When it comes to health insurance and health coverage, just about every person in the world has a slightly unique situation. There are so many different variations of health plans, and so many different options for who runs a community’s healthcare system that there is no one size fits all solution to healthcare.
There are, however, many people who have meager health insurance or no health insurance. For this group, going to the doctor can cost a significant amount of money. In fact, many people could live for a month on the amount of money they would have to spend on a single doctor visit. For this crowd, it can be hard to justify that visit and often it is necessary to seek alternative solutions to health problems. Here are four common problems and their alternative solutions.
Retail clinics
Retail clinics are typically found in supermarkets and drugstores. They are staffed by real nurses and practitioners, but may be less skilled than a doctor. They usually do not have the ability to treat and diagnose the vast number of issues that a medical doctor could, but for a large number of visitors that is not what they need.
Clinics have the ability to offer their services at a low cost because they can limit a lot of their expenses by working in conjunction with the store that they are associated with. They can also focus on a few core services and make those cheaper; for example, sore throats, infections, sprained ankles, and other minor injuries. These are typically the most common issues people go the doctor for, and clinics can be just as helpful as a doctor, at a significantly lower cost.
Massage therapists
Many people do not fully understand all that can come from a massage. They just picture the classic photos most massage parlors use to advertise. Relaxed tourists laying on a table while they are gently massaged. Perhaps they pause to sip a margarita every once in awhile.
The truth is that massages actually have the ability to heal a lot of internal issues and pain. Here are a few of the common massage styles and what they can treat. Some types of massages can quicken the healing of torn muscles and scar tissue. Other types have the ability to help people move their joints in motions they never thought they would be able to do again.
If your issue is an internal one dealing with muscle or bone, consider a massage parlor. They are much cheaper than doctors and often can yield better results.
Essential oils
Essential oils have been all the rage the last few years. However, if you look at the true history of essential oils, they have actually been the rage for thousands of years. People throughout history have found ways to burn different types of oils to yield incredible results. Essential oils have been proven to have the ability to help with depression, skin issues, sexual problems, hormonal imbalances, digestive pain, and many other issues that millions of people experience on a daily basis. There are more than a dozen different oils that have become popular in the last few years and each one can serve a specific cause.
It is important to note that while these are alternatives to a doctor in some situations, they are not alternatives in all. If the issue is not life threatening and time is not of the essence, these alternatives are typically worth trying, as they have the ability to save significant money. If the issue is time sensitive, however, it is typically a good idea to head to a doctor’s office and fork out whatever is necessary.
Featured photo credit: Dingzeyu Li via unsplash.com
