Tips to keep up with your New Year’s resolutions

Already finding yourself slipping away from that resolution you made at the beginning of the year? Don’t worry; you’re not alone. By the time February rolls around, only about 60 percent of people are still working toward their New Year’s resolution.

Why are people ditching their resolutions so early on? There is a good chance their goals were not realistic or maintainable. Setting manageable goals is important when making and, more importantly, maintaining a New Year’s resolution because you do not want to set yourself up for disappointment.

Whether you are still going strong or falling off of the resolution path, here are a few tips to help you maintain your resolutions.

 

  1. Be realistic. If you set attainable goals from the beginning, you are more likely to maintain and achieve them. Saying you are never going to have caffeine again is unrealistic. Start smaller and set the goal of only having coffee once a week. If you realize now that your goals might be unobtainable, it is never too late to adjust!

 

  1. Track your progress. Instead of looking at how far you still have to go, take a minute and realize how far you have come. Reward yourself for short-term accomplishments. If your ultimate goal is to lose 25 lbs., reward yourself for every 5 lbs. you have lost. This will keep you on track and motivated long-term.

 

  1. Don’t get down on yourself. Achieving goals usually does not happen overnight. It takes time and beating yourself up will not do any good. It takes about 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months for it to become part of your personality. Goals come with time and accepting that will put you at peace and keep you on track with your goal.

 

  1. Accountability. Talking about your resolution with family and friends will give you a support system that is extremely beneficial for bettering yourself.

 

With all of this being said, it is up to you to keep on track with your resolution! Remember why you started and keep up with those New Year’s goals.

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Top 7 Health Resolutions for 2020

A new year brings new goals, a new outlook and the opportunity for a fresh start. There are many resolutions to strive for, and we understand that. With health being a main priority for many people, if you are struggling with mild to severe pain, finding pain relief should be at the top of your list this year.

Below are 7 New Year’s resolutions to help you get closer to pain relief in 2020.

1. Set attainable goals

Setting manageable goals is important when making a New Year’s resolution because you do not want to set yourself up for disappointment. How do you know when a goal is realistic? One way is to use the S.M.A.R.T. method.

  • Specific – Be as detailed as possible. Instead of “drink more water,” your goal should look more like “drink 2 liters of water each day.”
  • Measurable – Come up with a way to measure your success. “Exercise more,” is not measurable; “exercise 30 minutes per day” is.
  • Attainable – Make sure you are setting yourself up for success and you can reach the goals you set.
  • Realistic – Your goal should provide a challenge for you, but still be achievable. “Never smoke a cigarette again” may be less realistic than “stop smoking cigarettes by April 2020.”
  • Timely – Set a clear timeframe in which you want to reach your goal. Deadlines provide motivation and will help you reach your goal in a timely manner.

 

2. Stop Smoking

Did you know smoking contributes to back pain? Nicotine, an addictive substance found in all tobacco products, is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it narrows blood vessels. Therefore, if any blood vessels are exposed to nicotine, they narrow and carry less oxygen. Optimal blood flow is necessary when trying to heal pain or discomfort.

 

3. Minimize alcohol intake

Excessive amounts of alcohol can lead to kidney and other organ issues. Kidneys, located in both sides of the lower back, filter toxins out of alcohol; but they can get overwhelmed. If they can’t do their job properly due to an overabundance of alcohol, you may feel pain in this part of the back.

 

4. Exercise regularly

Exercising for just 30 minutes a day can provide many benefits. It can improve your sleep and your mood, provide weight control, reduce your risk of heart disease, strengthen your bones and muscles, and even increase your chances of living longer. If you have a hard time finding the motivation, grab a buddy and bring them along. Make your workouts fun.

 

5. Improve posture

Over time, bad posture puts stress on your spine and causes back problems in your muscles, discs, and joints. To help maintain good posture, try sitting with proper support, use correct posture when working out or lifting, and walk tall.

 

6. Be proactive with your health

Between kids, jobs, friends and family, we understand it is hard to find time for yourself. However, your health is not something that should be compromised. Make 2020 the year you get those nagging pains in check. Physician Partners of America offers same-day appointments, making it easy and convenient to fit evaluation and treatment into your schedule.

 

7. Maintain a well-balanced diet

Nutrition is important when setting goals. Most health-based goals require a well-balanced diet as a necessary foundation because most things stem from what you are putting into your body. Did you know there are actually foods you can eat to help reduce back and joint pain?

