Month: May 2021

Vital Facts About Neck and Back Pain

Health and Fitness Yuniar Hamond

Neck and Back Pain

Having neck or back pain can be such an unpleasant experience. When you have neck pain, you cannot sleep well, turn your head, and it affects your posture. Having back pain affects your movement and your day-to-day activities. The good news is that your Albany neck and back pain specialists at Orthopaedic Associates can help relieve your pain.

What causes neck and back pain?

There are different causes of neck and back pain. These include:

  • Strenuous activities such as lifting heavy loads or doing an activity that requires repetitive twisting
  • Having an abnormal growth like bone spurs
  • Strain or sprain and muscle tension
  • Experiencing muscle and ligament tears and muscle weakness in your back
  • Having conditions like arthritis which affects your joints
  • Suffering injury, fractures, and trauma

What are the symptoms of neck and back pain?

You may experience different symptoms for your neck and back, depending on the cause of the pain.  If you have neck pain, you may experience stiffness, numbness, pain, tingling in your arm, strain when turning your head, pain in your neck and shoulders, and headaches.

If you have back pain, you could have a burning or sharp pain in your back, radiating pain down your leg and stiffness of your back, numbness in your leg, muscle spasm, or consistent ache either in your lower or middle back. You may also experience a sharp pain shooting from your lower back to the buttocks, spreading down to the calf and toes.

How is neck and back pain diagnosis carried out?

Your doctor will review your medical history and carry out a thorough physical examination of your muscles and joints. Your doctor may recommend further diagnosis like a blood test to examine arthritis, a condition that affects your joints, causing neck and back pain.

Your doctor may also recommend some diagnostic imaging like MRI to get pictures of your ligaments, blood vessels, and tendons. The test helps determine if you have any infection, inflammation, tumor, or nerve pressure.

Your doctor will perform bone scans to check for tumors and suspected compression fractures if you have symptoms of radiculopathy. An X-ray of the affected area is also essential.

Neck and back pain treatment

Your doctor may recommend the following conservative treatments for your neck pain.

Joint mobilization therapy to help restore joint motion. Some active and passive exercises prevent stiffness, regain motion in your muscles, and strengthen your brain-to-body communication to boost movement.

Ice and heat therapy will help relieve your pain and stiffness.

Steroid injections will help reduce inflammation around your nerve roots or inflammation area.

For your back pain, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following:

Therapeutic massage to relieve pain and reduce stress, manual manipulation to relieve pain caused by muscle tension and muscle spasm

Steroid injections to reduce inflammation

Heat therapy to help boost the circulation of oxygen, and nutrients to joints and muscles. The circulation will help repair your damaged muscles and reduce inflammation.

If conservative treatments do not alleviate your neck or back pain, your doctor may recommend you undergo surgery for neck or back pain.

If you are experiencing neck or back pain, call or book an appointment online with Orthopaedic Associates.

How to Solve Lower Back Pain and Lead a Normal Life

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Lower Back Pain

If you have ever felt back pain that prevents you from performing your daily routine, you are not alone. Most people suffer lower back pain at some point in their lives. If not treated, this type of pain can lead to complications such as disability. Lower back pain can be severe or benign. If it persists for several weeks despite several remedies, the condition is chronic and needs medical attention. If you feel mild, annoying, and sharp pain, seek medical attention from specialists of low back pain in Eugene at Pacific Sports and Spine. The team of specialists offers interventional procedures using the latest technology to deal with pain.

When should I be worried about back pain?

Mostly, the cause of lower back pain is not known, and it gets better with time. Whether you have sharp and intermittent or occasional back pain, you may be wondering if your pain is a cause for alarm. Any pain in your back is essential to note. The following tips will help you determine when you should be worried about lower back pain. You should seek medical help:

  •   If your lower back pain does not reduce within a period of one to two weeks.
  •   When you have difficulty in walking or moving your legs.
  •   Experience numbness in your legs.
  •   Incur extreme pain.

When you visit your doctor, they will identify the cause of the pain and suggest appropriate treatment.

How is my back pain diagnosed?

When you visit your doctor, finding the exact cause of the pain is essential before establishing the type of treatment. At the beginning of the diagnostic process, you will be required to give a complete description of the symptoms and your medical history. The specialists will use this information to get an overall idea of what might have caused the pain. Before the physical examination is carried out, you will be required to give information such as:

  • When the pain worsens, you may also be asked to state how the pain is spread in your body.
  • Is the pain dull, sharp, or stinging?
  • Your doctor may ask about your lifestyle. For example, whether you work, if you must sit or stand for long hours, and if you regularly exercise.
  • How many hours you sleep, and what position do you prefer while sleeping.
  • Your doctor may also ask about any injuries you have had before.

