Archives for April 2018

Arthritis: Don’t Let It Define You!

It’s good to be #1, but not when it comes to suffering. According to the Arthritis Foundation, arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the U.S. Nearly 53 million adults have been diagnosed with arthritis…and that number is expected to grow to 67 million by 2030.

So, what to do?

First, awareness. While arthritis is a common term, it isn’t very well understood by the general population. Many of us understand arthritis as a single disease, however this chronic condition is an umbrella term that covers over 100 types of joint problems. Arthritis can generally be defined as pain and inflammation in the joints, and common symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness and decreased range of motion, that can go from mild to severe.

Arthritis is not fully preventable; however, early assessment and treatment can slow down the process of wear remarkably. The clinicians at OrthoNOW routinely see patients who suffer from one of the most common types of arthritis: osteoarthritis (OA). These patients often come in looking for symptomatic relief for their joint pain. “There is a smooth surface at the end of the bones in our joints that makes moving around painless and natural. When that surface degenerates, you lose the smooth surface, which can be extremely painful for the patient”, says Dr. Scott Sandilands from OrthoNOW Doral.

OrthoNOW’s clinicians recommend those suffering from OA to undergo a physical exam, X-rays, and at times, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). While there are some procedures recommended for OA patients, such as joint injections, our clinicians strongly encourage patients to incorporate preventative methods to their routines to ensure good health and strong bones. Some of these methods are dieting, maintaining a healthy weight, preventing injuries to your bones, and exercising on the regular.

It’s important to stay away from self-diagnosing. If you are accustomed to bouncing out of bed in the A.M. and suddenly one morning your joints start to hurt, you need professionals to assess your pain and identify the cause. While it could be signs of OA, it could also be signs of other conditions such as bursitis, tendonitis, sprains or muscle strains.

If diagnosed with OA, your provider may recommend one or more medications. However, the experts at OrthoNOW stress the importance of proper exercise to strengthen and tone your muscles. Doing so with the neck, for example, will help flexibility and strength in the spine. Another exercise, knee extensions, can help with the fluidity of knee movements, as well as stability.

“Move, move, move,” say the experts at OrthoNOW…not just for the health of your joints, but for the additional weight that may creep on if you are too sedentary—also not good for your joints.

While it is important to consult with your doctor about undertaking any new exercise, here are several recommendations from the sages at OrthoNOW:

Physical therapy—for instruction on proper movement and stretching
Gentle yoga—can improve strength and flexibility
Walking—work with a professional to develop a walking plan that can help rebuild the cartilage in your joints

And if you’re seeking something positive in the arthritis journey, here are a few possibilities:

Stress management—everyone needs it, you do it as part of your OA treatment plan.
More warm baths—can ease OA pain.
Support group—find information and camaraderie while learning that you are not alone on this journey.

In addition, many patients experience pain relief and support for tissues with supplements. Created by the orthopedic specialists at OrthoNOW, the OrthoNourish™ supplement line is part of OrthoNOW’s commitment to providing comprehensive orthopedic care for people experiencing joint pain. Additionally, OrthoNOW also offers electro neuro muscular therapy, also known as ENMT, a therapy that combines electrical muscle stimulation with an orthopedic expert administered protocol to reduce pain, recover from injury, and prevent injuries from occurring.

For more information about OrthoNOW’s locations and services, including workers comp and corporate wellness, visit www.orthonowcare.com or download our award-winning mobile app at www.orthonowmobileapp.com.

###

About OrthoNOW

OrthoNOW®, the nation’s only orthopedic care franchise, is focused on assessment and treatment of a range of orthopedic and sports injuries, chronic conditions, and preventative protocols – all on a walk-in basis.  Specialties include anything related to the foot, ankle, knee, hip, wrist, hand, elbow, shoulder and spine.

Every OrthoNOW is equipped with digital imaging equipment and offers the latest techniques and treatments by a team of orthopedic clinicians and orthopedic specialized ancillary providers including Electro Neuro Muscular Therapy (ENMT) which dramatically alleviates acute and chronic pain and expedites recovery time from surgery.

OrthoNOW’s mobile app features a revolutionary feature called On My Way NOW® which allows patients to notify an OrthoNOW Center that they are in route, the reason they’re coming and what time they expect to arrive. The recently upgraded app v2.0 for iPhone users includes integration with Uber. OrthoNOW’s flagship Center is in Doral, Florida, with franchised Centers in Florida and Georgia. Centers are coming soon to Michigan, Ohio and beyond.