 

Twenty-twenty is the year for your health. Get your most enjoyable life back with Physician Partners of America. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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5 Tips to Keep your Stomach Healthy and Happy This Holiday Season

Healthy holiday meals start with planning and smart choices –

Getting ready for the holidays but nervous about blowing your diet? Whatever your goals may be, keeping your weight down or avoiding aggravating inflammation, we have some good news: you certainly can enjoy the bounty of the season in a healthy way. Here are five tips for striking the right balance.

1. Limit portions

Good nutrition is always about two things: what we eat and how much.  Let’s start with Thanksgiving.  There’s overwhelming evidence that a Mediterranean-style diet is the healthiest, which means eating mostly vegetables and fruits and whole grains; but there’s nothing wrong with eating some turkey, or mashed potatoes or even pecan pie.

2. Choose wisely

The key is to not make traditional holiday foods the base of the eating pyramid.  In other words, the majority of your food choices and calories should come from green salads and low-fat vegetable dishes, with small servings of meat, refined carbohydrates and sweet desserts. Think of meats and starches as the side dishes or garnish to a plant-based meal.

3. Make smart substitutions

If you’re hosting dinner, get creative without sacrificing traditional favorites. It’s easy to switch out whole-grain breads for the white dinner rolls, healthy vegetable dishes instead of the high-fat, creamy bean casseroles, and make a healthy sweet potato casserole instead of the heavily sugared, high-calorie version. Do a search for some healthier versions of your family’s favorites; they’re easy to find.

4. Get some exercise

Almost as traditional as turkey and pumpkin pie is fighting for couch space after dinner. It’s a myth that turkey makes you sleepy. While the meat is rich in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan, research shows it’s the combination of carbs, overeating and alcohol that makes us feel tired. Instead, gather the family and take a walk after the meal.

5. Avoid late-night cravings

Although that turkey and stuffing might be calling your name late at night, a “midnight snack” is not the best choice. Your metabolism slows when you’re asleep. When you allow enough time for digestion before bed, you reduce your chance of digestive upset, and studies suggest that you’ll minimize your risk for weight gain, too.

Food will always be the centerpiece of the winter holidays, but it only takes a few changes to start a new tradition and create healthy holiday meals that are just as memorable and satisfying. While making smart choices is important, don’t forget to enjoy the holiday season!

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Dr. Thomas Heil Performs SI Joint Fusions

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Dr. Thomas Heil grew up and earned his medical degree in West Virginia. He began a residency in General Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., but later decided his passion lay in helping patients relieve their pain. After working in pain management for 20 years in Charlotte, NC., Dr. Heil decided to take his talents to Texas, where he now works at our Keller location.

While there is a wide range of conditions he treats, 50-75% of Dr. Heil’s patients come to seek relief from lower back pain. About 20-40% of these patients coming in for lower back pain treatment will find out their pain is stemming from their sacrum, therefore, their SI (sacroiliac) joint.

“Pain in the sacrum is a lot more common than most people would think and probably a lot less frequently diagnosed than it should be.” –Thomas Heil, M.D.

The Sacrum and SI Joint

The sacroiliac (SI Joint) can be found in the pelvis, right between the ilium and sacrum. It is also the lowest part of the spine and sits right above the tailbone. This joint is very important because it transfers energy from the upper part of the body to the lower part and is an essential component for shock absorption during activities such as walking.

Symptoms of Pain in the Sacrum

Some symptoms of SI joint pain can include:

  • Generalized pain in lower back/buttock region
  • Sharp or stabbing pain when movement occurs
  • Pain in sleeping positions and the changing of sleeping positions
  • Pain or stiffness when sitting for a long period of time

Conditions Related to Pain in the Sacrum

More often than not, pain the sacrum is caused by a joint aggravation or irritation triggered by overuse. Many times, strenuous exercise activities such as cross fit can contribute to this type of pain. With age also comes the degeneration of the fluid within the joint called synovial fluid. Your joints need this because when it begins to wear, your bones rub together. In the minority of cases, pain in the sacrum is related to another generalized inflammatory arthritic syndrome such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

The Treatment

There have been a lot of different ways to treat pain in the SI joint over the years.

The first step to making sure the sacrum pain is coming from the SI joint is a diagnostic block. This is where your physician will put Novocain and some contrast agent down in the joint to ensure the right target is hit.

If the joint numbs up and feels great, sometimes just a steroid injection or two will clear it up well enough. But probably about 50% of the time those steroid injections are temporary. “Some people get several months of relief at a time but others only get several weeks,” Says Dr. Heil. “You certainly don’t want to keep getting injections that often.”

