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Why You Should See a Family Medicine Doctor for Your Chronic Pain

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that chronic pain afflicts roughly 50 million adults in the United States. If you’re a statistic, one of your best bets to keep chronic pain from wreaking havoc on your mental health and interfering with your overall quality of life is to work with your family medicine doctor.

Read on to learn about the specific measures your family medicine doctor can employ to help you tackle your chronic pain.

Devising a Care Plan for Your Chronic Pain

Chronic pain has various potential causes. It could be caused by arthritis, fibromyalgia (a condition that causes widespread body pain), an untreated musculoskeletal injury, multiple sclerosis, or any other health problem.

Your family doctor can get to the bottom of your chronic pain by reviewing your symptoms, medical history, and current health status as well as ordering the necessary tests (e.g., blood work, diagnostic imaging, etc.).

If your family doctor deems that you need advanced treatment, they will coordinate your care with a specialist, such as a neurologist, pain management specialist, or orthopedic doctor, to determine the most effective intervention for your problem. Depending on the underlying cause, your care team may recommend surgery or ongoing treatment.

Recommending Additional Strategies for Chronic Pain

Your family medicine doctor may recommend any or some of the following strategies to enhance the efficacy of your care plan:

  • Exercise program – Exercise can have a positive impact on both your mood and pain threshold. It is also especially beneficial if your chronic pain is caused by arthritis, as it helps increase your mobility by reducing joint inflammation and stiffness.
  • Relaxation techniques (e.g., breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, etc.) – These have been shown to help with chronic pain by stimulating the production of the body’s natural painkillers (endorphins).
  • Joining support groups – This equips you with emotional support as well as useful information about your specific condition.
  • Smoking cessation program (supervised by your doctor or another healthcare provider) – Studies show that smoking is linked to many health problems that cause chronic pain.
  • Behavior therapy/ professional talk therapy – Your family medicine doctor may recommend either or both of these modalities to help improve your coping strategies.
  • Nutritional recommendations – Your doctor may recommend a diet plan that includes anti-inflammatory foods, which can help with chronic pain.

Treatment for Chronic Pain in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, FL

At Advanced Medical Clinic, our board-certified internist Dr. Ishan Gunawardene and our board-certified family nurse practitioner Shariffa Gunawardene are best known for their commitment to delivering the best possible treatment outcomes for the gamut of conditions—including those that cause chronic pain—affecting people of all ages. We will gladly collaborate with the right specialist to help you live well with or even conquer your pain.

To arrange a consultation with one of our providers, contact us at (561) 434-1935 or request an appointment by filling out this secure form.

Heart Disease and Heart Attacks: What’s the Connection?

The connection between heart disease and heart attacks is clear.

Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, encompasses many different conditions that can lead to a heart attack. Most types of heart disease involve atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis: Most Common Cause of Heart Attacks

Atherosclerosis is characterized by plaque buildup in the arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and the rest of the body. When plaque builds up on artery walls, it narrows the passageway and restricts blood flow.

Plaque deposits – made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances in the blood – build up over time and harden, damaging the smooth, thin layer of tissue within arteries that allows for the easy flow of blood. And that’s not all. If some of the plaque breaks off, blood clots can form and stop blood flow.

Atherosclerosis can affect any of the arteries that carry oxygenated blood throughout the body. For example, when blood flow is blocked within the coronary arteries (the arteries taking oxygenated blood to the heart), it can result in a heart attack. When it occurs in arteries taking blood to the brain, it can result in stroke.

Heart Diseases That Also Can Lead to Heart Attacks

While atherosclerosis is common among the heart diseases that can lead to heart attacks – there are other types of heart diseases that can result in heart attacks, too. These include:

·      Arrhythmia is a condition when the heart beats abnormally, either too fast or too slow, depending on the type of arrhythmia. When the heart beats too fast (more than 100 beats per minute), it’s called tachycardia. Bradycardia is when the heart beats too slow (less than 60 beats per minute). Either is dangerous for the heart and may cause discomfort because your heart isn’t circulating enough blood or is moving it through the body too quickly.

·      Damaged heart valves are another form of heart disease. Heart valves open and close for allowing for blood flow. There are four valves in the human heart: tricuspid, pulmonary, mitral, and aortic; each has a vital function and must open and close properly without leaking. When they don’t open wide enough, blood leaks can occur. A damaged heart valve may be incurred due to poor choices like smoking, or it might be a genetic defect. Whatever the cause, damaged valves are bad news for the heart, such as in these cases:

  •  Aortic stenosis is characterized by a narrowing of the valve, which prevents proper opening, reducing blood flow from the heart.
  •  Aortic regurgitation is characterized by leaking that’s caused when the aortic valve doesn’t close tightly enough.

Many types of heart disease can be prevented – sometimes with just a lifestyle change if the heart or blood vessels are not too far damaged. Eating foods that are low in cholesterol and eliminating bad habits like smoking will help. Your doctor can help determine the current condition of your cardiovascular system and may recommend particular treatments with a specialist if needed.

In addition, a regular checkup can guard against heart disease and help prevent heart attacks. Advanced Medical Clinic will monitor your heart to ensure it’s healthy. And if it’s not, we will help you to get and stay on track to good heart health. Call (561) 434-1935 today to make your appointment or use our convenient online appointment request form.