Your doctor may then proceed to conduct image scans such as the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) scan, and X-ray. Sometimes your doctor may know what is causing your pain but may not know the exact location. Imaging tests are essential to identify where the pain is located.

What factors are considered before surgery for lower back pain?

Although there are nonsurgical treatments for lower back pain, your doctor may recommend surgery in severe cases. If you can manage your pain and it does not interfere with your daily routine, nonsurgical treatments are recommended. If you are likely to lose the ability to function normally, they will opt for surgical treatment. They will also consider how the healing process will affect your life. Deal with lumbar pain before it gets complicated by booking an appointment with your doctor at Pacific Sports and Spine.

Manage Your Spider Veins through Sclerotherapy in Tallahassee

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Sclerotherapy

Your veins form some of the most crucial parts of your circulatory system, and if they fail to function normally for any reason, you can experience enlarged and bulging veins on your skin. This can be spider veins or varicose veins. Although most people experiencing these conditions do not develop serious complications, they can affect how you feel about your appearance. But, Charles W. Kent, MD, and the Tallahassee Vein & Face Clinic team of medical experts can improve your symptoms through minimally invasive sclerotherapy. Follow through to see how.

How Sclerotherapy is used

While conservative measures such as losing weight, wearing compression stockings, and elevating the leg can improve spider or varicose veins, they may not be effective in managing your condition completely. That is why your provider opts for a more effective sclerotherapy procedure to eliminate the existing vessels. This is achieved by injecting a sclerosant substance into each of the vessels. This substance irritates the vessel’s walls causing them to stick to each other and eventually collapse.

Candidates for Sclerotherapy

Although sclerotherapy procedure is safe and effective in managing spider veins, not everyone is a good candidate. Dr. Kent will evaluate your condition and other factors to determine if you are a viable candidate for the procedure. If you are pregnant, unfortunately, the treatment procedure will not be recommended for you. If you had a blood clot earlier, your candidacy would depend on why you had the clot, the health state of the treatment area, your overall well-being, and your unique needs.

What You Can Expect

When Dr. Kent verifies your eligibility, the treatment procedure will be underway. Some medications need to be avoided during your treatment, and it would help to notify your provider of the medications you are using. This includes over-the-counter and prescription medications or vitamin and herbal supplements.

As mentioned earlier, sclerotherapy involves using a needle to inject an irritant agent into your damaged veins. Depending on your needs, special techniques can be used to inject the solution, and you might need several injections for optimal results.

The mass of veins treated in one session depends on the veins’ size and location and your overall health. The procedure is performed in the office and should take about 30 minutes, although it depends on the veins’ size and location.

You might feel a cramping sensation during your treatment, but it only lasts for a minute or two. You will be able to go back home, although you may need to refrain from aerobic activities for several days.

Why Sclerotherapy?

There are many reasons why sclerotherapy remains effective in managing spider and varicose veins even after medical interventions. One of the main reasons is that it improves the legs’ cosmetic appearance by eliminating the enlarged and bulging veins in a minimally invasive way. No general anesthesia is required, and you do not have to stay in the hospital overnight.

Other reasons include:

  •       It is safe and available for everyone
  •       It is fast
  •       Boosts confidence and self-esteem

Indeed, sclerotherapy is the treatment procedure you require for your spider or varicose veins. Reach out to Dr. Kent today and learn more about this effective treatment and learn if it is suitable for you.

How Telepsychiatry Works and How You Can Benefit From the Practice

Health and Fitness Yuniar Hamond

While some people find it awkward communicating to their doctor via a screen, others find the comfort of their home satisfying and safe. Psychological issues like anxiety and schizophrenia need you to be comfortable and in an environment conducive to sharing your feelings with your doctor. In such instances, your doctor might offer their services via video conferencing software instead of a face-face-communication. Your Jacksonville telepsychiatry specialist, Satyen Madkaiker, provides psychiatric services to his patients in distant locations or those that feel comfortable getting treatment from the comfort of their homes. The professional offers complex medication management and advanced treatment to ensure his patients cope well with their psychological conditions.

Jacksonville telepsychiatry

How are you likely to benefit from telepsychiatry?