In the past, very large orthopedic procedures were done. During this time, the procedure would take probably 4-5 hours and patients would be in the hospital for a couple of weeks while in recovery. Over the past decade or so, new surgical techniques have been developed that are less- aggressive and minimally invasive. The most recent treatment option being offered is an SI Joint fusion that is about a 20-30 minute procedure that involves a very small incision- no more than the size of your thumbnail. Your physician will insert a little expander device into the SI joint and take out a small piece of the joint that is irritated and replace it with a bone graph. Usually within 4-5 days patients are starting to get over the soreness of the procedure and it is very effective as a long term treatment.

If you are Suffering from Pain in the Sacrum

Dr. Thomas Heil suggests anyone suffering from pain in the sacrum just takes it easy. If this is a new concern, try to reduce whatever you’re doing that is causing the irritation. Anti-inflammatories and rest can greatly reduce the pain. If the irritation persists, the next step would be to see a pain specialist to see if there’s something that can be done to more quickly resolve the problem so it doesn’t become a long term lingering issue.

“What we really want to do is start treating these problems aggressively early on in the process so people are not placed on these narcotics and opioids that have all of the side effects of addiction with it. So the earlier the patient can come in to see us the better off they’re going to be.” Thomas Heil M.D.

Dr. Heil is located at 4364 Heritage Trace Parkway, Suite 112A Fort Worth, TX 76244. We have 35 locations in Florida, Texas, and California that consist of trained specialists. If you are experiencing pain or would like more information, call us today to schedule a consult (888) 616-5110.

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Pain Awareness Month- Staggering Statistics

In light of Pain Awareness Month (September), we recognize and sympathize for those living with debilitating and chronic pain. Let’s look at some statistics surrounding the chronic pain community and some ways Physician Partners of America can help.

During Pain Awareness Month, we are reminded of the eye-opening statistics related to chronic pain:

  • It is the number one cause of adult disability in the U.S.
  • Nearly 100 million Americans experience chronic pain —more than those who have diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined.
  • It affects 50 million Americans
  • It costs $100 billion per year in lost workdays, medical expenses and other benefit costs.
  • It is a social issue. As you will see from the stories we will present to you each day on social media, unmanaged chronic pain is isolating. It causes people to withdraw from friends, family and communities.
  • An estimated 294,000 children are affected by juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and other rheumatological conditions.

Interventional and Integrative Pain Management Approaches

Physician Partners of America practices interventional pain management. That means getting to the root cause of the pain and treating it as its source. This is so important not only for the patients health, but also for a treatment that will last. Some types of pain can be relieved to a degree and others can be eliminated. Our doctors will provide a tailored treatment to each patient, because we understand everyone’s pain is unique.

What about Opioids for Pain Treatment?

As Pain Awareness Month illustrates, the debate over opioids for pain continues to heat up. Nearly 2 million Americans have a disorder related to prescription painkillers, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

It’s important to remember that the opioid crisis stems from treatment of acute pain, the type that lasts less than three weeks. Historically, opioid medications were prescribed for short-term pain because they are effective.

“Opioids are very seductive drugs, but they work. You give opioids to somebody in pain and believe me, the pain goes away, but it only works for so long,” PPOA Chief Medical Officer Abraham Rivera, M.D., told a televised opioid town hall. “In the acute setting, they are phenomenal drugs. After that, the patient gets hooked on them. They’re extremely addictive.”

Strict prescription limits are now in place in many states as a result.

How can we provide relief?

Physician Partners of America has long recognized the dangers of opioid addiction and uses effective options to treat the root cause of the pain versus masking it. They include:

  • Interventional pain management as a preferred treatment
  • Opioid antidotes prescribed along with every opioid-based prescription.
  • Medication management
  • Intraoperative neuromonitoring to avoid accidental nerve damage during surgery
  • Drug-genes testing to determine the right medication for each patient

If you are living with chronic pain, now is the time to get your life back. Contact us today to schedule a consult at one of our many locations.

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Your Cell Phone Could be the Cause of your Neck and Back Pain

If you own a phone- which is more than likely the case considering 96% of Americans do, you might be at risk for a condition informally called “Text Neck.”

 

Text neck refers to the result of angling your head down or hunching over for a period of time. Although this condition is more prevalent now, it is not necessarily a new thing. The term Text Neck is due to the amount of mobile devices within our culture that heavily contribute to the condition. However, sewing, drawing, and many more activities can contribute to this as well.

How does our head movement have an impact on our neck and back health you might ask? A human head weighs about 10 pounds. When your head is in a neutral position, there is not much pressure on your spine. However, the more your neck is bent forward, the more strain and pressure is put your cervical spine.

