Top 3 Reasons to get a Mammogram

An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure. – Benjamin Franklin

Prevention. I have said it before prevention is your best medicine. I am going to confess I have put off having my mammogram due to life as Private Practice owner being 24/7 and overly demanding. That is at least my excuse. My life has started to slow down a bit , so my mom and a few clients reminded me that I could take the time to get a Mammogram. I do have a family history of breast cancer, but I am happy to say my mom is a breast cancer survivor. She turned 80 this year. We are very thankful to still have her with us. She had a mammogram every year and her breast cancer was detected early.

First Mammogram. Well today I did it. I had my first mammogram and I want to let others know that it was one of the quickest most efficient things I have experienced. I could have done it on my lunch break. I also want to dispel any myths that it is painful. It was not painful at all! I had a great technician at the Faquier Diagnostic Center.

Reasons to have a Mammogram. According to the American Breast Cancer Foundation(ABCF) there are many reasons to get a Mammorgram, but here are my TOP 3:

1. A Mammogram can detect cancer 3 years before a lump is felt
2. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in all women
3. 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer.

The ABCF site states that breast cancer rates have decreased since 2000. So education and early screening are helping the fight against breast cancer. Let us be a part of that statistic and continue to reduce the incidence of breast cancer. Exercise, eat clean, and get a mammogram.  I hope to see a cure for breast cancer in my lifetime.  For more information on prevention and to dispel Myths about mammograms visit the American Breast Cancer Foundation Site.  

Telehealth: Physical Therapy

There was a time when doctors made house calls and delivered babies in the home. The world has enlarged and life has become busier making house calls a thing of the past.  Now there is a new avenue that will allow healthcare providers to see you in the comfort of your own home. This new method is called Telehealth. 

Telehealth. What is it and What does that word mean? The Dictionary defines Telehealth as “the provision of healthcare remotely by means of telecommunication technology.” The world of telehealth expands our access to quality healthcare. Technology is advancing rapidly and allowing for face to face interaction and possible diagnostic tools that can be used remotely.

The Benefits. You have a doctor you connect with,  you can see them from anywhere. There is a specialist across the country, you can now schedule a face to face meeting. The kids are napping, you can attend a telehealth visit while they nap. Don’t want to take time off from work, schedule a visit during lunch. This is just naming a few of the benefits to using Telehealth.

Can you see a physical Therapist via Telehealth? Physical Therapy is among the list of healthcare providers offering Telehealth options. Telehealth allows you to connect when it is difficult to attend an office visit. Have you ever stopped physical therapy due to relocating, going on vacation, or traveling for work? You can now continue your physical therapy with no gaps in your care. Have you ever wanted to consult with a physical therapist to determine if seeing a physician or a therapist first is the best option? Now you can attend physical therapy from the comfort of your home, gym, office, and hotel room.

What to expect with a telehealth visit. A one on one attentive session for the following: Evaluation, consultation, education, training, advancement of exercises, and instruction in self-treatment techniques.

Telehealth at Lifestyle Physical Therapy. At Lifestyle Physical Therapy, LLC Telehealth physical therapy is being offered for: consultation to determine appropriateness for physical therapy, chronic pain treatment, Chronic pain education, Early intervention for injury, follow up treatments, prevention and wellness, and progression of exercises between therapy visits. If you are in NC, SC, or VA we can provide telehealth physical therapy. Call our offices or send us an e-mail to set up a telehealth visit. If you are in another state place telehealth physical therapy in your search engine as there are many providers in each state. The sooner you can access physical therapy the fewer visits you will need to complete your rehabilitation. Taking care of a seemingly simple injury such as an ankle sprain can save you from future injuries resulting in avoidable costly healthcare expenses. Contact us at 803-831-1454 or e-mail us at  lifestylept@bellsouth.net. Visit our website at www.lifestyle-physical-therapy.com

This article is for education only. This information is not intended to replace the advice or evaluation of a healthcare provider. An evaluation is highly skilled and complex and involves an evaluation of different systems and elements to determine the best approach for each individual. Always follow the instructions of your physical therapist or physician in regards to your personal exercise program. 

3 Best Products for Arthritic Hands

Who has Arthritis? Arthritis is a word society connects to grandparents and aging, but according to www.medicinenet.com more than 21 million Americans have arthritis and 50% are under the age of 65.  Arthritis affects Americans of all ages.

What is arthritis? It is inflammation of the joints that can result in joint damage over time. It causes a dull ache and stiffness; which makes movement difficult and painful. Stiffness is worse in the morning and after sitting for long periods.

How to help joint pain and stiffness. The good news is the stiffness and pain lessens with movement. Our joints are a lot like a car engine. If a car sits for a long period the oil becomes thick and the engine seizes up and stops working. The same thing happens in our bodies. The synovial fluid in our joints becomes thick when we are sedentary. Slow methodical movement results in friction heating the synovial fluid causing the thick fluid to become thin. This allows for easier movement of our joints. So MOVEMENT is good medicine for our joints. The best part is movement is free. Most people like free medicine, so go for a walk, take a Tai Chi class, gently squeeze a ball,  or go for a Swim to improve your joint stiffness and aching.

Arthritis and loss of mobility.  In the more advanced stages of arthritis joint damage can result in decreased activity and movement. In some people arthritis is most noticeable in the hands due to the pain, stiffness, and loss of joint motion reducing grip strength. This can be frustrating and result in slowly stopping activities, such as cooking. Opening jars, cutting meat, and chopping vegetables can be challenging.  As activity reduces, there is less movement; which results in more joint stiffness and aching. This can be a vicious cycle. There is adaptive equipment that is ergonomically designed to protect your joints and  keep you performing activities you enjoy.   The Wright Stuff  Home Healthcare Products has a multitude of products to assist individuals with arthritis and disabilities. Based on the consumer reviews I have created my top 3 adapted products list. (Our affiliate link is provided for you for convenience and may result in us earning a commission at no increased cost to you.)

