Archives for May 2022

Tips for Managing Arthritis Pain

If you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from arthritis, you know that finding ways to effectively manage the pain that comes with your condition is central to maintaining your mobility and overall quality of life.

In this post, you’ll learn about a few strategies that can help you ease arthritis pain and live well with it.

Tip #1 Make Positive Lifestyle Changes.

While the medications and other treatments that your primary care provider prescribed can help manage arthritis pain, the very things that you do on a daily basis have a significant impact on the outcome of your condition.

Having a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet and regular exercise can help with gradual weight loss and reduce your risk for flare-ups. Weight is of particular concern because the additional strain on your affected joint can cause further damage to it. Excess weight and chronic inflammation also go hand in hand.

If you smoke, it’s time to snuff the habit. Cigarette smoke makes arthritis pain worse, as it triggers the body to release cytokines, which are key modulators of inflammation.

Tip #2 Work Closely with Your Primary Care Provider.

Your primary care provider is an integral part of your healthcare team. They are not only there to coordinate your care and monitor your condition; they also serve as your accountability partner – to provide you with support and guidance, ensure treatment adherence, and reinforce healthy lifestyle changes.

Tip #3 Learn to Cope with Stress.

Research suggests that stress compounds the discomfort associated with arthritis, as it can cause endocrine and immune system dysfunction, leading to sustained low-grade inflammation.

While it can be easy to be pulled down by your negative thoughts when dealing with arthritis pain, always keep in mind that focusing on them will only make things worse. It will not only exacerbate the pain but also contribute to the progression of your condition.

There are many things you can do to cope with stress. Employ relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing. Surround yourself with people you love and who support you. Additionally, consider talking to a therapist or joining a support group; your primary care provider may be able to recommend one for you. Respond to unwanted thoughts by taking positive action.

Primary Care Provider in Wellington, FL

At Advanced Medical Clinic, our team includes a board-certified internal medicine provider and a board-certified family nurse practitioner, who have helped scores of patients suffering from arthritis and many other chronic health problems live and thrive with their conditions.

Call us today at (561) 434-1935 or book an appointment online to arrange a consultation with Dr. Gunawardene or our family NP, Shariffa Gunawardene. We look forward to providing you with the high-quality health care you deserve!

A Checklist in Choosing the Best Family Provider

It’s important to find the best family medicine provider, whether for routine checkups or a major surgery. By doing so, you can be confident in the care you receive every time.

After all, your health largely hinges on the treatment they recommend and administer for you. Let’s talk about the key factors in finding an excellent family medicine provider, and where you can go in Wellington for top-notch medical care for you and your family.

How to Find an Outstanding Family Medicine Provider

Here’s what you should consider when choosing the best family medicine provider:

Get Referrals and Recommendations

Your family medicine provider will be your primary care provider, so you can start looking by asking the people you trust. Talk to your family, friends, or colleagues about family providers they recommend. You can even ask other providers you’ve worked with for referrals, such as your endocrinologist or your eye family medicine provider.

You can go online and read the provider’s patient reviews posted on various websites to get a feel for what they’re like. There may also be testimonials from some of their current and previous patients.

Consider Your Insurance

Once you have names of provider’s to consider, check your health insurance coverage to make sure they’re covered by your insurance policy. If you’re interested in a family medicine provider who is not on your list, then call that provider’s office and ask them whether they do indeed accept your particular insurance – and be sure to write down the name of the staff person you spoke to.

Check the Family Provider’s Qualifications and Experience

When looking for a healthcare provider, the lead family medicine provider in the practice should ideally be board-certified. Board certification means that a family medicine provider is staying on top of the latest in medical technologies and methods, and this involves continuing education at medical conferences and seminars.

Being board-certified indicates career-long learning, so you can rest assured that the provider continues to hone their skills. You do not want a family medicine provider who continues to perform the same tests and methods they learned in medical school if provider’s today are actually using much more advanced methods and technologies for more accurate and beneficial results.

Experience is also crucial. Your ideal family medicine provider will have spent much of their time caring for patients with similar conditions as you have, because family medicine provider by nature deal with patients who have myriad health conditions on a constant basis.

If you want to be sure, call the practice and ask them whether the family medicine provider handles patients who have chronic conditions like yours – whether it be arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and so on. Do not hesitate to make that call.

Think About Convenience

Choose a healthcare provider who has a convenient location and has office hours that work with your schedule. You do not want inconvenience to become an excuse not to go to the family medicine provider for a checkup.

Family Medicine Provider for Arthritis in Wellington, FL

It’s important to find a primary care provider in whom you can place your full confidence, especially if you have a chronic condition such as arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, a neurological condition, or anything else. If you’re looking for a trusted family medicine provider whose office is conveniently located in Wellington, look no further than Advanced Medical Clinic. We have a team of highly experienced, board-certified providers who can give you the comprehensive care you deserve.

Advanced Medical Clinic is located in the Palomino Park medical complex on the west side of Highway 441, between Forest Hill Boulevard and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call our friendly staff today at (561) 434-1935 or complete our secure online appointment request form now. We look forward to serving you!