Shop around...

Let's compare two scenarios:

Here's the first one,
Your TV has been acting up for the past few months, but you've been able to keep binge-watching your shows so it hasn't been a big deal.

Until now.

It finally crapped out on you.
You've trouble-shot everything you Googled online and nothing has remedied it.
Now, you've come to the realization it's time to get a new TV.

So, what do you do?

Go to the closest store and get the first TV you see without a second thought about price and/or features.
Maybe, but probably not.
Most likely though, you're going to spend time shopping around to find the best price and best fit for what you're looking for: size, picture quality, refresh rate, etc. before you make a purchase.

Now, here's the second scenario,
Your knee has been bothering you some for the past few months and causing some pain during your workouts, but you've been able to push through so it hasn't been a big deal.

Until now.

Now, your knee has been bothering you everyday and you can't tolerate working out anymore.
You Google a few things, but its nothing you haven't tried before.
You need to get back to working out asap because it's what you love doing and makes you feel great.

So what do you do?

Set up an appointment with your primary care doctor and then they refer you to an orthopedic surgeon or physical therapy clinic. 
You set up an appointment with them without a second thought about it.

What's the problem here?

Maybe the fact that you spend more time researching and comparing options for TVs than you do researching and comparing options for your health sticks out to you!

You need to be treating your health and body the same way you treat purchases you make and that means you need to be shopping around. 

Just because your primary care physician refers you to someone doesn't mean they're the best fit for you and your situation. Honestly, its probably just the first person that came to the physician's mind, who they send everyone to, or it may just be whoever is within their healthcare system so they can continue to capture the money from your care. 

I have talked with clients in the past who can't remember their surgeon's name. 

How crazy is that?!?!

This person just cut their body open and surgically repaired it, but they don't remember the person's name?!

When I've asked why they went to that surgeon they mention that its who they were referred to either by a friend or their physician. 

Now, don't get me wrong, word-of-mouth is an amazing thing and most of the time your friends and family won't steer you wrong, but when it comes to your health and body you need to be a little more picky than just going because someone told you to. 

You need to take some time researching and shopping around, especially in the case of surgery. Talk with medical professionals who you may want to work with to make sure that they understand you, your problem, and what you do in terms of sports or workouts. 
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When it comes to your healthcare and your body, you need to know that you are working with the right practitioners for you.

You need to shop around. 

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