Finding an osteoporosis doctor to treat your condition can be easy, if you know where to look. Have no clue how to find one? Here are handy tips to keep in mind:
Ask your family doctor
Your family doctor can refer you to a good one or at the very least, provide you with names of health care facilities you can visit. This is one way to get your search off the ground, says the NIH.
Do your research
Go online. Osteoporosis specialists now advertise their services on the net like everyone else. A simple search online can help you find ones in your area. Start with them. The nearer the health care facility is to you, the easier it will be to come by for your appointments. You won’t have to worry about being late or missing your appointments because you were stuck in traffic.
Pay a visit
Once you have a list of names, make an appointment with each one. While credentials and qualifications look good on paper, doctor-patient interaction is a different matter entirely. With a face-to-face consultation, it’s easy to get a read on the situation. Are you comfortable? Do you feel the doctor disrespected your beliefs in any way? These are things you won’t know unless you show up for an appointment.
Ask questions
Make the most of your time by asking the right questions. Put them together in advance so you can cover plenty of ground. For instance, what kind of lifestyle changes should you make at this point? What medication will you need to take? What kind of treatments can you go for? These and more will help you gain better understanding of the disease, how your life will change and what you and your osteoporosis doctor can do to make it easier to cope with all the changes.