 My Top 3 adaptive product picks:

1. Vertical Grip Professional Helper Knife
2. Un-Skru Jar Opener
3. Easy-Grip Loop Handle Scissors

Click on the Wright Stuff Home Healthcare Products to explore more products that can keep cooking, gardening, and other activities in your life. Remember, movement is medicine, so keep moving.

This article is for education only. This information is not intended to replace the advise or evaluation of a healthcare provider. An evaluation is highly skilled and complex and involves an evaluation of different systems and elements to determine the best approach for each individual. Always follow the instructions of your physical therapist or physician in regards to your personal exercise program. 

Chronic Pain: Question and Answer: Part Three: Final

Disclaimer: There are items in this post if you purchase Lifestyle Physical Therapy, LLC will receive a commission at no increase cost to you. 

1. If I am feeling pain and my tissues are not damaged, why do I have pain? You are stuck in what we call a chronic pain loop.
2. Did my chronic pain loop just happen or did something trigger it? It was triggered during the initial or recurrent injury, but the brain has not realized you have healed or moved on.
3. Can I exit the chronic pain loop or is it a permanent change? Yes, you can exit the chronic pain loop and No it is not permanent, but you do have to ask the brain to change through retraining.
4. Can I do it on my own? You will require a healthcare provider that is trained in graded motor imagery to assist you exiting the chronic pain loop. Before exiting the loop is the forest of patience and persistence; which means you will have set backs. A knowledgeable practitioner can guide you through each step.
5. Do pain medicines help you exit the pain loop? No. controlling your pain is important to keep you from entering a pain loop, but this can be done with modalities and non-opioid medication.
6. Should I just stop taking pain medication? No. Always work with your healthcare provider to taper any medications appropriately. If you suddenly stop a medication that is assisting in pain control you can enter into a pain crisis. The brain will perceive this as harmful and send greater fear signals. This is why it is important to work with a trained healthcare professional to know when and how you can reduce your medication.

Click on the following link to learn more about graded motor imagery.  Click on the different stages at the top to assist in determining which stage you may be in. You can use the following affiliate links to download the Recognise App appropriate for you and test your right/left discrimination.

1. Recognise App (hand)
2. Recognise Foot App
3. Recognise knee App
4. Recognise Back App
5. Recognise Neck App

Your ability to distinguish your right from the left can be affected when you are in a  chronic pain loop.

To further your reading as a patient or practitioner the Explain Pain book is a good choice and can be found on the iBooks Store.

This article is for education only. This information is not intended to replace the advise or evaluation of a healthcare provider. An evaluation is highly skilled and complex and involves an evaluation of different systems and elements to determine the best approach for each individual. Always follow the instructions of your physical therapist or physician in regards to your personal exercise program. 

Chronic Pain: Question and Answer Part Two

From our last post you now know that pain comes from the brain. I know this is confusing, but it is best if you see pain more as an experience or a signal from the brain. What is the brain trying to tell you? The brain wants to alert and protect you from harm. A pain response can induce fear and result in what we call fear avoidance of movement. At the end of this post are links to connect you to brain retraining tools.

Now for a few more questions.

1. Does pain always mean injury or tissue damage? No pain is more associated with fear and protection. A person can have tissue damage and No pain.
2. My MRI shows bulging disc and I have no pain. Is this possible? Yes, you can have damage to joints and tissue and No pain.
3. I am in a lot of pain, so something must be damaged? No, pain does not always equal injury.
4. So if pain comes from the brain, can my brain be changed? Yes, your brain can be trained.
5. How do I know if my brain needs to be retrained? If you have chronic pain, your brain needs to be retrained. You are stuck in a chronic pain loop.
6. Can my brain be retrained? Yes, our bodies are made for change. If you push your body to be different it will respond. Just like if you increase a weight with exercise the muscle will adapt and produce more muscle fibers.
7. How do I get started with retraining my brain? Graded Motor Imagery is a great program that focuses on retraining the brain.
8. Can a Physical Therapist help? Yes, we will use pain reducing techniques and progress you toward using exercise and self tx. to reduce your pain and get you moving again. Over time brain retraining programs will be used to retrain your brain. Education is a big part of retraining the brain. Reducing fear is a big part as well.
9. I don’t move because I am afraid it will cause me pain. Is this good? No, movement is medicine. Not moving due to fear of pain is called fear avoidance.  It is a fear of movement, not that you should not move. You need to show your body that you can move and not be in pain. You have heard when you fall you need to get back on the horse. This is to reduce the fear of the horse that your brain has produced. Your brain wants to protect you, but it can become over protective. Much like an over protective parent.
10. Are there tools I can use to test and train my brain? Yes! The Recognise App created by NOI. I am an apple affiliate and will benefit from you using theses links, but we want to make it easy for you to find the right resources. The following link will connect you to the Recognise Neck App for iPhone. If another part of your body is the primary source of pain then you can download the Recognise App (hand), Recognise Foot App, Recognise knee App, Recognise Shoulder App, Recognise Back App.

This article is for education only. This information is not intended to replace the advise or evaluation of a healthcare provider. An evaluation is highly skilled and complex and involves an evaluation of different systems and elements to determine the best approach for each individual. Always follow the instructions of your physical therapist or physician in regards to your personal exercise program.