Are you scheduled for an orthopedic examination? If so, do some prep work before your appointment. You don’t want to remember a question you ‘meant’ to ask after the exam is over and you’re heading home.
Start the day before your appointment by writing down a list of questions for the doctor. Ask if the problem can be caused by your posture, by your mattress or even by the shoes you wear. Then write down your symptoms so you don’t forget them during the visit. Include the ‘sometimes’ symptoms as well. Even if something happens only occasionally, the surgeon should know about it.
Jot down all your physical activities. You may be hurting your shoulder joints by overusing them while practicing your golf swing. You may be doing resistance work in the gym without using proper form, thus putting traumatic stress on muscles, bones and joints. You may not be doing ENOUGH physical activity!
Old injuries can cause problems as time goes by. The symptoms may be a nagging pain in a joint or muscle. Many times, such discomfort can be eliminated with a course of physical therapy or a specific exercise routine. Explain any injuries you’ve had in the past, even if it’s something as relatively minor as a sprained ankle. During the visit, ask the doctor to analyze your walking gait. He or she should be able to tell if you’re putting more weight on one leg than the other, or walking with your feet in an unbalanced position.
In a non-emergency visit, the more your doctor knows about you, the more accurate the resulting diagnoses will be. Don’t make the doctor guess. Come to the office with the necessary information to allow us to pinpoint, rather than guess, the source of your pain.