 

 

 

 

Getting the Most From Your Primary Care Visit

Have you ever gotten home from a doctor visit and realized you forgot to mention something you wanted to talk about? Or maybe you arrived at your visit without important information, like the name of the new medication a specialist prescribed. Your next appointment may not be scheduled for months, and it’s often difficult to make time for an extra trip. Yet, good communication is essential for insuring that all your health needs are met. So, whether you are seeing a new provider, or returning for a follow-up appointment, here are some tips to make sure you get the most from all of your primary care visits.

Go Prepared

The time to organize your thoughts is before you get to your appointment. Preparing ahead of time will help you maximize the time you spend with your provider. Write your questions down and bring the list to the appointment with you. If you’ve researched a new treatment or have questions about a specific illness, don’t bring pages of literature with you. There’s just not enough time to review this during an office visit. It’s better to add these concerns to your list of questions so that you don’t get bogged down on one topic and miss out on addressing other health issues.

To create the best plan to meet your healthcare needs, it is important that you supply all pertinent information. If you have orders for blood work, X-rays, or other diagnostic tests, make sure you complete them in enough time that the results have been sent to the office. Also, if you had any “homework,” such as keeping a log of your blood sugars or blood pressures, make sure you bring it to the visit. And, if you have seen a specialist, have been to an emergency room, or have been in the hospital, it is best if you arrange for your records to be forwarded to your primary care office before your scheduled visit. This gives your doctor the time to review the information before you arrive, leaving more time for discussion and your physical exam.

If you are seeing a new primary care provider for the first time, it is even more important that you arrive with updated and accurate information. Try to have your medical records, including all your past immunizations, forwarded before your visit. It is also a good idea for you to write out your medical history, chronologically, in your own words and bring it to the visit. Additionally, you should include a history of any illnesses your siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents had and the age that these illnesses occurred. This overview will give your new provider an even better picture of your healthcare needs.

All of Your Medications Matter

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is that your doctor know ALL the medications you are taking. Five to 17% of all hospitalizations of older patients are the result of problems with medications; and drug interactions cost billions of dollars while increasing the average hospital stay by 7 days. Bring a complete list of all the medications, over the counter drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements you are taking. It is also important to list the dosage and how many times per day you are taking them. Try to include why you are taking these medications and who originally prescribed them if you can. If you are unsure, or have any questions about what information is important regarding your medications, just put everything you are taking on a regular basis into a shopping bag, and bring it to the appointment. Updating your medication record is an important part of every visit, so make a routine of bringing updates regularly.

Use your Time Wisely

It is important to have a good relationship with your provider and he or she is genuinely interested in you, but be realistic about what can be accomplished in one visit. If you have a number of health issues, it is important to organize your thoughts and address all of your concerns. While telling stories may be entertaining, it may not be productive and could take time away from discussing important issues. So, budget your time and try to stay focused on your health. This is also not the time to paint rosy pictures or avoid embarrassing topics. Honesty and full disclosure will go a long way to help you achieve health. Use your primary care visit to its fullest potential by trusting your provider with sincere information.

Don’t Go It Alone

Sometimes you might have a lot to discuss at your visit, or you might be worried about the results of your tests. Not everyone is comfortable with medical information, so you may have trouble remembering everything your doctor tells you during a visit. In these situations, you might bring a trusted friend, spouse or family member with you. They can offer you support, take notes for you, help you remember to cover all your concerns, or maybe even think of questions that you don’t.

Leave with a Plan

So now you have gone prepared, brought all your important information with you, and reviewed all of your concerns and test results. Most likely, there will be recommendations to be followed, prescriptions to be filled, or follow up testing to be done. Often, you will be advised to return within a certain amount of time. Make sure you understand all that is expected of you. Your health depends on it! So, ask questions, take notes, and clarify what you may not understand. Make sure you know the plan, agree with the plan, and are capable of carrying out all that is recommended. By arriving prepared, making the most of your time during the visit, and leaving with a good understanding of a realistic plan, you will have made the most of your primary care visit, and will be well on your way to good health.

At Advanced Medical PA, we look forward to providing you with all your primary care needs. To learn more about us and the services we offer, or to schedule your primary care visit, call us at (561) 434-1935 to request an appointment, or request one online.

Selecting the Right Doctor

Changes to healthcare laws and the way insurance works and what’s covered make selecting the right doctor more important than ever. Your primary care doctor is a vital member of your healthcare team. Find out why a small practice may offer the best overall care for your health.

Primary Care Doctor

The right Primary Care Physician, or PCP gives you access to the best possible healthcare. As the “point person” on your medical team, your doctor gets to know you and your health history. He or she knows the specialists you’ve seen and which medications you take. They will help manage your health through acute illnesses or chronic disease, and always explain conditions and treatment options.

Continuity of Care

Healthcare can be big business. More and more, providers work in a large practice where a patient may be seen by a different practitioner at each visit, especially if an appointment is made on short notice in the case of illness. Patients in the Welling and Royal Palm Beach, Florida areas can choose Advanced Medical Clinic for their care, and always see Dr. Ishan Gunawardene or his wife, nurse practitioner Shariffa Gunawardene.

Here are some reasons why continuity of care from your doctor is so important

  • Your whole health picture – if you always see the same doctor, he will know details about your health that can’t all be recorded in your file.
  • Hospital care – if you require treatment in a hospital, the Advanced Medical team will be there to advocate treatments that are in your best interest, keep you and your family informed, and provide first-hand health history information that could significantly improve treatment outcomes.
  • Accessibility – Ask your doctor a question without having to explain symptoms or events that have already been treated.

Advanced Medical Clinic offers personal care with continuity throughout. Call (561) 434-1935  for an appointment in Wellington or Royal Palm Beach, Florida today. Get a same day appointment or just walk in.