“It’s all about that strength, ‘Bout that strength, no quitting”

“It’s all about that strength, ‘Bout that strength, no quitting”

The benefits of exercise and how it affects your mind and body…

Most people know that exercise is good for them, but don’t really know the vast benefits that exercise can have on their mind and body. Not only does exercise help control weight, it combats disease, improves moods, boosts energy, promotes better sleep, and gives you a better sex life (yep!). You don’t have to be a body-builder or a cross-fitter to reap the benefits of exercise – but you can’t sit on your couch and just think about it either.

Below we’ve listed 5 major benefits of regular exercise to the body and mind and the major risk factors that they are helping combat. 20 minutes per day could be all that you need to greatly improve:

Your Cardiovascular System
Risk Factors: heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, risk of having bypass surgery
Benefits of Regular Exercise: Increase in exercise tolerance, Reduction in body weight, Reduction in blood pressure, Reduction in bad (LDL and total) cholesterol, Increase in good (HDL) cholesterol, Increase in insulin sensitivity.

Your Muscular/Skeletal Systems
Risk Factors: osteoporosis, fractures, falls, joint pain, loss of balance, limited range of motion, limited flexibility, loss of muscle mass, and muscle atrophy
Benefits of Regular Exercise: Strengthens both bones and muscles, maintains muscle mass, strengthens bones, increased mobility and range of motion, there is even a chance of reduced pain! Who doesn’t want that?

Your Circulatory System
Risk Factors: heart attack, loss of breath, wheezing, high blood pressure, and strokes
Benefits of Regular Exercise: increased flows of oxygen to (and carbon dioxide away from) major organs, increased red blood cell count, strengthening of your heart and blood vessels.

Your Core Strength
Risk Factors: lower back pain, difficulty in performing everyday tasks, week, tight or unbalanced muscles, slouching, limited flexibility,
Benefits of Regular Exercise: increase in ability to preform everyday tasks (bathing, dressing, lifting, twisting, standing, carrying, hammering, vacuuming, mopping, dusting and typing) increased strength in lower back, increased sports performance, balance, stability, good posture.

Psychological
Risk Factors: stress and stress-related illnesses, inability to cope with stress, depression, low self-esteem, low energy, mood-swings, low confidence in physical abilities.
Benefits of Regular Exercise: improved mood, reduced stress and ability to cope with stress, improved self-esteem, pride in physical accomplishments, increased satisfaction with oneself, improved body image, increased energy.
The bottom line.
Twenty minutes of exercise can greatly increase both the quality and length of your life. There are a million excuses and we have all used them, but do yourself a favor and squeeze a 20-minute workout into your day. You won’t regret it and we’ll give you a few great places to start in our next blog post!

Sources: Mayo Clinic, American Heart Association, Harvard Health Publications, Association for Applied Sports Phycology

If you find yourself in too much pain to get started with an exercise plan, give us a call and we’ll provide you with the step by step process of scheduling an appointment with Dr. Lipson. We’re here to help you get moving in the right direction…

Contact Central Florida Pain Management Today, Your Pain Free Life Is Waiting…

Dr. Ana Lipson
Central Florida Pain Management
410 First Street South
Winter Haven FL 33880
Phone: 863-293-4800
Web Site: http://www.analipsonmd.com/

The What, The How, The Why of Physical Therapy

The What, The How, The Why of Physical Therapy

Physical therapy techniques help patients who have lost mobility due to aging, injury, disease or surgery. Physical therapy helps to restore, develop, or maintain healthy physical activity in the patient.

Physical Therapists
If you are in need of physical therapy, seek out a physical therapist with the proper credentials to ensure that you are receiving the best care. Physical therapists are specially-trained health care professionals who must have a master’s degree or a clinical doctorate. They must also be licensed by the state in which they are practicing. The training they receive allows them to tailor the therapy to the patient’s specific needs.

The role of the physical therapist is to:
 Diagnose movement dysfunction & develop a treatment plan
 Restore and maintain physical function
 Prevent further injury or discomfort

There are several different applications for physical therapy.
 Pain Management
 Post-surgical rehabilitation
 Alternative to surgery or medication

Physical therapy can be effective for those who experience pain as a result of overuse injuries or conditions such as osteoarthritis.

Treatments for pain management include:
 Heat or ice application
 Ultrasound therapy
 Stretching exercises
 Low-impact aerobics

Most surgical procedures require physical therapy as part of the healing process to help restore flexibility and strengthen the affected body area.

In addition, Physical Therapy provides a treatment for chronic pain that doesn’t involve surgery or medication. Activities such as walking, swimming, and flexibility exercise can all be helpful in reducing pain and stiffness in joints.

It Won’t Work Without You! The Patient’s Responsibility:
Physical therapy can be a difficult and lengthy process depending on the patient’s needs. It is important that the patient is in a positive frame of mind before beginning treatment, and that the patient continues to follow the treatment plan given by the physical therapist.

