When a pain in the neck is not just a pain in the neck.
Chronic pain is a very difficult condition to live with and to treat. More people are being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a more common chronic pain condition than even rheumatoid arthritis. Individuals who are dealing with this type of medical condition experience a host of problems, including pain distributed through the body, significant fatigue, mental cloudiness, depression, gastric problems, and even numbness/tingling of arms and legs. Some of the more recent research into effective treatments include physical therapy to restore strength, endurance and function without increasing one’s pain or symptoms, gluten free, as well as other specialty diets, specific medications for gastro-intestinal symptoms and depression/anxiety issues, and therapeutic counseling to help the individuals find useful coping and support systems for themselves.
If you often feel flu-like symptoms after exercising, have pain that is lasting more than 3 months on both sides of the body and are experiencing increased fatigue, we recommend that you consult with your rheumatologist or primary care physician to see if you may be suffering from Fibromylgia or one of the other related conditions that often look like fibromyalgia. The sooner you see your doctor or therapist and start treatment, the sooner you can begin to feel better and get your life back.
Most seniors don’t know about Medicare’s fall prevention guidelines
When seniors lose balance and stability the change is often met with canes, walkers, medications, and a debilitating fear of falling that discourages normal activity. One of the most common myths we deal with in our clinics every day is that this is a progressive condition that can’t be reversed. That’s why we wanted to share some information about the problem that may help dispell the myth and offer some simple strategies for treating the condition. First, some facts from Medicare and the Center for Disease Control, and then more information on fall risk assessment and treatment.
Since the 2007 Safety of Seniors Act, Medicare recommends annual fall risk assessments for seniors. Studies have repeatedly shown that as patients get older they experience a desensitization of the balance system and a loss of muscle mass. These two factors are dangerous enough on their own, but when they are brought together they can result in a debilitating fall. This health problem costs enough to have been studied by the US Congress. More importantly, it is devastating and costly to our aging population, their family, and their support groups.
CDC studies show that …*
- 1 In 3 seniors over the age of 65 will experience a serious fall this year.
- Nearly 20% that fall will die from complications related to that fall within the first year and another 5% in the following year.
- If the fall fractures the hip, the mortality rate increases to 25%.
- 75% of all fall-related deaths occur in those aged 65 and older.
* http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Falls/adultfalls.html
The good news: Most of these falls are preventable.
We put together patient-friendly information about diagnosis and treatment options for balance, dizziness, and fall risk in a 6-page download.
6-Page Guide – Fall Risk Assessment & Prevention Planning
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