Preventive Medicine

Preventive medicine gives you — not the disease — the advantage. At Different Approach Wellness Center, patient-focused nurse practitioner Thera Radney, MSN, NP-C, provides all-encompassing preventive medicine in the Southfield, Michigan, office. You can get immunizations, lab tests, lifestyle education, medication, and more in one place. Request your appointment now online or call the Southfield, Michigan, office.

What is preventive medicine?

Preventive medicine is health care that helps you stay one step ahead of medical problems. Medical professionals often say it’s easier to prevent disease than treat it, and preventive care focuses on that philosophy.

At Different Approach Wellness Center, Thera emphasizes preventive care at every age. She helps patients establish wellness so they’re strong, healthy, and can avoid many preventable illnesses and chronic diseases.

Preventive care detects the first signs of many diseases, so Thera can help you take action to reverse or neutralize the threat.

Regular preventive care means you’ll spend less time and money on medical care.

What types of preventive medicine do I need?

At Different Approach Wellness Center, Thera wants to get to know you and understand your health care needs so that she can provide the best preventive care possible. It’s truly a different way to approach primary care compared with the factory-style medical practices that only focus on shuffling you in and out quickly.

Thera considers many things, including your age, medical history, lifestyle, current health problems, and others, to determine the best preventive care approaches for you. As part of your preventive care, you might need: 

• Immunizations (vaccines, vaccinations)
• Lab tests for diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney disease, and other problems
• Electrocardiogram (EKG) to check your heart function
• Pap smears to screen for cervical cancer
• Mammograms to screen for breast cancer
• Osteoporosis testing (bone scan)
• Sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing
• Lifestyle education
• Medical weight loss
• Medication

Most patients have annual wellness exams, with acute illnesses visits as needed.

How does preventive care help me?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that eliminating three disease risk factors — unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking — can eliminate many of the most common causes of chronic illness, disability, and death among Americans. 

Preventive medicine would prevent:

• 80% of heart disease
• 80% of strokes
• 80% of Type 2 diabetes
• 40% of cancers

Those statistics don’t include infectious diseases, another area where preventive care shines. Immunizations prevent 4 million-5 million deaths worldwide per year.

There’s no doubt that dealing with disease can be tiring, time-consuming, and expensive. By starting preventive care now, you can prevent these serious health problems from affecting your family’s life, worry less about your health, and feel more confident about your future.

Call Different Approach Wellness Center now or click the online appointment request feature.