Primary Care

Why do I need to have an annual physical?

Annual physical exams play an important role in helping you maintain whole body wellness and health during every stage of life. By checking in once a year with a physician who knows your personal health history, family history, and has possibly helped you handle other health conditions throughout the years, you know that you are receiving a comprehensive approach to your health care. Your personal physician may have an easier time spotting a change in your overall health because they know your history. Annual physicals include a comprehensive approach to important screenings and blood tests that may detect illnesses earlier before symptoms occur. In addition, a yearly physical gives the patient time to discuss non-acute issues when the physician can provide guidance for improving overall healthier lifestyle goals.

What happens during an annual physical exam?

The exam begins with a complete personal history or for returning patients a review of any personal health changes that have occurred since the last general checkup. It also involves taking inventory of any changes that have occurred in the patient’s family medical history. This provides a guideline for possible risk factors and opens discussion for health and lifestyle habits.

During the exam itself, weight and blood pressure are recorded and an examination of your head, neck, throat, heart, lungs, abdomen, and joints is completed. The evaluation looks for the presence of diseases or conditions such as arrhythmias, asthma, COPD, or enlarged lymph nodes to name a few. Additional testing such as blood work or a urinalysis may also be ordered. Any changes to sexual history such as new partners or symptoms will be addressed to evaluate whether testing for sexually transmitted diseases should be considered. Based on age, certain preventative health care screenings may be recommended such as a mammography, colonoscopy, eye exam, bone density, or prostate exam.

How can I get ready for my physical exam?

Be sure to have a list of all your medications, including vitamins, supplements and over-the-counter medications that you take on a regular basis. This list should include aspirin, antacids, or allergy medicines. If you have had any testing done throughout the year, we can arrange to have those results forwarded to our office to be reviewed before your visit.

Seeing your primary physician is the best way to figure out what the next steps are in the course of an illness. A primary care physician is the best equipped to diagnose and treat many acute illnesses, but they are also the best in realizing when a patient needs to be referred to a specialist for more advanced care.

At times, patients come in complaining of certain symptoms that they believe are linked to a specific illness. A primary care physician looks at the patient as a whole and decides whether the patient’s care needs to be escalated to involve a specialist involvement.

Having practiced in this location for over ten years, I have amassed a network of specialist in all fields of health who I trust to care for my patients. I not only trust their clinical evaluation, judgement, and expertise, but I am confident that they mirror my ethical practice and professionalism.

Through my years of medical practice and spending time getting to know my patients, I have not only used my medical degree to treat my patients, but also my degree in Psychology. I incorporate human compassion and devotion to whole body wellness as part of my general practice.

I can’t tell you how many patients have left my office thanking me not only for being their physician but for also being their sometimes therapist.

Living in New York and handling all of the day to day stressors can become a lot to handle. I often have patients coming in complaining of fatigue, lack of motivation, insomnia, and even body and joint pains. After their full physical, some relevant blood work, and some time exploring their psychosocial issues, we narrow down the root of the cause to anxiety or depression.

Its important to see that the answer isn’t always medication. Many times, we spend our visits discussing different tools that can be used for relaxation or to help with organizing and prioritizing what’s important. Self-preservation is crucial and I have found that sometimes patients just need to be reminded of setting limits and protecting their time.