Giving People a Hand with Therapy

We take for granted the use of our hands in our everyday lives. But when we have a hand injury or a disease that can cause the need for surgery, it can have a serious impact on how we function. It can affect the way we care for our personal needs, perform our jobs and participate in exercise activities.

I came to know the difference, first hand, by seeing an occupational therapist. An occupational therapist can help you maximize the recovery from your injury or surgery so you can return to your normal activities.

Following hand and finger surgery by Dr. Robert Forster, I have been receiving hand therapy by Gina McGucken, OTR, twice a week at the Martin Memorial Raub Rehabilitation Center, located at the Smithfield Plaza in Stuart.

After an application of nice, warm Paraffin heat on my hand, she proceeds to massage and mobilize my fingers. I feel like a child again when she has me doing very elementary movements like taking small blocks with Velcro off wood and moving them to the table, and back. But amazingly these activities assist in gaining mobility of the stiff joints. At the end of my treatment session, I get to ice the fingers and have a compression wrap applied to assist with the swelling.

I do understand the term “no pain, no gain” and after three weeks, my fingers are back to the computer again and soon, I’ll be back in the garden.

Here are a few of the types of conditions that an OT can treat:

• Fractures
• Tennis and golfer’s elbow
• Tendinitis of wrists, fingers, and thumbs
• Ligament injuries
• Crush injuries
• Muscle strains and sprains
• Compression syndromes (Carpal Tunnel)
• Nerve injuries
• Tendon injuries
• Fibromyalgia
• Amputations and reconstructive surgery
• Arthritis
• Burns
• Scars
• Wound care

--Debbie North
Lead Marketing Representative

Making an Investment in Your Health

You may have heard this on the news recently, but apparently we’re in something of an economic slowdown. Depending on which talking head pundit you’re listening to, we may already be in a recession.

So as this confluence of bad economic news continues to grow (job losses, high energy costs, housing foreclosures and so on), people are looking for ways to save money. From the government bureaucracies to the mom and pop stores all the way down to you and me, people are going through their budgets to find out where they can cut spending.

Health care is a particularly hot topic in this election year, with an estimated 47 million or so Americans going without insurance. Medicare and Medicaid costs are through the roof, critically impacting federal and state budgets.

All of which made this report from an organization called Trust for America’s Health interesting. The not-for-profit organization’s report suggests that “a small strategic investment in disease prevention could result in significant savings in U.S. health care costs.”

What does that mean? Essentially, the organization believes that spending just $10 on each person in a community-based program that is proven to do things like increase physical activity, improve nutritional habits or stop tobacco use would provide a savings nationally in excess of $16 billion annually within a half-decade.

That, they say, would be a return on investment of $5.60 for every dollar spent.

By educating the public through preventative programs, researchers have seen drops in the rates of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke, as well as some forms of cancer and other ailments. Results usually can be seen within two to five years of implementation.

If this plan was put into action tomorrow, Florida would see a tremendous benefit overall – the report indicates this state alone could save $1 billion in potential annual savings. Only California ($1.7 billion) and New York ($1.3 billion) would see more.

The likelihood of getting each person in the country to participate is about as unlikely as a unanimous winner in a presidential election. But it is an interesting premise – and one that doesn’t need a government mandate.

There are plenty of resources offering information on nutrition, fitness activities or quitting smoking (including the Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing). Think of it as an investment in health care that could save you money down the road.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Breaking Diet Rules, Paying the Price

Sometimes half the fun of knowing the rules is breaking them.

In theory, I know the rules of healthy, nutritious eating: get plenty of fruits and vegetables, low on the carbs and fats, sugar’s a no-no, moderate alcohol consumption, reasonable portion sizes. In theory, you should get at least moderate exercise a few times each week, more if possible. In theory, I know that those rules should extend to vacation.

In theory.

But the rules went out the window when my wife and I went to my native Alaska earlier this month for a 10-day hiatus. I didn’t intentionally kick the rules to the side of the road, it just kind of happened.

And how could it not? There was salmon and beer-battered halibut. There were cinnamon rolls at Gwin’s Lodge – a tradition since childhood, shown below – and apple fritters from The Moose is Loose bakery, which was a new find. There was a mandatory trip to Sourdough Sal’s and the biggest Reuben this side of the Yukon. There was moose sausage and mom’s famous tacos (which have been called burritos by some infidels, but the inarguable fact is that they are big and laden with caloric goodness).