Did you know?
Physical Therapy, also known as Physiotherapy, was first used by Hippocrates and Galenus. They are believed to have been the first practitioners of physical therapy, advocating massage, manual therapy techniques and hydrotherapy to treat people in 460 BC!

If you are a loved one has been prescribed Physical Therapy as part of a treatment plan, be encouraged to follow the plan, go to every appointment, and do the stretches and exercises suggested by the PT. Together, you, and your PT, can make a world of difference in your recovery process.

If the chronic pain continues, after Physical Therapy has been completed, give us a call and we’ll provide you with the step by step process of scheduling an appointment with Dr. Lipson.

Contact Central Florida Pain Management Today, Your Pain Free Life Is Waiting…

Dr. Ana Lipson
Central Florida Pain Management
410 First Street South
Winter Haven FL 33880
Phone: 863-293-4800
Web Site: http://www.analipsonmd.com/

 

Tennis Elbow Anyone?

Tennis Elbow Anyone?

So, what is tennis elbow anyway?
Tennis elbow is a term used to describe the overuse of the arm, forearm, and hand muscles that results in pain in the elbow.

What’s in a name?
Although the name implies that this ailment is only for the avid tennis player, this condition affects those who do not even play tennis. In fact, less than 5% of those diagnosed with tennis elbow are a result of actually playing tennis. It was named “Tennis Elbow” because it often becomes a problem for a large number of tennis players, affecting as many as 50% of tennis players at some point during their career.

The term used in the medical world for this condition is medial epicondylitis. Definitely not as fun to say as Tennis Elbow…

Did you know?

• This condition can occur in either arm
• Most often occurs in the person’s dominant arm
• It affects males more than females
• Typically affects adults between the ages of 30-50
• Although tennis players and other athletes are the ones who are most commonly affected by this condition, those that participate in activities that require repetitive arm, elbow, wrist, and hand movement are also at risk for developing this condition, including:
  • Gardeners
  • Home/Office Cleaners
  • Carpenters
  • Mechanics

Causes:
Tennis elbow is caused by a subtle injury, such as a tear or strain, to the muscle and tendons of your forearm, specifically the area where the muscles and tendons of the forearm attach to the outside of the elbow.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow:

 Slowly increasing pain around the outside of the elbow
 Pain is worse when shaking hands or squeezing objects
 Pain is worse when stabilizing or moving the wrist with force

Treatments:

There are several treatment options for tennis elbow. Over 90% of people with this condition see improvement as a result of following a treatment plan. The treatment prescribed will be dependent on the age of the person, other drugs they are currently taking, overall health, medical history, and the severity of the person’s pain.

Treatment options include:

 Physical therapy
 Topical anti-inflammatory gels
 Topical cortisone gels
 Cortisone injections
 In rare cases, surgery

If you are a loved one is suffering from symptoms that represent themselves at Tennis Elbow, give us a call and we’ll provide you with the step by step process of scheduling an appointment with Dr. Lipson.

Contact Central Florida Pain Management Today, Your Pain Free Life Is Waiting…

Ana Lipson MD

Dr. Ana Lipson
Central Florida Pain Management
410 First Street South
Winter Haven FL 33880
Phone: 863-293-4800
Web Site: http://www.analipsonmd.com/

The Tunnels that Hurt…

The Tunnels that Hurt…

The Tunnel That Hurts

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the most common nerve disorder. It affects over 5 million Americans. This disorder causes pain in the hand, wrist, and forearm as a result of pressure on the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of your hand. The median nerve supplies feeling to your thumb, index, middle, and ring fingers.

Those that suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome most often are involved in repetitive actions on a daily basis. People who are commonly diagnosed with this syndrome

• Those who use computers for many hours each day
• Check-out line technicians
• Assembly-line workers

It most commonly affects middle aged to older people, and females three times more than males. The dominant hand is usually affected first and most severely.

Some symptoms of this syndrome include:

• Numbness in the fingers
• Pain that worsens at night
• Swollen feeling in the fingers
• Pain that moves up your arm to the elbow
• Difficulty gripping objects

Some treatments options for carpal tunnel syndrome:

• Resting the affected area for at least 2 weeks
• Avoid activities that worsen symptoms
• Immobilizing the affected area using a splint
• Applying ice packs to alleviate the pain
• Daily use of nonsteroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs or nonprescription pain
• In some severe cases, surgery

If you are a loved one is suffering from some of the symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, give us a call and we’ll provide you with information on scheduling an appointment with Dr. Lipson.

Contact Central Florida Pain Management Today, Your Pain Free Life Is Waiting…

Ana Lipson MD

Dr. Ana Lipson
Central Florida Pain Management
410 First Street South
Winter Haven FL 33880
Phone: 863-293-4800
Web Site: http://www.analipsonmd.com/