to stay sick. As a matter of fact, many are pressured to see more patients rather than spending more time with each one. Some may not feel knowledgeable enough about possible lifestyle changes that are convenient for their patient’s unique situation. Others may feel downright hesitant to continue giving recommendations to patients who continue to ignore them yet come back for help. As a result, patients can be left with limited options as they age and/or are diagnosed with a chronic disease.
“What may work for you…”
Many patients may not realize that physical inactivity can put them at increased risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke over their lifetime. Health and Human Services recommends patients have at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous exercise, including aerobic and weight based exercises. This recommendation sounds simple, but every individual is different and may require a personalized approach that accounts for their age, initial fitness level, motivating interests, chronic or acute disease, and injuries among other factors that make a fitness plan sustainable. And the key to sticking with any medical and health recommendations is a collaborative patient-physician relationship with clear communication.
Stress and Sleep management are also important factors in disease prevention and treatment. Over time, individuals who experience persistent levels of stress can have more sensitive and heightened physical responses to it. Those heightened responses can have a significant effect on their overall health. Stress reduction and sleep hygiene strategies can help mitigate the physical effects of stress over time.
Presence is a Present
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a unique and innovative healthcare model that prioritizes a Patient-Physician relationship grounded on clear communication. The extra time physicians are able to spend with their patients allows them to address fitness, nutrition and stress management in a more personalized meaningful way. Also, having the time to get on the same page will also encourage limiting recommendations for medications and specialists referrals to when they are most appropriate, retaining your health and money in the process. If you want to have a primary care visit that values seeing you at peak health and actively works to maintain that, considering scheduling a consultation with Dr. Mann.