“The mechanics of the cervical and lumbar spine are not conducive to the way people hold cell phones,” says Dr. James St Louis with Physician Partners of America’s Tampa- Habana location, “they can eventually cause mechanical problems since people spend so much time on their phones.”

This pressure on your spine can not only lead to an achy back and neck, but has also been linked to headaches, neurological issues, depression, and heart disease. In more serious cases, Text Neck can lead to herniated disks, pinched nerves, and eventually improper curvature of the spine.

The most common symptom of Text Neck is neck soreness. However, looking down at your phone could potentially also lead to the following:

  • Shoulder pain and tightness
  • Pinched cervical nerve eventually leading to cervical radiculopathy.
  • Upper back pain including muscle spasms, sharp pain, and chronic pain.
  • Early onset arthritis of the neck

So what can you do to minimize the future pain your cell phone might be causing you?

  • Move your muscles! Reset your upper back and neck muscles but rolling your shoulders and tilting your head. It will provide your muscles and spine a much needed break. Click here for some at-home stretches.
  • Hold your device at eye level. Holding your device higher helps your neck to not bend as much, therefore, reducing strain on your cervical spine.

If you are experiencing neck or back pain, contact Physician Partners of America today and schedule a same day appointment.

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Physician Partners of America Now Offers SI Joint Fusions

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The sacroiliac (SI Joint) can be found in the pelvis, right between the ilium and sacrum. It is also the lowest part of the spine and sits right above the tailbone. This joint is very important because it transfers energy from the upper part of the body to the lower part and is an essential component for shock absorption during activities such as walking.

About 25% of patients lower back pain stems from the SI joint. This is because although activity is good for you, it can also lead to more pressure and strain on these specific joints.

 

“If it can be established that pain is originating from the sacroiliac joint, there are new, minimally invasive treatment options that can be employed on an outpatient basis to provide lasting pain relief,” says Keith Girton, M.D. with Physician Partners of America’s Melbourne, Florida location.

 

The SI joint fusion and iFuse Implant System Is intended for use during a minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion. The actual procedure itself is performed in an operating room, with either general or spinal anesthesia. The iFuse Implant System requires a small incision (about one to two inches long), along the side of the buttock. The whole MIS SI joint procedure takes about an hour, and recovery time is significantly less than open surgery.

 

 

This procedure can be beneficial to someone who has chronic pain and discomfort within the SI joints and has not been successful with more conservative treatments such as physical therapy and injections. The SI joint fusion provides stability to the SI joint. With our minimally invasive technique, triangular shaped implants will be inserted to provide maximum protection to surrounding tissues.

 

Benefits of SI Joint fusions include:

  • Minimal down time
  • Small incisions
  • No hospital stay
  • Regain quality of life

 

We have quality doctors certified in the iFuse Implant System. If you think this might be a procedure that fits your needs, please contact us to find out if you’re a candidate.

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Top 5 Back Surgery Alternatives

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About 8 out of 10 people have or will struggle with back pain at some point in their lives. Whether it’s lower back spasms, a sore neck, or pain shooting up and down your limbs, back pain can take you away from daily work and activities that you would otherwise be able to accomplish.

With back pain being the leading cause of disability worldwide, many patients receive unnecessary and often excessive treatment that includes a great deal of downtime, surgery, and opioid prescriptions. Fortunately, there are other options for back pain that do not include surgery.

Here are the top 5 back surgery alternatives:

 

1. Diet, Exercise, and Lifestyle

The saying “you are what you eat” is not completely wrong. Chronic pain has been linked to poor diet and lifestyle habits. With regards to diet, if you are eating foods that contribute to inflammation specifically, this can lead to not only chronic pain in muscles, tissues, and joints, but also to diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.

To avoid this, try balancing a good diet along with steady exercise and stretching, and a healthy lifestyle. These are the basic fundamentals when taking care of your self and eventually hopefully avoiding chronic pain and surgery.

 

2. Massage Therapy

Massage therapy is a great way to not only find pain relief, but it can also provide benefits such as relaxing muscles, tendons, and joints, relieving stress and anxiety, and stimulating the nerve fibers that send pain messages to the brain. There is also a release of serotonin during massages as well as providing the patient with the high probability of a deeper sleep, therefore, leading to less pain.

 

3. Acupuncture

Founded in China more than 2,500 years ago, acupuncture has remained a staple in pain relief. Acupuncture involves inserting small needles into different and strategic points on the body. This stimulates the “Qi”- flow of energy, therefore, relieving pain and improving health.