Sources: Arthritis.org

OrthoNOW® NAMES HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY VETERAN NICK MENDEZ CEO

OrthoNOW® NAMES HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY VETERAN NICK MENDEZ CEO

Dr. Alejandro Badia Will Focus On Role as Chief Medical Officer

Organizational Changes Made to Align with OrthoNOW’s Growth Strategy

MIAMI —April 9, 2018 OrthoNOW has announced the appointment of Nick Mendez as its new CEO, effective immediately. He will be based in Nashville, Tennessee, the capital of the U.S. healthcare industry. Mendez will work closely with Dr. Alejandro Badia, Co-Founder and visionary of OrthoNOW, who will focus his efforts on the role of Chief Medical Officer.

“Today’s announcement marks another step towards aligning our organizational structure to OrthoNOW’s long-term strategy and speaks to our vision of putting the patient first –helping them eliminate the many hurdles they have to get care,” said Badia. “We are excited to have Nick join us. His track record of building organizations, and leading and creating value for large healthcare and medical device companies makes him not only an ideal fit with our organization, but the right leader to grow the brand.”

The new organization structure further solidifies the company as a pioneer and a disruptor of the traditional healthcare model. “As Americans grapple with the state of the healthcare system and spiraling costs, the OrthoNOW model allows patients to see the right clinician at the right time,” said Co-Founder and CFO Justin Irizarry. “This ‘Orthopedics on Demand’ approach eliminates redundancy in the system, therefore maximizing the clinical outcome while minimizing cost and changing the true value of healthcare.”

“This is both an exciting and important time to join OrthoNOW,” said Mendez. “With the company poised to grow globally, and a dedicated and talented team behind the brand, I look forward to working with everyone to continue its momentum and accelerate growth. I have spent my career with the elevating purpose of making a difference in the lives of the people we serve — physicians, clinicians and ultimately, the patient. OrthoNOW does just that.”

An experienced leader in the healthcare and medical device sectors, Mendez has an extensive track record building intrinsic value through opportunity, purpose and leadership on a global level. He has served as President and CEO of Enovate Medical, a manufacturer of IT equipment for the healthcare industry based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He also served in leadership roles for Gambro AB, now part of Baxter, including President of both Gambro Americas and Gambro Global Acute Business, and led the efforts as Vice President–OM Specialties of Owens & Minor, a Richmond, Virginia-based healthcare logistics company.

OrthoNOW has grown into a national go-to resource for orthopedic issues and is poised to have a major footprint in orthopedic care across the nation. Strong interest in the brand is being fueled by the model’s innovative transformation of healthcare delivery that is prime for retailization.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Mendez, contact Michelle Alban at michelle@latin2latin.com or by calling 954.376.4800.

ABOUT OrthoNOW:

OrthoNOW®, the nation’s only orthopedic care franchise, is focused on the assessment and treatment of a range of orthopedic and sports injuries, chronic conditions and preventative protocols — all on a walk-in basis.  Specialties include anything related to the foot, ankle, knee, hip, wrist, hand, elbow, shoulder and spine. Every OrthoNOW is equipped with digital imaging equipment and offers the latest techniques and treatments by a team of orthopedic clinicians and orthopedic specialized ancillary providers, including Electro Neuro Muscular Therapy (ENMT), which dramatically alleviates acute and chronic pain, and expedites recovery time from surgery. OrthoNOW’s mobile app features a revolutionary feature called On My Way NOW,® which allows patients to notify an OrthoNOW center that they are en route, the reason they’re coming and what time they expect to arrive. The recently upgraded app for iPhone users includes integration with Uber. OrthoNOW’s flagship center is in Doral, FL, with franchised centers in Florida and Georgia. Centers are coming soon to Michigan, Ohio and beyond.

A Day at the Office: Preventing a Lifetime of Pain

Just as we generally assume that we are safe at home, those of us who stroll into an office each day don’t anticipate being wheeled out on a stretcher. But office hazards do exist, and with just a bit of attention to preventing them, you can avoid or minimize musculoskeletal problems.

According to Liberty Mutual, one of the largest workers’ compensation insurance providers in the United States, overexertion, lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, carrying or throwing an object, costs employers $13.4 billion every year due to the onslaught of musculoskeletal disorders. “Individuals who work in office spaces could be at risk for office related musculoskeletal injuries since many stay in the same position all day and partake in repetitive motions. Similarly, people who work lifting heavy equipment or supplies are also at risk for orthopedic injuries”, said Katrina Pazienza Travieso, workers comp coordinator at OrthoNOW Doral.

