Two weeks ago, my eldest daughter came home from the dance studio complaining about her left wrist. She had fallen on it during rehearsal, and it was bothering her, so I took a look. There was no swelling, and she had a full range of motion, but it hurt! I told her to sit at the end of the couch, elevate her arm, place a heating pad over her forearm, and move her fingers and wrist as much as she could tolerate. I advised her to do this as often as possible over the next few days—the more, the better!
Of course, when dealing with a teenager, the message often goes in one ear and out the other. She didn’t follow my suggestion, and the pain was still there a couple of days later, so I took her to the hospital to make sure it wasn’t fractured.
After an X-ray, we waited to see the doctor. As he made his rounds, the only thing separating us from other patients was a curtain, so I overheard every prescription he gave. No matter the injury—whether it was an ankle, back, shoulder, or even a toothache—the instructions were always the same: Take Advil every six hours, ice it, and avoid activity for two weeks.
Sure enough, my daughter heard those exact words verbatim. Thankfully, she didn’t have a fracture, just a mild sprain. When we got to the car after our three-hour hospital visit, she turned to me and said, “Okay, Dad, I’ll do what you told me to.”
I’m not a doctor, and I don’t give medical advice to clients, but when it comes to my daughter, I have more say in the matter. As a health and fitness professional, my recommendation was almost the complete opposite of what the MD suggested:
- She took a proteolytic enzyme formula, not Advil.
- She applied heat, not ice.
- She did gentle movement, not complete rest.
And the result? She continued dancing, and within days, the wrist was no longer an issue.
Whenever our kids are sick, my wife and I deal with it in-house, so to speak. Most of the time, treatment involves probiotics (not antibiotics), homemade chicken soup, and plenty of sleep. That usually does the trick. In fact, I can’t remember the last time we took them to a doctor.
Actually, when we were registering at the hospital, they asked my daughter for the name of her family doctor. She gave me a puzzled look, and I said, “Well, unless you can put her parents in that spot, she has no family doctor!”
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not telling you to avoid doctors. They play a vital role. But keep in mind that there are always other options, and the standard approach isn’t always the best approach. Don’t be afraid to ask about alternative treatments. If possible, come prepared with research. At best, your doctor may look into it and learn something new. At worst, you’ll get a slap on the wrist for your effort—pardon the pun.
Next week, I’ll share an incident from a year ago that will make you think twice if a doctor’s advice doesn’t sit well with you. Stay tuned—you don’t want to miss this series!