 

4. Pain Management

While pain management is a broad topic with regards to neck and back pain, epidural injections are a good place to start when seeking pain relief. An epidural steroid Injection helps to reduce the inflammation and pain that come comes along with nerve compression. These compressed nerves can lead to pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness along the nerve.

In the words of Dr. Thomas Heil from Physician Partners of America’s Fort Worth, TX location:

There are a number of ways that epidural steroid injections help with pain relief.

The steroid (or cortisone) is a powerful pain-reliever all by itself, but in addition to simple analgesia, it actually helps to get to the root of what is causing the pain.  In medical lingo we refer to this as “targeting the Pain Generator”. For disk herniations, the steroid washes out some of the pain-generating chemicals that are contained in the disk material and simply rinses the materials out from the spinal canal where they are causing pain.

In addition Steroids are strong anti-inflammatory agents that help shrink swelling of irritated tissues and nerves within the spinal canal that are the source of many of the painful symptoms.

 

5. Regenerative Medicine

Stem cell therapy is a great alternative to surgery when it comes to back or neck pain. Stem cells are naturally grown in the body and widely used in medicine as a natural healing solution. Some of the benefits include improved pain-relief and decreased inflammation, increased functionality and range of motion in affected area, shorter recovery time compared to traditional treatment options, and a more natural, longer-term treatment solution.

 

When it comes to treating back pain, surgery should be reserved for patients with severe conditions or when one or more natural treatments do not work. For the majority of patients, lifestyle changes and alternative therapies can help keep back and neck pain at a minimum over the long term. Please contact us at Physician Partners of America today to fine out what is the best treatment option for you.

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Your Sleeping Position Could be the Cause of your Back Pain

Did you know your sleeping position could have a negative effect on your lower back?

Stress or strain from bad posture, awkward sleeping positions, and other lifestyle habits are a couple of the leading factors of lower back pain. While there are sleeping positions that should be avoided, there are some sleeping positions that can help relieve tension within the lower back area.

 

1. Sleep on your back in a reclined position

This position is beneficial for your back because the reclining position creates a bend between your torso and legs, therefore, taking pressure off of your spine. A good way to set this up is either with an adjustable bed, or putting pillows in strategic places that feel good to you, such as under the back of your knees and your feet.

 

2. Sleep in the fetal position

Although you have to switch sides once in a while to prevent any imbalances, this position is great, especially for someone with a herniated disc.

Why specifically for people with herniated discs you might ask? Your spine is made up of bones called vertebrae. Your discs are jellylike substance which are in-between some of the vertebra which allows your spine to move around and bend.

If a disk between two vertebrae starts slipping out of place, it can irritate the surrounding nerves and cause the herniated disk.

 

3. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees

Sleeping on your side will not relieve back pain. The pillow is what helps to align your hips, pelvis, and spine, therefore alleviating stress and pressure within your back.

Although these sleep positions might reduce lower back pain, if you are experiencing chronic pain, our doctors at Physician Partners of America are here to help. Please call us today to schedule a same-day appointment, so you do not have to be in pain any longer 888 616-5110.

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3 Foods to Help Relieve Joint Pain

Did you know there are foods you can eat to help relieve joint pain?

 

Joint pain can affect all parts of the body including the neck and back areas. Conditions such as spinal arthritis, facet joint disease, and joint inflammation all stem from the joints. While these conditions can be very painful, there are ways to maintain them, including eating specific foods. The following foods contribute to the maintenance of anti-inflammatory agents that are needed within your body to keep you healthy.

These are the best foods to help relieve your joint pain:

 

  1. The Mediterranean Diet-

This diet has been proven to provide various health benefits due to the high levels of vegetables, legumes, unsaturated fats including olive oil, and wild fish. It also includes a low level of dairy products and red meat. This diet is good for digestion and anti-inflammatory substances.

 

  1. Spices and Herbs-

Specific spices and herbs knows for their anti-inflammatory agents. These include turmeric and ginger. Turmeric and ginger are used in various ways such as in smoothies and sauces.

 

  1. Green Tea

It is no secret that green tea is a pleasurable drink that also provides many health benefits. Tea has been known to reduce inflammation. One of the compounds within green tea called EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) contains powerful medicinal properties that can treat various diseases.

 

While eating these foods can improve the maintenance of joint pain relief, these foods are not a cure. It is suggested that if you have chronic pain, you see a specialist about your condition. Here at Physician Partners of America, we have specialist that can help with your chronic joint pain. We offer same day appointments to get you back on your feet as soon as possible.

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