Author: D. Bents

Have you ever stopped for a moment to think about how much you use your shoulders? As long as you’re upright, it’s almost like they are in constant motion. Paragon Orthopedic Center would like you to consider the stretches that could prevent injuries and hopefully put off shoulder issues that come with overuse. Stretching provides flexibility, increases your range of motion, reduces the chance of injury, and can improve your posture. Please note that if you have pain, you are not stretching correctly, or there is possibly another issue within your shoulder. Stretches should be gentle and sustained. Paragon Orthopedic Center is here for you for your shoulder needs, if you have concerns about your shoulders. Check out these helpful shoulder stretches and tips with photos from Harvard Health:

4 stretches to keep your shoulders in shape – Harvard Health

We had some fun celebrating Brandon, Alisa, and Jodi recently at Paragon with a strawberry angel food cake. Jodi was camera shy for the photo op with the cake, but she was there for some sugar! Please wish these lovely people a happy birthday if you see them in the clinic!

Marijuana use is on the rise around our country, and with more older people seeking to use it, attention needs to be paid to the risks for this population. Some seniors seek to use it for sleep, anxiety, or as an alternative to conventional medicines for ailments of the later years of life, but are not aware of what can happen as a result of taking it. The Wall Street Journal looked into this important subject and likely everyone can benefit from the knowledge. Metabolism gets slower as the body ages. The effects of marijuana can linger longer in seniors and the adverse effects of it can lead to accidents. The general advice is to first make sure your healthcare professional knows in order to assess any drug interactions with current medications, and start with a low dose, increasing slowly as needed to minimize being overcome by the possible side effects. THC-induced dizziness can lead to confusion, falls, and injuries. Marijuana interferes with some prescribed medications, so open honesty with your healthcare provider is essential. Be mindful of these risks to avoid unintended consequences that could be life-altering.

If you are a senior or have an older person in your life who uses marijuana or CBD products, read more here:

Marijuana Has Special Risks for Older People – WSJ

“I‘m too tired,” “I feel like just staying put,” or “I don’t have time.” These are just a few excuses why you won’t get some exercise, even if it’s getting out the door to walk around the grocery store. Moving is a choice, but the choice not to move could have major repercussions on your health. Paragon Orthopedic Center encourages some form of exercise daily for a reason: so you can be the best you can be. It’s a slippery slope: not moving leads to weight gain, your bones become weaker, your joints are stiffer, your immune system is weaker, and your risk of serious diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease, goes way up. This is a bad direction for anyone. You can reverse course!

The Mayo Clinic has seven benefits to exercise, to give you some reasons to counter any tendency to stay put.

1. Exercise controls weight
2. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases
3. Exercise improves mood
4. Exercise boosts energy
5. Exercise promotes better sleep
6. Exercise puts a spark back in sex
7. Exercise can be fun and social!

Click below to read more about these seven benefits plus exercise suggestions to get you started. With the Southern Oregon forecast predicting some warmer temperatures, go for a brisk walk and enjoy the benefits!

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity – Mayo Clinic

A tendon rupture is likely an injury you don’t know much about until it affects you. You also might know this as a tendon tear; both are injured tissue that has a partial or total tear. It is typically excruciatingly painful and can result in permanent disability if not treated correctly. What is a tendon? It is the fibrous tissue that connects a muscle to a bone and is found at the joints of the body. At Paragon Orthopedic Center, one of the most common tendon ruptures seen is a rotator cuff tear at the shoulder. How do you know if you have a tendon strain or a rupture/tear? The pain from a tear can range from a dull ache to intense, and involves a loss of function. People will sometimes report hearing a popping or snapping sound at the time of the injury with a tear. For strains, these are mildly painful and usually get better using the acronym RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). If you suspect a rupture, use RICE therapies as you seek immediate medical attention. If it appears serious to you, listen to your body and be seen as soon as possible. A medical professional will be able to assess your injury and determine the severity of it. Symptoms and treatment vary depending on which tendons are involved and how severe the rupture is. Here is more information about the different tendon ruptures, but always contact Paragon for specific advice to get you the best and quickest treatment. (541) 472-0603.