Telepsychiatry allows professionals to reach their various patients spread out in distant locations. Though the practice does not permit you to be in the same office with your psychiatrist, the treatment creates a feeling of privacy, security, and safety.

The treatment is not reserved for specific individuals. Telepsychiatry is suitable for all your family members. It is preferable if you are autistic or have severe anxiety disorders. Opening up on personal issues in the comfort of your home helps you feel relaxed. There are multiple ways you can benefit from telepsychiatry. They include:

  • Enhancing your access to mental health that might otherwise be unavailable, especially if you are in remote areas
  • Minimizing delay in care
  • Improving continuity of psychiatric care and follow-up
  • Reducing stigmatization
  • You do not have to take time off to attend your appointment
  • Minimizing potential transportation worries
  • You will set your appointment at your convenient time
  • Avoiding long queues in a hospital lobby
  • You have minimal chances of contracting an infectious infection in a crowd of people.

How does telepsychiatry work?

The service works like an in-person appointment. You will need to contact your doctor, who will give you a referral to a psychiatrist. Your doctor may set up the meeting in his office or give you an appointment time when you can contact the professional at home. Before video conferencing, you must ensure you have all the relevant information and records, if any, including prescription details. You might need to note down questions or concerns you will like to have your psychiatrist address.

The professional may:

  • Prescribe medications
  • Schedule a follow-up appointment
  • Design your treatment plan

The practice is similar to an in-office appointment in terms of:

  • Accurate diagnosis
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Effectiveness of treatment
  • Quality care

For your appointment to be effective, you must ensure

  • Your choice of location is private
  • You have an internet connection
  • Your communication device is working properly
  • You have minimal distractions
  • You have a paper and pen to note your doctor’s specific instructions.

Telepsychiatry makes it possible for patients and their doctors to connect from miles away. Additionally, if you feel more comfortable talking to your doctor at home or do not want to spend several hours driving and waiting in lines for your appointment with your doctor, book an online appointment today to discuss your psychological worries with your doctor at your convenience.

Specialized Wound Care to Enhance the Healing Process

Health and Fitness Yuniar Hamond

Non-healing wounds need special care. Most of these wounds have complex underlying conditions that prohibit them from going through the typical healing process. The longer you wait before seeking treatment for your chronic wound, the higher your infection risk. Bakersfield wound care professional Ruben Nieto, DPM, and the wound care team at Diabetic Foot and Wound Center can help prevent an infected wound from leading to further complications. A chronic wound can lower your quality of life, preventing you from doing most of the things you enjoy.

How can wound care aid your healing process?

Wound care is crucial since chronic wounds have severe consequences. Unlike general wound care that only focuses on your wound, your doctor may diagnose and treat the wound’s underlying condition during specialized wound care. Additionally, the care provider can provide you with therapy during your recovery phase and beyond.

  • Preventing infection. You can significantly decrease your infection risk when you regularly check your wound dressing and bandages. Schedule an appointment with your doctor for medically-assisted decisions and evaluation of the wound’s progress. The professional will look out for possible smell and discharge, observe bleeding, and check the wound’s temperature. The care provider might also advise you to clean the treatment area daily with wound care disinfectant or clean water and apply a clean dressing.
  • Speed up your healing process. Covering your wound with clean dressings quickens your healing process. Additionally, proper maintenance of your bandages protects your wound against infections.
  • Minimize scarring. You can help minimize scars and the formation of hard scabs when you keep your wound soft throughout your healing process. Applying prescription antibiotic ointments during your early healing stages can soften the skin around your wound, making it pliable.

What are the major causes of chronic wounds?

You will know you have a non-healing wound if it fails to show signs of healing within two weeks or has not shut completely after approximately six weeks. In such a case, you will need expert care from your doctor to check your blood flow, evaluate it, and devise a personalized care plan to enhance your healing process and prevent recurrence. Typical non-healing wound types include foot ulcers, radiation sores, pressure or bed sores, and surgical wounds.

There are various chronic wound causes and you could have it because of one or several of the following conditions:

  • Weak immune system
  • Diabetes
  • Poor blood circulation
  • Nerve damage
  • Inactivity
  • Poor nutrition
  • Excessive alcohol use

What wound types are likely to benefit from wound care management?

