Most people have a local family doctor, who is a health care provider that works with patients of all ages. You may see a local family physician for an annual exam, when you’re feeling sick, when you need an immunization or if you require screening exams such as bloodwork or prostate cancer screening. Your local family physician can also prescribe medications, whether it’s antibiotics to treat an infection or antidepressants to help you manage depression. If you’re obese, a local family physician can work with you to create a weight loss plan, whether it’s obesity medication, lifestyle changes such as exercise, bariatric surgery or body contouring with a plastic surgeon.
A local family doctor can also help you understand how certain medical conditions may contribute to obesity, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A local famiy doctor can also monitor you for weight-related health problems, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. People who are obese weight more than is considered healthy for their gender, height and age; they also have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. Obesity can be a result of genetics, age, stress and pregnancy. Your local family doctor may also recommend that you work with a local registered dietitian, nutritionist, kinesiologist or personal trainer.
Tell your doctor about any medications you take, including supplements. Make a list of questions to ask so that you don't forget anything important, and be totally honest with your family doctor about smoking, alcohol and drug use. Whether it's diabetes or obesity, your healthcare provider needs an honest picture of your health to provide you with the best information for your situation.
If you have COPD, it’s important to see your physician regularly as the disease is characterized by flare-ups and remissions and if you don’t take the appropriate steps it can continue to get worse. In some cases it affects patients silently and it’s only later that it impacts their quality of life, leading to hospitalization or death.
The chronic pain from shingles is hard to treat and leads to huge problems for patients. Ask your health provider about how the shingles vaccination can reduce your risk of chronic shingles pain or post herpetic neuralgia. Even if you have had shingles, speak to your family doctor about the benefits of re-vaccination.
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain problem that is often confused with arthritis. With fibromyalgia, there is nothing actually wrong with the joints or muscles, nor is there tissue damage. The cause of fibromyalgia is thought to be the nerves and brain amplifying pain signals. The brain loses the ability to send signals to stop pain, and over time classifies everything as a pain signal.
Symptoms of fibromyalgia include stiffness and pain - which can be worse in the morning or after activity, severe fatigue, difficulty sleeping or concentrating and emotional changes. FM is associated with other conditions including depression, irritable bowel or bladder, migraine headaches and restless leg syndrome. There is no test that shows fibromyalgia, so other conditions that cause widespread pain have to be ruled out. A healthcare professional can diagnose fibromyalgia with a thorough assessment and examination. While fibromyalgia can’t be diagnosed with an x-ray or blood test, your provider may perform those to rule out other conditions. Talk to your local family physician if you'd like more information on annual family physician.
Fibromyalgia Treatment
Some of the treatments your physician or fibromyalgia specialist may prescribe include:
• Pain medication
• Antidepressants
• Exercise
• Physiotherapy
• Stress reduction techniques
• Cognitive behavioural therapy
There is no one treatment for fibromyalgia. In most cases, a multidisciplinary approach using medication lifestyle strategies seems to work best.
Talk to your family physician if you'd like more information on fibromyalgia.
