5 Reasons to Avoid Your Doctor

I love my handyman. In the past year or so, he’s patched my drywall, fixed my air conditioning, sealed my driveway, and rewired my porch light. He can do anything, or so it seemed. But then, over the summer, I called him in a panic about my water heater and the room-temperature product it was producing.

“Sorry, I’m not a plumber,” he told me. It was as if he threw the cold water right from my water heater into my face.

General practitioners (a.k.a., primary-care physicians) are the handymen of health. When we men face a health problem, we try to solve it with this two-step approach:

1. Ignore it for weeks.
2. When it doesn’t go away, ask our primary-care physician to fix it.

Trouble is, depending on what's ailing you, this approach can be highly ineffective—or even dangerous. Here are five symptoms your primary-care doc has no clue how to fix, and who you should call instead.

1. THE BLUES
Instead call: A Psychiatrist
General practitioners often prescribe antidepressants without a proper diagnosis, a 2011 study in Health Affairs found. But psychiatrists suss out the problem before prescribing any treatment. And they also monitor symptoms of depression and are better able to customize treatment, whether with drugs or therapy, says Michael Peterson, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin.

BONUS TIP: For simple steps to live a longer and healthier life, check out Dr. Oz's 25 Greatest Health Tips Ever.

2. ACHY KNEES
Instead call: An Orthopedist
In a 2010 University of Utah study, primary-care doctors underused X-rays and over­used MRIs when assessing knee pain—a likely cause of incorrect diagnosis. Unless the reason for your pain is obvious, go to an orthopedist.

3. BACK PAIN
Instead call: A Physical Therapist
Most general practitioners will write prescriptions for pain pills, but exercise is a better fix, a 2010 Japanese study reports. “Physical therapists perform detailed assessments and build treatment plans based on your strength, flexibility, and mobility,” says Joyce Maring, P.T., director of George Washington University’s physical therapy program.

4. SUSPICIOUS MOLES
Instead call: A Dermotologist
Keep your shirt on. “GPs may recommend unnecessary removal of moles,” says Jessie Cheung, M.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at Rush University medical center. “Dermatologists can recognize specific patterns in moles and decide if a biopsy is really necessary.” Don't forget to screen yourself regularly as well. Here's what skin cancer looks like.

5. WEIGHT GAIN
Instead call: A Dietitian
Your regular doc can confirm that you are, in fact, fat, but won’t be effective at helping you lose the lard, according to a 2009 University of Colorado study review. If you want expert advice, consider hiring a dietitian. Unlike your general practitioner, a dietitian will have the time to work with you on a daily basis to shed the weight. Start by avoiding the 20 Worst Foods in America!

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Additional reporting by Maren Kasselik