To top it off, there was little exercise to be found. We went on a couple short hikes, but the biggest heart-rate boost came from the fear of stumbling across the “rogue bears” that were rumored to be near.

Predictably, the results were not good. I have yet to torture a scale by getting on one, but judging the way my clothes are fitting (or not fitting) post-vacation would indicate I’ve gained some weight.

So consider this just one more warning as you make your way through summer plans – sometimes the rules are there for a reason. Here are a few suggestions that may help you lead a healthier vacation lifestyle.

Hope you have better luck than me.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

The Power of Prevention

According to a survey published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a few years back, Americans have never felt more vulnerable. We are more fearful of unpredictable, mainly random events such as terrorist attacks, anthrax exposure, West Nile virus, violence and crime and other uncontrollable threats such as a plane crash than we are of largely preventable life-threatening diseases.

The risks of illness or death from chronic disease, however, are far greater. While many Americans are aware of the seriousness of chronic illness, most of us have not changed our lifestyles sufficiently to reduce their risk of death or illness.

The top five chronic diseases – heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes – cause more than two thirds of all deaths each year. This epidemic is not limited to older adults: a third of the years of potential life lost before age 65 are due to chronic disease.

The number of deaths alone fails to convey the full picture of the toll of chronic disease. More than 125 million Americans live with chronic conditions, with millions of cases diagnosed each year. These disabling conditions (such as arthritis, stroke and diabetes) cause major limitations in activity for one of every 10 Americans. And almost everyone is adversely affected by chronic disease in one way or another – through the death of a loved one; a family member’s struggle with lifelong illness, disability or compromised quality of life; or the huge personal and societal financial burden brought on by chronic disease.

We cannot afford to ignore the urgency of chronic disease. Although this epidemic is the most common and costly of all health problems, it is also the most preventable. Access to high-quality and affordable prevention measures (including screening and appropriate follow-up) is essential if we are to saves lives and reduce medical care costs.

Three modifiable health-damaging behaviors – tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and poor eating habits – are responsible for much of our chronic disease. That’s why Martin Memorial has put resources in place to help fight these diseases:

Effective Oct. 1, we will be a smoke-free campus. To assist our patients and Associates, we are conducting more than our typical offering of cessation classes for day and evening availability.

We have comprehensive weight-management and diabetes-education programs.

We have on-site fitness centers.

We will be conducting biometric screenings (blood pressure, glucose, BMI and cholesterol) for our Associates during our benefits open-enrollment period in the summer and fall.

Our health promotion team is working with our cafeteria vendor for healthy menu options.

We have youth weight-management classes.

We conduct resilience workshops.

These are key ingredients for helping to create a healthier, prevention-centric mindset and will provide impact toward a better quality workforce and community.

-- Lani Kee, MS
Manager, Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing
and Treasure Coast Health and Fitness Center

Look Mom! I'm a Digital Star!

Not too long ago, my eight-year-old daughter Evie and I had check-up appointments with our physicians. I was feeling great, but had recently developed a slight pain in my right hand. I let my physician, Dr. Glaspey, know and he ordered an x-ray of my hand to see if there might be any sign of arthritis. The next day I took Evie to her pediatric physician, Dr. Laguerre. Because my daughter is especially tall for her age (thanks to my 6’6” husband!), Dr. Laguerre ordered a bone-age study to make sure she was growing at the correct rate. I learned that bone age is measured through an x-ray. As a result, Evie and I found ourselves scheduled for hand x-rays at the Martin Memorial Diagnostic Center. This was going to be a great field trip for us! It was quite challenging trying to explain to her how an x-ray works (how does it work?!). She felt less nervous knowing that mommy was going to be getting the exact same thing done to her hand.

Everyone was so friendly at the Diagnostic Center. While there, I learned that virtually all of the diagnostic tests at Martin Memorial had become “digital” through a system called PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System). That means almost all imaging test results are viewed by the radiologists via computer on large flat screens. Gone are the days of big films hanging in front of light boxes with physicians peering close to get a better look. The change from films to digital is equivalent to the revolutionary change of snail mail to email! Martin Memorial Diagnostic Images can now be shared and diagnosed “real time” by physicians from one end of the Treasure Coast to the other.