The orthopedic experts at OrthoNOW narrowed down the top 5 workplace injuries and provided the following tips to prevent them:

Lower Back Pain: the #1 cause of disability worldwide is lower back pain. Improper lifting, poor posture and/or sitting all day long are some of the things that may provoke the muscles in your back to tighten up and cause acute or even chronic back pain. Back pain can severely affect workplace productivity and spirit, therefore it’s imperative to treat it quickly and avoid complications. There are various places you can go if you are suffering from lower back pain, not just back pain clinics. Specialized orthopedic care centers, such as OrthoNOW, have trained specialists to treat your pain with integrated approaches including therapy, medications and supplements.

To prevent lower back pain, experts recommend stretching and strengthening your upper back. Some ways to help your back health are maintaining good posture, avoiding motionless positions for extended periods of time, and stretching often.

Knee Pain: since most of our days are spent behind a desk, our leg muscles are not getting the necessary movement which could result in injuries to the knee. If you are experiencing knee pain, it’s important to rest and ice the knee as well as elevate it, however, in case of extreme pain and swelling, the knee should be seen by an orthopedic doctor or physician assistant.

To prevent knee pain, it’s important to strengthen the area. Orthopedic clinicians recommend doing exercises like lunges to allow the hips and ankles to bend simultaneously, stabilizing and building up the muscles around the knee. Try doing lunges both forward and backward then side to side.

Foot and Ankle Pain: while we may not associate the upper body as the cause for injury at the foot and ankle level, many workers injure their lower extremity due to their shoulder posture. Many of us spend 9:00 am-5:00 pm in front of the computer with rounded shoulders. When we stand up with rounded shoulders, our weight falls to the front of our foot. This is mostly due to the misplaced center of gravity which naturally tips us forward with a heel higher than the toe, affecting the feet and ankles.

To prevent foot and ankle injuries, such as plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and bunions, orthopedic specialists recommend finding ways to help spread the impact to the entire foot. It’s also recommended to wear shoes that are lower in the heel, or shoes that support your feet, like tennis or walking shoes.

Shoulder Pain: there are several types of shoulder injuries that arise at the workplace; some of the most common shoulder injuries are strains, burst and mobility impairment. Like lower back pain, shoulder injuries can be deteriorating and affect productivity severely.

To prevent shoulder pain or injury, experts recommend rearranging the workspaces, sitting correctly and maintaining good posture, investing in a headset and finally, taking regular breaks and walks.

Neck Pain: with so many areas of the body affected, misalignment of the neck can become quite common in the workplace. Since we sit with rounded shoulders, our neck follows our upper back, yet our eyes look at the screen, so we arch our neck which causes pain.

To prevent neck pain, orthopedic clinicians recommend avoiding sudden twisting or jerking movement, ensuring the computer monitor is at eye level, using headset, and exercising and stretching your neck.

Most of the recommendations mentioned for a healthy workspace are elements of ergonomics. As we know, the ancient Greeks had some advanced ideas about civilization, so much so, that they were even the early pioneers of ergonomics: the science of designing a workplace to maximize safety and efficiency. It was Hippocrates who detailed how a surgeon’s workplace should be designed and how the tools he uses should be arranged.

Fast forward a couple thousand years and now many organizations provide office ergonomic assessments to help employers keep their workers healthy. Jorge Garrote, chief physical therapist at OrthoNOW Rehabilitation Center, says “adjusting your workspace is a surprisingly powerful way to reduce risk of injury”. Mr. Garrote, who conducts ergonomic assessments to corporations in Miami, FL, follows OSHA’s ergonomic guidelines and recommends the following:

Position the chair, keyboard and monitor in a straight line with your body.
Maintain a relaxed, neutral posture.
Sit up straight, adjusting the chair to provide firm back support.
Let your arms hang loosely at the shoulders.
Keep your elbows at a 90-degree angle while typing.
Use an adjustable keyboard tray to position your keyboard and mouse at a comfortable height (usually lower than the desk surface). Place your mouse next to the keyboard and keep it as close as possible to your body, to avoid reaching.
Adjust the chair’s height so that your feet are firmly on the ground.

###

About OrthoNOW

Sources:

http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2653704/patterns-sedentary-behavior-mortality-u-s-middle-aged-older-adults

https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/national/the-health-hazards-of-sitting/750/

http://www.ehstoday.com/news/ehs_imp_34456

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3125.pdf

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_factors_and_ergonomics#cite_note-15

http://www.athletico.com/2017/06/19/10-side-effects-prolonged-sitting/

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/history/osh2_04202000.txt

https://www.ek-tech.com/case-studies/musculoskeletal-disorders-case-studies/musculoskeletal-disorders-impact-workplace-white-paper/

https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-pain/shoulder-pain-at-work

http://time.com/36242/lower-back-pain-is-no-1-cause-of-disability-worldwide/