I am not really sure how this happened, but it finally hit me that the end of the year is already around the corner! Looking at my calendar for the next couple of months made me realize that we are a mere 8 weeks away from the end of the year!
If you are fortunate enough to have extended health benefits, now is the time to start thinking about maximizing your plan. Since most benefit plans expire on December 31st, now is the time to finish the year strong and step into 2023 feeling great!
Each year, Canadians leave millions of dollars of extended health care dollars go unused. For some it’s a lack of understanding, but for most it is because they feel like they don’t need it. Pain management is only one of countless benefits offered by paramedical services.
We all know about massage therapy, dental and vision coverage, but what about paramedical services? A lot of modern plans now included physiotherapy, chiropractic, naturopathy and yes, acupuncture! Even if you are not currently in the middle of a crisis, most of these services are greatly beneficial for prevention and overall wellness.
Knowing how much coverage you have for each modality can be helpful in creating a healing or prevention program that is balanced and personalized to you and your budget.
A lot of plans can work together to offer either additional coverage or double the amount of available sessions per modality. Make sure that you are familiar with both.
Start with a goal in mind. Are you looking for help with digestion? Headaches? Low Energy? Are you looking to relax or do you need help with pain in your body?
Having a goal in mind is going to help you choose which therapy (or combination of therapies) is going to serve you best.
If you already have a primary care practitioner like an acupuncturist or a massage therapist, you can start by asking them to help you create a treatment plan for the rest of the year. They probably already have some ideas and recommendations that will save you a lot of research.
If you are starting from scratch, finding a practitioner can be overwhelming, let alone a few of them. A good place to start is with people you know. Do you have a massage therapist that you really enjoy? Ask them to recommend an acupuncturist or an osteopath. You can also reach out to a friend with similar tastes and ask their recommendations.
If you are still unsure after you’ve done your research, don’t be shy to reach out to a few practitioners to ask your questions. I love people calling me to ask me about acupuncture and how it can help them!