Ruptured Tendon: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments (webmd.com)

We advocate physical fitness often at Paragon Orthopedic Center because of its many benefits. It elevates your mood, regulates sleep, aides in weight loss/maintenance, and reduces the risk of disease. Health authorities recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity every week. While that might not be possible for everyone, getting some is better than none, so start today! Is a gym membership not in the budget? Then you need to know what home fitness equipment will give you the most bang for your buck. Here are five pieces of equipment recommended by the Mayo Clinic that are effective and inexpensive:

1. Jump rope. This can be used at almost any age and fitness level.
2. Stability ball. It strengthens your core and helps with balance.
3. Mat. This cushions your movements for stretching, yoga, calisthenics, or core strengthening.
4. Dumbbells. Easy to use while at the computer or while watching TV.
5. Resistance bands. Good for strength and muscle tone.

If you have concerns about doing any of these suggestions, always discuss them with your healthcare provider before starting. Paragon encourages you to get moving and take charge of your health to be the best you can be!

Must-have home fitness equipment – Mayo Clinic Health System

Happy birthday to Kim, Dr. Cowley, Shelby, and Dr. Wieking this month! Give them a birthday fist bump if you run into one of these fantastic people while at our office in March!

Did you know colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer in the U.S.? Paragon Orthopedic Center wants to remind Southern Oregon about keeping your body in tip top shape by doing the maintenance recommended by medical professionals, and that includes screenings for colorectal cancer (CRC). Most of these cancers start as a polyp and they are detected by colonoscopy. A colonoscopy also allows doctors to detect the warning signs of CRC and prevent the disease. It is a fairly simple procedure where most patients wake up feeling like they had a good nap. The Colorectal Cancer Alliance has more information. Catch it early for the most effective treatment! If you regularly are screened, kudos to you, but if you don’t, get yourself scheduled today!

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month | Colorectal Cancer Alliance (ccalliance.org)

Since we are in the thick of the skiing and snowboarding season, knee pain is a hot topic. Knee injuries account for 1/3 of all skiing injuries, and while knee injuries are less common in snowboarders, knees can and do get injured by them too. There is a great web article from the Stone Clinic in San Francisco that reviews a few different categories of pain you might feel after tweaking your knee:

• soreness: usually due to deconditioning and responds to ice/heat, massage, and stretching
• grinding or clicking at the knee; causes can vary greatly
• pain inside the knee: popping, catching, pain with squats, or pain when pushing off
• pain outside the knee
• pain all around the knee

The article goes into more detail within each category, but if your knee pain is getting in the way of you going about life, please be seen by a healthcare professional. There are many options to solve knee pain, so please do not think you have to live with it. And if you are afraid of surgery, it isn’t always necessary, but the cause is nearly impossible to diagnose without a hands-on examination. Paragon Orthopedic Center is always here for you, Southern Oregon! 541-472-0603
Skiing Knees: a Guide to Good Hurt vs Bad Hurt (stoneclinic.com)

In honor of recognizing a positive mental attitude this month, please take a moment to consider how it helps your body in many ways to be more of a positive thinker. Here are a few detailed by the Mayo Clinic:

• increased life span
• decreased depression
• better cardiovascular health and decreased risk of cardiac disease
• reduced risk of death from cancer, respiratory conditions and infections
• greater resistance to illness
• better psychological and physical well-being.

Also listed are identifiers of negative thinking. Do you see yourself here?

• filtering out the negative more often than the positive
• self-blame
• anticipating the worst/making a big deal of small issues
• polarizing that categorizes problems as either good or bad.
• blaming someone else when something doesn’t go well.

The Mayo Clinic offers ways to reframing any negative thinking that you might do. For example, if you say to yourself that there is no way something will work, say instead that you will try to make it work. Find many other helpful ideas here:

Positive thinking: Reduce stress by eliminating negative self-talk – Mayo Clinic