You can benefit from wound care services when you have the following wound types:

  • Pressure ulcer
  • High-risk wound linked to an underlying condition
  • Diabetic wounds with low extremity
  • Neuropathic wounds
  • Wounds of no specific etiology but is not showing signs of healing

Your treatment options may include:

  • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
  • Compression bandages and stockings
  • Negative pressure wound therapy
  • Debridement
  • Wound dressing
  • Wound cleaning
  • Antibiotics
  • Skin grafts

A chronic wound can take an unusually long time to heal completely or may continually reopen. Therefore, you need special wound care to ensure it does not get infections that might slow down your healing process. Schedule an appointment today with your doctor to learn more about wound treatment options.

Chest Pain Symptoms and Treatment Options to Relieve You of Your Debilitating Symptoms

Health and Fitness Yuniar Hamond

Chest pain is worrying. However, it is not always a sign that you have a heart attack. You will most likely have chest pain because of an imbalance between your heart’s blood supply and your heart muscle’s oxygen needs. Chest pain can either be cardiac-related or non-cardiac related and your doctor will devise a treatment plan depending on your symptoms’ causes. Cardiovascular expert Anthony Lewis has considerable experience in diagnosing and treating chest pain in Port Saint Lucie. Dr. Lewis and his team at TLC Medical Group provide modern treatment options to relieve patients from painful symptoms and help them live fulfilling lives.

chest pain in Port Saint Lucie

What are some of the typical symptoms you are likely to experience with chest pains?

Chest pains vary depending on the pain’s root cause. The pain does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with your heart. However, you cannot rule that out without contacting your doctor.

Heart-related (or cardiac) chest pain

If your pain is related to a heart problem, symptoms may include:

  • Dizziness or weakness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Lightheadedness
  • Cold sweats
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Pain during exertion
  • Pressure or fullness in your chest
  • Pain that radiates to other parts of your body

Though it is hard to distinguish between cardiac chest pain and non-cardiac chest pain, you might have the following symptoms when your chest pain less likely the result of a heart condition

  • Trouble swallowing or eating
  • Persistent pain
  • Chest tenderness
  • Fever
  • Aches
  • Hyperventilating
  • An acidic or sour taste in the mouth
  • Pain that improves or worsens with specific body positions
  • Pain that worsens when you cough or breathe deeply

What are your treatment options when you have chest pain?

Your doctor will diagnose and suggest an option depending on your symptoms’ root cause before recommending treatment. Your treatment options might include:

Medications. Drugs your doctor will use to treat most chest pain causes include:

  • Thrombolytic drugs
  • Artery relaxers
  • Blood thinners
  • Acid-suppressing medications
  • Antidepressants

Surgical and other possible procedures your doctor might recommend include:

  • Bypass surgery. During a bypass procedure, your doctor will remove a blood vessel from another body part and use it to create an alternative route, avoiding your blocked artery.
  • Lung reinflation. Your doctor will insert a tiny tube in your chest during the procedure to reinflate your lung if you have a collapsed lung.
  • Dissection repair. In case of an aortic dissection, your care provider will recommend emergency surgery to repair the condition.
  • Angioplasty and stent placement. If your pain results from a blockage in an artery, your doctor will recommend the treatment to keep the blood vessel open.

Can you prevent chest pain?

It is possible to prevent chest pain. You could minimize your cardiac disease risk factors by following your doctor’s instructions and taking your prescribed medications. You could also prevent non-cardiac chest pain by watching out for the pain’s underlying causes. For instance, avoid situations likely to increase issues like pneumonia, chest trauma, or chest muscle strain.

Chest pain is not always a sign of a heart attack. However, it is the first test your doctor will request because it is a potential threat to your life. Schedule an appointment today with your doctor to know the possible cause for your chest pain and how to alleviate your symptoms.

What You Ought to Know About Telemedicine

Health and Fitness Yuniar Hamond

Telemedicine involves the use of advanced technologies to pass your medical information over your phone or internet. This process makes it easy for you to receive treatment and diagnosis for your health problems at your comfort without visiting the doctor. Browlyn Marquez, MSN, FNP-C, APN at Live Urgent Care, uses this program to diagnose common health problems such as fevers, strep throat, coughs, yeast infections, stomach bugs, food poisoning, asthma, colds and flu, urinary tract infections, strep throat, and upper respiratory tract infections. Before you get started, it would be best to understand the telemedicine program prior to deciding to add new technologies to upgrade your services.

Live Urgent Care

Improves Quality of your Health

Telemedicine can give you quality healthcare. It also creates room for you to address your health issues quickly and learn about your options for your treatment in a few minutes. It is a low stress process, and you will not be prone to get admitted to hospitals.

