No matter what your view on health care reform and the changes coming down the pike in 2013 and 2014, one thing is absolutely certain. Wellness and fitness, which have been clearly shown to prevent numerous chronic health problems, will be the foundation of future health care. As big as the health care reform package is, and whether you are looking at it through Democrat or Republican eyes, the message is the same: wellness will drive the future of medicine. The reason is quite simple. We now have accurate economic data that not only identifies the costs of health problems that are largely influenced by lifestyle choices, but more importantly, can accurately project the future costs of health as a result of ignoring wellness opportunities. Whoa! That’s a game changer because now we’re talking about our own pocketbooks!
To understand that, let’s flip that idea regarding costs into a more positive statement: how much money could be saved with sound, scientifically based and easy to implement wellness programs? Let’s get even more specific. How much money could be saved in Arizona? To answer this question, the prestigious Miliken Institute, a well-respected, non-partisan, non profit think tank, has estimated that over the next decade, for Arizona alone, $8 billion could be saved in cancer management, $2 billion for diabetes management, $4 billion for hypertension management, and $5 billion for the management of heart disease. Billions of dollars in savings is almost impossible to comprehend. I chose just these four chronic problems because they are so common within everyone’s family – everyone reading this is personally touched by one of these problems or has a family or friend trying to manage one of them. The most important point to remember, however, is that these billion dollar numbers are now recognized as avoidable costs if a medically sound, properly supervised wellness and fitness program is designed, implemented and followed. That’s what disease prevention is all about and is the reason why physical therapists team up with forward thinking medical partners to bring wellness to all of their clients. This new and exciting aspect of medicine will be a key part of your personal medical oversight.
The message continues to get louder and clearer: a lifestyle change nudging toward wellness should be consistent and permanent. If you are one of those people who has tried several different trendy diets over the past two years, if you find yourself looking for contests to lose weight, if you have bought a gimmick exercise program from the early morning TV infomercials, or have participated in any other “here today, gone tomorrow” weight loss or diet gimmick plan, you’re probably the ideal candidate for the meaningful lifestyle changes we’re talking about. The future of medicine and physical therapy is all about helping you not just get on the right road to a true wellness lifestyle, but helping you stay on the road over the long haul. FBN
Written by Carl DeRosa PT, Ph.D.
1301 W. University Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ. 86001
(920) 556-8607
Or visit DeRosa Physical Therapy online http://dptcenter.com/