Being Your Own Best Healthcare Advocate
We are lucky to live in an age where modern medicine is available to us and we are able to seek advanced care in any medical emergency. Unfortunately, the same healthcare system that offers so many important solutions can also be complicated to navigate and send conflicting messages, leaving many people to figure out their own care. This is one reason many people choose to visit a Charlotte chiropractor and receive holistic care that focuses on overall wellness. However, the relationship between Dr. Grant Lisetor and his practice members is always a partnership, and there are ways you can help yourself become an advocate for yourself outside of the office as well.
What Self-Advocacy Means
Many people don’t know where to begin as their own advocates because they aren’t familiar with the concept. In short, self-advocacy means understanding your goals for care and working towards that goal on your own behalf. When working within the healthcare system, that means ensuring your needs and concerns are always heard and addressed. You know your body best and are in a position to push for what you feel is right with the guidance of trusted doctors and experts.
Self-advocacy can look different for everybody. If you are concerned about back pain that doesn’t ever resolve, you may push to see a chiropractor and ensure they can treat the root cause of the issue and not just your symptoms. If you are feeling more tired than normal and a doctor brushes it off as behavior-related, you can push for further diagnostics. Whatever the goal is, you are in charge of making sure everything is handled appropriately and promptly.
How to Be an Advocate for Yourself
The idea of self-advocacy can be scary for some people—after all, most of us don’t have medical training. But it’s important to remember that healthcare providers work for you, and while they will give you guidance, your goals and concerns are the most important component.
Trusting yourself is an important first step in this process. Remember that you know your body best, and your experience is valid. Don’t be afraid to push for more answers. You can also build this trust by doing some preparation for each visit, bringing in any logs you have of symptoms or family medical history information. You should also do your own research regarding symptoms, diagnoses, treatments, and more.
Once you are at a visit, feel free to ask questions and gather information from your provider as well. Additionally, be sure to document every conversation and have important information listed in your records whenever possible.
The Key to Self-Advocacy
In addition to these steps, it is important to take an assessment of your own behavior and be sure you are advocating for yourself even outside of the doctor’s office. If you are concerned about something, be sure you’re doing your best to eliminate problematic behaviors that could contribute to the issue. It can be difficult to break habits, and it’s certainly not wrong to indulge sometimes, but be sure you remember your goal and push yourself toward it just as much as you would a doctor.
When you visit Greater Life Chiropractic to work with Dr. Grant Lisetor, you are taking a step towards managing your own health and being sure that you are doing the most you can to reach your goals. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.
Sources
Koes, B.W., van Tulder, M.W., Thomas, S. “Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain.” BMJ, 2006 Jun 17; 332(7555): 1430–1434. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1479671/
Wiltshire, J., Cronin, K., Sarto, G.E., Brown, R. “Self-advocacy during the medical encounter: use of health information and racial/ethnic differences.” MedCare, 2006 Feb;44(2):100-9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16434908/
