It may seem contradictory, but getting something for free doesn’t mean that it won’t cost you – especially when it comes to your health. When searching for information on any health condition, what you find online could be simply ineffective and/or inappropriate for your situation, but what if it’s actually harmful?
Taking advice you found online, even though at first glance it seems applicable to your specific condition, opens the door to doing more harm to yourself than good, and it could cost you significantly to undo the damage in future.
Free information can get very expensive, both to your health and your wallet.
Even though it’s free, I cannot stress enough: “Caveat emptor” or “Buyer beware.”
So does that mean that you must pay for good useful advice? Maybe.
Ok, so how do I know who to trust?
Just because a person has initials after his or her name doesn’t necessarily make them an expert. It only shows that they have passed requirements for a very specific job. The best opinions to look for are those from people who have undergone a professional’s care or treatment AND have successfully had their conditions resolved or significantly improved. Period. Professional treatment has little to do with that person’s training, education, or status if it doesn’t translate into an effective outcome for the patient.
SO what should the requirements be for finding a professional to help in the care of your body?
Always get a referral. Whether from a family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, or even an internet review. The internet can still be a very valuable source of information if you don’t know anyone who has experienced the condition you are seeking help for. Look for recent reviews that have good results with conditions that are the same or similar to yours. If there is a review with a neutral review, I wouldn’t necessarily discount that person. No one is perfect and getting a 100% improvement on every patient is not likely. Obviously, you don’t want to see negative reviews for either the treatment outcome or ethics violations.
And… don’t price shop!
Unless this professional has outstanding reviews, I would never go to the cheapest person. Remember, you get what you pay for and there is a reason why this person chooses to undercut his/her competition.Getting a low price for the first visit is almost always going to be made up with higher-priced future visits or a more costly procedure. Your goal is to get the best care at a great price, but not necessarily a cheap price.