Author: D. Bents

Just 20 years ago, you had to wait on your physician’s call to hear the results of medical tests, but since the beginning of this century, healthcare facilities have rolled out private patient portals that allow you to view your results as soon as they are entered into the system. That’s the good news. The downside is that patients sometimes view results before the physician can, and patients sometimes become distressed by what they think they are reading. Paragon Orthopedic Center has experienced this with MRI’s and CT scans. It’s rare, but sometimes our physicians find something that was never expected in these tests, and for a patient to discover this information alone, it can cause great anxiety. It is good to remember that reading the results with your physician can help you interpret the results in context. Physicians they can see trends and use their knowledge to help you pay attention to the important results, not focusing on something that might appear significant, but truly is not.

The Wall Street Journal covered this recently and is a good examination of the issue, as well as what you can do. Read more here:

You’re Seeing Medical Test Results Before Your Doctor Does. Why? (msn.com)

Happy birthday to Jacob and Gavin! We celebrated with a seasonal caramel apple cake at Paragon Orthopedic Center today. Please give them your happiest birthday regards if you see them in the clinic. The staff at Paragon wishes the best for these two outstanding human beings all month long! Woo hoo!

Paragon Orthopedic Center is losing one of the OG’s of the clinic. After almost 25 years working in the medical field, Tammy has decided to enjoy life outside of work full-time. We sincerely wish her all the best in her endeavors. She will be very, very missed around here. Good luck Tammy!

Happy birthday to Amanda and JB! Here’s to hoping your day is as awesome as you both are! Paragon Orthopedic Center appreciates you both!

All surgeries involve incisions that must heal for complete recovery. Incision healing is always a concern for the surgeons of Paragon Orthopedic Center, so we are looking into how you can improve your chances of quick wound healing. Factors you can’t control that affect wound healing include the type and size of the incision, as well as whether trauma was involved prior to surgery. You can control your nutrition, which is very important for tissue recovery. Beyond good wound care, good nutrition allows our body to efficiently generate new, healthy tissue. Two amino acids that play a large role in tissue regeneration are arginine and glutamine. There is a powder called Juven that contains these amino acids, as well as other nutrients that have been proven to increase the collagen production that aids in wound healing. A healthy diet is absolutely necessary before adding any supplements and always talk to your doctor or dietician before adding this or any other supplement to your diet. Read more about how your skin recovers after surgery and optimal nutrition to make recovery efficient:

Surgery Recovery: Nutrition for Surgical Wound Healing (nutritionnews.abbott)

The natural sugar that bees provide for our drinks and adds a touch of sweetness to our foods is now being touted for medical reasons. Medical grade honey, which is the type recommended for medical use, is honey that has been sterilized by gamma irradiation, which is minimally invasive, and allows the honey to maintain its antibacterial properties. You will see it advertised as Manuka honey because honey from the Manuka plant has more antibacterial strength, which is good to kill bacteria in a wound and promote healing. Here’s a fun fact: honey is actually acidic. It is typically more acidic than tomato juice or coffee. This acidity comes from the naturally occurring yeasts that ferment the honey and break down the glucose and fructose into acetic acid, similar to what happens when wine turns into vinegar. While honey for food has been sometimes found to help with coughs, gastrointestinal problems, and some neurological diseases, we are focusing on medical grade honey’s benefits on wound healing, since Paragon Orthopedic Center has to teach about wound care after most orthopedic surgeries. Know that not all honeys are created equal and that it isn’t always a solution for your particular wound. Always check with your healthcare provider before using it. Here is some information about how medical grade honey might be useful to your wounds:

Honey on Wounds: When, How, Safety, and Effectiveness (healthline.com)

In case you haven’t noticed, several of the tennis courts around Grants pass have been converted into pickleball courts to accommodate the popularity of this sport. Pickleball is a combination of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. It has been declared the fastest growing sport in our nation, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Exercise and sports are promoted often at Paragon Orthopedic Center, but sometimes exercise can bring on unintended injuries. Pickleball injuries could cost people in America up to $500 million this year. Here is an article from Fox Business News to help you understand the injuries that are seen and what you can do to reduce the chances of an injury when playing pickleball.

Pickleball injuries could cost up to $500 million this year, Wall Street analysts predict | Fox Business

With our Paragon Clinic growing, we have more birthdays every month. And we know how to celebrate! This June we are celebrating five of our best: Fawn, Tana, Brian, Liz, and Taylor. The requested caramel chocolate cake went quickly. Please show them some love by wishing them a happy birthday month when you see them!

There are a number of applications to help you monitor and support your health goals: watches, trackers, and many apps for your smart phone. How do you know which one? Have you thought about exactly what you want it to do for you? Here are four key questions to ask yourself:

1. What are your goals?
2. Does the application provide data and features that support your goals?
3. How accurate is it and does the app manage the data in a way that is compatible with your means and navigation abilities?
4. Does the app support evidence-based strategies for weight loss, such as self-monitoring, customized goal setting, accountability, motivational strategies, and/or supports for healthier living?

This article from the Mayo Clinic is very helpful if you are thinking about a new way of tracking your health, or determining which method might be more helpful to you. Some people find these applications motivational in a way nothing else has been, and to that, Paragon Orthopedic Center says, “Go for it!”

Tips for selecting a mobile health application to support your health goals | Mayo Clinic Connect

Happy birthday to Dr. Nugent, our sole birthday this month. He was nice enough to share his lemon mousse cake with the clinic. Riot averted. Please wish him a happy birthday if you see him!