Ever purchase something you didn’t need right this instant because it was a great deal? Something you are sure you will use but maybe not right away. A great example is the guy that buys a snowblower on deep discount in June. This is what I call “spaving,” and it has the potential to completely reshape your physical future. All you need is a basic understanding of the changing landscape of medicine.

An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure, or so it goes. Preventative care is a topic on the minds of some of the world’s most preeminent decision-makers. So much so that the vast majority of states now allow you to see these preventative medicine pros without first seeing your physician. It’s called ‘Direct Access.’

How to “Spave” on Your Healthcare to Improve Your Movement Outlook medical doctor holding stethescope

Being proactive about preventative care will pay off in the long run. We suggest that you seek out a physical medicine pro like a physical therapist, mixer-chiropractor, or high-level strength coach to examine your strength, endurance, body control, joints, and muscles. You should ask these questions:

  • Do they offer a program where you could learn useful exercise, nutrition, or injury-prevention skills to live your life the way you want?
  • Do they offer direct access to their services or do you first need to meet with another physician or provider before you see them? In most states, you can consult your preventative medicine pros quickly and easily without a physician’s referral. That’s a huge bonus when you sprain your ankle over the weekend playing pick-up soccer and don’t want to wait two weeks to see your physician or go to the ER.

Once you’ve found your preventative care pro, chat with them about how they can help you spave on your healthcare. Ask them:

  • How much time will they spend with/how many other patients will they be working with at the same time as you? Anything less than 30 minutes or more than two people at a time is not where you want to be.
  • If you need a second opinion or a service they don’t provide, do they know of reputable folks to direct you toward?

When you have a relationship with a preventative care specialist, you will be all set when the time comes to get a “check-up,” or you sprain your ankle playing soccer over the weekend. You are already connected to the person who will help you get back to playing again and stay busy enjoying the activities that you love most.

The more people who take advantage of the preventative medicine pros in our community, the more likely we are to break the grip of one of the most serious opioid addiction crises we’ve ever seen. When aches and pains stop us from moving, we make pain and disability worse.

A growing body of research is showing us that proper pain education, promoting movement over medicine, exercise, mobility work, conditioning and manual therapies, are the future of decreasing aches and pains associated with the active lives more of us are leading.

Stay moving. Motion is the lotion. Stillness is the illness.

Dr. Carlos J. Berio
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D.P.T. Doctor of Physical Therapy in Virginia
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