Chronic diseases can be debilitating, affecting your mobility and quality of life. Chronic diseases can also lead to mental health issues, like depression and anxiety. If you are trying to manage a chronic disease, you don’t have to do it alone. Your osteopathic medicine doctor can help.
How Your Doctor Can Help With Chronic Disease Management
These are just a few examples of some of the most common chronic diseases:
- Arthritis, which causes degeneration of your bones and joints
- Cancer, which causes impairment and damage to your organs and tissues
- Asthma, which causes breathing difficulties and airway impairment
- Diabetes, which causes impairment of major body systems including your nervous, circulatory, and immune systems
- Cardiovascular disease, which can cause heart and vascular damage
- Obesity, which can cause stress to joints, the heart, and your respiratory system
When you visit your osteopathic doctor, your doctor will begin with a comprehensive medical examination, which may include laboratory testing and imaging studies. After your examination, your doctor will develop a customized treatment plan designed to:
- Maximize your overall health as much as possible
- Maintain your mobility and flexibility
- Enable you to cope with your chronic disease
- Enhance your quality of life
Some of the treatments and management techniques your osteopathic medicine doctor may recommend include:
- Medications, to reduce inflammation and pain, enhance organ function, and provide other benefits
- Exercises and physical therapy, to help maintain strength, improve flexibility, maintain mobility, and enhance range-of-motion
- Therapeutic massage, to promote circulation, relax muscles, reduce pain, increase range-of-motion, and provide a feeling of overall wellness
- Relaxation techniques, to calm and relax your body and mind, and help control pain
- Palliative techniques, to reduce pain, enhance comfort, and improve overall quality of life
Want to Know More About the Treatment and Management of Chronic Disease?
To find out more about the treatment and management of chronic disease and how your osteopathic doctor can help, talk with your osteopathic doctor today.