For many of us, our health priorities have changed from 20 years ago. What use to be a simple black and white response has evolved.

Increasingly, we want to understand the health care solutions being presented to us. We also want to have a say in what the solution is. The solution must fit our health goals. Every one of us has different health goals. As a practitioner, I can solidly testify that every person who comes into my office has different health goals.

Health goals are as personal as our fingerprint and just as unique.

Not all of us will need to go to a healthcare professional or doctor this year. Yet, if we must see a healthcare professional or doctor this year, how do we make sure that we are getting a solution that is right for us?

It’s uncomfortable for sure seeing a doctor, but armed with a little information, you can make your visit much more positive and informative in a way that is useful to you. We all want outcomes that will support our health goals. If your health goal is overall wellness, then owning your visit to get the best solution for you is a great answer.

So, what’s the easiest way to get the right information? Questions! Here are five questions you can ask of any solution to ensure you get maximum value.

    1. Why do you prefer this solution?
    2. What are the potential side effects?
    3. What does the research say about your solution i.e.

      a. What is the success rate with this solution?
      b. Is it a cure?
      c. How long will I have to take this?

    4. Are there other options through Western medicine or other medicines?
    5. Would you use this solution and why or why not?

The questions are the same whatever the solution is: surgery, medications, physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, herbal therapy, exercise…You may need to ask multiple practitioners to get a feel for what solution would work best for you. You may have to see a couple different practitioners. Yet, the more you do this, the better your health solutions will become because they will meet your personal health goals.

So, put yourself first. Sure, healthcare is complicated and confusing. But treat this the same way you would your job. You can’t know everything and getting out there with your own list of questions will get you in front of several different types of practitioners. This will enable you to better understand the different types of professional out there and help you determine which practitioners you want in your own personal healthcare regime.