It’s Cost-Effective

Electronic data storage, monitoring, and remote analysis services reduce the cost of taking care of your health, saves the money you could have used during visits, and eliminates your regular checkups’ transportation expenses. It can also help boost revenue by reducing shows, turning on-call hours, and reducing physicians who can switch from home model to flexible work for the week. If you are an investor, this program helps you in cost savings.

Enhances your Commitment

When you commit yourself to telemedicine, it helps you maintain your care schedules and appointments, thus helping you achieve your own goals of improving your health. Also, your increased engagement will assist you in curbing obesity and the use of tobacco through the encouragement that you get. This helps you make healthy choices in your lifestyle. However, you not only get assured that your providers are available for your care but also you can reach out with your questions easily, have a follow-up appointment, and also can report your early warning signs.

It’s Most Convenient

If you don’t prefer in-person patient care, here is your solution. Telemedicine is the most convenient way of taking care of your health without the cost of a personal visit. Suppose you live in remote areas and cannot take time off from work. In that case, you can access your health care virtually via smartphone apps, video conferencing, and online management systems to connect with your provider.

Offer Better Access to More Specialists

Your location does not matter with telemedicine services. You can access the specialist of your choice despite your residential area. You get referred to the physician that you need depending on your disease. You do not have to endure any long commutes for your appointment or even have trouble accessing lifesaving consultation for your plans on chronic care.

Now that you know about the telemedicine program, you may have additional questions. If you would like your queries to be answered by a qualified medical practitioner, do not hesitate to book your appointment with Dr. Marquez.

Health Benefits of Infusion Therapy Over Oral Supplements

Health and Fitness Yuniar Hamond

Your nutritionist will always advise you to drink lots of water and practice healthy dieting if you want to feel energetic and look good physically. Though the practices are effective, you will have to wait for quite some time to start witnessing results. However, with an IV infusion, your doctor could bypass your digestive system and directly administer doses of nutrients to your bloodstream resulting in speedy results. Robertson Wellness and Aesthetics is a professional wellness clinic providing holistic care to patients. The professionals provide high-level care to their clients with various wellness issues.

Below are the wellness services you can get at the facility:

IV therapy

The infusion therapy works by sending a personalized nutrients cocktail to your bloodstream. The process is similar to a blood transfusion, only that you will be receiving vitamins instead of blood. During the treatment, your doctor will look for a healthy vein to insert an IV drip. Since the experience is calming, your doctor will advise you to relax as the nutrients move straight to your bloodstream.

After the treatment, you will experience a great deal of improvement in your overall health. You will realize that you are energetic and alert throughout your day. IV therapy has various benefits. They include:

  • Instant rehydration. Drinking water could help quench your thirst. However, it will not get to your bloodstream as fast as getting it through infusion.
  • Speedy results. One thing you will most probably notice with IV infusion is its effectiveness. Unlike oral supplements that might take you time to see results, the nutrients you absorb through IV therapy bypass your digestive system, aiming for your bloodstream.
  • Relieve you from hangovers. Drinking alcohol could dehydrate your body, depleting it of essential nutrients and this is why you are most likely to have a severe headache after a hangover. Additionally, drinking alcohol forces your liver to create and release toxins in your body resulting in dizziness and nausea.

The good thing about infusion therapy is, it applies to anyone with a healthy lifestyle. However, your doctor will not use it as your diet substitute or your lifestyle’s replacement. What an IV infusion does is complement your health goals, boosting them to a higher level.

Mobile services

At Robertson Wellness and Aesthetics, the team of experts aims at making their services available for you wherever you are. The team understands that coming down to the facility could be daunting and therefore make their IV infusion therapy available to everyone. The infusion services the team offers range from energy drips to migraine treatments. Other mobile IV services you could also request include:

  • Hangover drips
  • Vitamins infusion
  • Detox cocktails
  • Weight loss injections
  • Immunity drips
  • High-dose vitamin C infusions

You are likely to benefit from the mobile services if you are suffering from everyday issues like dehydration, hangovers, jetlag, and food poisoning. Since your doctor could quickly recommend an IV infusion therapy, you have no reason to go about your day feeling worn out.

IV infusion treatment is very effective and you will immediately notice your desired results depending on the treatment you want. Contact the experts to discuss your options for speedy treatment to replenish your nutrients and vitamins.