As I was leaving, the front desk informed me that I could get a copy of our x-rays burned to a CD. The learning experience continued as our family viewed the digital images on our home computer. The image clarity and detail were amazing! The next day, my daughter loaded up the CD’s in her backpack and brought them to her second grade class for show and tell. When she came home, she proudly recounted how her entire class huddled around her teacher’s desk to get a closer look at what the latest in diagnostic imaging technology has to offer…an amazing digital picture of her very own bones!

--Jenny Flaugh
Marketing Representative

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much Understanding Heart Failure is Key!

A couple weeks ago I wrote a blog about Tim Russert’s death from a heart attack. What are the odds that another celebrity would die of heart failure about a week later? Tim Russert died of coronary thrombosis, which is the rupture of a cholesterol plaque in an artery. George Carlin was a comedian/actor who burned the candle at both ends. He had a heart attack at the age of 41, which may have been precipitated by his admitted drug use. On June 22, the 71 year-old went to the hospital with chest pain and passed away from heart failure. I wanted to know more – What is heart failure?

I talked to Dr. Amy Eversole, Cardiologist at Stuart Cardiology; she explained that there are different types of heart failures:

Systolic heart failure is when the heart is not contracting well; therefore, the heart cannot pump with the necessary force to push enough blood into circulation. This is the most common type of heart failure.

Diastolic heart failure is when the muscle of the heart is very thick and does not relax well, preventing blood from filling the heart.

Heart failure has many causes; it can be the last stage of heart diseases or circulation diseases. The weak pump action of the heart means that less blood is sent to the kidneys; they respond by retaining water and salt which increases fluid buildup in the body and causes widespread damage. The most common causes of heart failure are hypertension (high blood pressure) and coronary artery disease.

Other common causes of heart failure are:
Damage after a heart attack
Valvular heart disease
Myocarditis
Diabetes
Family history of heart disease
Obesity
Congenital heart disease
Cardiac arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats
Excess alcohol consumption
A diet high in salt

The signs and symptoms of heart failure are:
Shortness of breath or exertion occurring at rest
Swelling in legs and abdomen
Difficulty sleeping
Palpitations
Decreased urine production
Nausea and vomiting

People who survive heart failure need to be followed closely by a physician or cardiologist. They usually have to control their blood pressure through medication such as ACE inhibitors, diuretics, digoxin and beta blockers to improve blood circulation and control body fluid.

Cardiologists recommend the following:
Eliminate smoking and alcohol consumption as both decrease the pumping efficiency of the heart
Avoid foods high in salt and restrict your fluid intake
One of the most important things you can do for the health of your heart is to EXERCISE!

-- Sophie Sawicki

Marketing Representative

CPAP Means No More Night Train

So it took me a while, but I went back to the Martin Memorial Sleep Disorders Center to have the second part of my sleep study conducted. This time was to see if a CPAP machine would help increase my oxygen level and reduce the loud snoring while I slept.

I have to admit that I was afraid to try the mask. I’m not sure if it was me or the mask, but I felt like I looked like something out of a late-night horror movie. I definitely wouldn’t wear it in front of my grandchildren.

Feeling the air pressure through my nose seemed difficult to adjust to at first, but I was surprised at how quickly I was able to fall asleep with the machine running. It was very quiet and compact and easy to maneuver – I did move around until I got comfortable and I didn’t even notice the flexibility of the air hose.

The technician monitored my sleep and breathing, and adjusted the pressure while I slept. I can’t say that I woke up feeling refreshed because the tech woke me up at 5:30 a.m., which is earlier than normal for me.

However, the test results showed that my oxygen level was steady at 95 to 97 percent. When the original study was conducted without the CPAP machine, my oxygen level dropped to 69 percent. It also showed that there were no abnormal respiratory events scored, which was a great improvement from 18 times per hour as indicated in the first study.

And the best news of all, according to my husband, is that there was no significant snoring noted. The freight train may have come to a stop.

The next step is to see my physician and get a prescription for a CPAP machine to use at home. My husband said he doesn’t care what I look like wearing the mask because hopefully without my snoring, he will be able to sleep and won’t see me anyway. We are both looking forward to a better night’s sleep in a week or so. Wish me luck!

--Landy Tiffany
Marketing Coordinator