Chronic pain means health care professionals in your life. The options of whom to see are greater than ever, but the bottom line is that we need good partners in health care. It's really important to know when a relationship with a health care professional is going great and when to pull the plug.
You can tell a lot about your relationship by how you feel when you leave his or her office. If it's a good relationship, you will probably feel energized, committed to plans made during the visit, and, in general, good. This can be true even if you got news that wasn't welcome. There is no substitute for feeling heard and supported. Such a positive presence can carry you through a lot, including unwelcome information.
If on the other hand, you leave feeling irritated, cranky, and unheard, this can be a sign that you need to find another health care professional. It will be important, of course, to discern whether you feel cranky due to other causes such as pain or upsetting news. However, if leaving in a not-so-great mood is typical, this can be a sign of a less than optimal relationship.
No matter how great the relationship, quality of care is one of the most important health care issues. If your practitioner is lovely, but incompetent, it's definitely time for a switch. However, given good quality of care, how the practitioner relates to you is critically important to your health care journey. Feeling undermined can contribute to poor health. Feeling uplifted can contribute to good health. Keep looking until you find that competent professional who provides support, not just for your body, but for your spirit as well.
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