The condition spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra in your spine slides out of place and falls onto the bone beneath it, causing back pain, stiffness, numbness, or weakness in your legs. Although spondylolisthesis can affect people of any age, it is more common in people who engage in physical activity that stresses their spine, such as older adults.
In direct primary care (DPC), patients have access to a more personal and affordable relationship with their primary care provider because of a more personal relationship. Patients in DPC pay their provider a monthly or annual fee, and they have unlimited access to primary care services, such as visits, tests, prescriptions, and referrals. As DPC providers don't accept insurance, they save on administrative costs and overhead. As a result, they are able to spend more time with their patients and provide more personalized and preventive care to them.
If you have spondylolisthesis, you may benefit from joining a DPC practice. Here are some of the ways that DPC can help you manage your condition:
You can have more frequent and longer visits with your provider, who can monitor your symptoms, adjust your treatment plan, and provide you with education and support.
You can have access to your provider via phone, text, email, or video chat, which can help you address any questions or concerns you may have between visits.
You can have lower costs for your primary care services, as you do not have to pay any copays, deductibles, or coinsurance. You may also save money on your medications, as your provider can prescribe you generic drugs or offer you discounts from their in-house pharmacy.
You can have better coordination of your care, as your provider can refer you to specialists or other health care professionals who are also part of the DPC network. This can ensure that you receive consistent and quality care across the board.
DPC can offer you many benefits as a spondylolisthesis patient, such as:
Improved quality of life: By having more access and attention from your provider, you can have better control of your pain and function, and improve your physical and mental well-being.
Reduced risk of complications: By having more preventive and proactive care, you can avoid or delay the progression of your condition, and prevent or treat any potential complications, such as nerve damage, spinal instability, or spinal fusion surgery.
Enhanced satisfaction: By having a more trusting and respectful relationship with your provider, you can have more satisfaction with your care and your health outcomes.
DPC offers spondylolisthesis management tailored to your individual needs and preferences. Some of the aspects of your personalized spondylolisthesis management may include:
You can strengthen your core muscles, improve your posture and alignment, and increase your flexibility and mobility with physical therapy.
Your provider can prescribe you medication to help relieve your pain and inflammation, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, and opioids. Your provider can also monitor your medication use and adjust your dosage as needed.
Your provider can administer injections that can reduce your pain and inflammation, such as epidural steroid injections, nerve blocks, or facet joint injections.
Your provider can refer you to a surgeon who can perform spinal fusion, laminectomy, or decompression surgery to stabilize your spine and correct vertebral slippage.
Changing your lifestyle can help you prevent or manage spondylolisthesis, such as losing weight, quitting smoking, avoiding heavy lifting, or wearing a back brace.
In DPC, you can find a great physician who can treat you as a whole person, not just as a spondylolisthesis patient.
As a famous quote says, “The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.”
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