Medical Society

Are you like me and can smell out a freshly baked cupcake or chocolate chip cookie faster than a drug smelling dog at the airport? Ok my confession is out there, I am a sugar addict. I am the guy who used to have chocolate bars in my desk at work, in a drawer at home and maybe a couple in my car too. I used to treat Costco like I was going to a drug house and the candy aisle was my crack shop. What I realized over time was that my sugar addiction was causing my body significant harm. You see sugar has an inflammatory effect in the body. It makes your cells angrier than an Alanis Morissette song and that is just the start!

What you talking about Willis?

There was a study that was put out in the April 2010 edition of the “Journal of The American Medical Association” that showed individuals who consumed excess sugar were much more likely to show significant inflammation markers in the body. The scary part of chronic inflammation is that it has been associated with many diseases including: Read the rest of this entry »

Sports Medicine Scams

Many people are familiar with and use alternative medical therapies. Most of these therapies have little research to support their use, yet remain popular with the general public. At COAST Rehab Services, we consider it a priority and part of our mission to provide our patients and the public with accurate and up to date information, especially as it pertains to health and sports medicine. We understand that conventional medicine doesn’t appeal to everyone and that alternative therapies can be very beneficial. The more accurate the information made available, the better able people are to make decisions regarding their physical therapy.

A recent article in The Sporting News discussed the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber therapy. Some professional teams and training centers use these devices in the belief that healing time (of an injury) can be significantly shortened. Several professional hockey teams used hyperbaric oxygen therapy (pregame doses) a decade ago, with near disastrous results, because they believed it would enhance performance. Hyperbaric oxygen is a mode of therapy in which the patient breathes 100% oxygen at pressures greater than normal atmospheric (sea level) pressure.

During treatment a patient sits in a closed chamber that is filled with pure oxygen at high pressure, usually for several hours. The healing power of pressurized oxygen has long been acknowledged for deep sea divers suffering from “the bends” and for other emergency infections and injuries treated in a hospital. But, the FDA has not approved the use of hyperbaric oxygen for the treatment of sports injuries, neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy, MS, migraine and strokes, or other illnesses such as cancer and AIDS – the targeted patient population of these sports medicine scam artists. In fact, there are no sound, valid scientific studies that support that use. Beyond the questionable therapeutic value, there are potentially deadly dangers in hyperbaric therapy (seizure, fire). Read the rest of this entry »

Have you just learned about the latest fad in alternative therapy in health and medicine? Chances are that this “new” alternative therapy in health and medicine has actually been in existence for centuries, but is only now getting media attention and acceptance from the modern medical society. If you have recently read or heard about a new alternative treatment that sounds appealing to you, or if you have a condition that is unresponsive to western medical approaches, you might want to consider giving this alternative therapy in health and medicine a try.

Do The Research

It would be wrong to just make an appointment for that particular alternative therapy in health and medicine and just show up at the practitioner’s office. Do some comparison shopping first, much like you would when choosing any doctor or health practitioner. Here are a few key points you should consider and research before making an appointment:

Is this treatment affordable? Most health insurance companies refuse to cover any treatment that they deem an alternative therapy in health and medicine. Some treatments can be costly when paying out of pocket. Will the practitioner you’re considering agree to a payment plan, or just one lump sum?

Do you understand the treatment? You might be asked to view things in your life differently, and make some significant lifestyle changes. Is that something you’re ready for?

Do you know your entire medical history? Your alternative medicine practitioner will need to know your detailed medical history, including physical and mental health. This is to help prevent any complications, for example if something containing chamomile is prescribed and you are allergic to ragweed, you could end up with a very severe reaction.

Is there a practitioner available near your home? You may need more than one session, so how far do you want to travel?

If you have put sufficient thought and research into the above questions, then you are ready to start your journey with alternative therapy in health and medicine. Read the rest of this entry »