- OrthopedicsGeneral Page Tier 3BlogLow back pain is one of the most common ailments in the United States. About 80 percent of people have at least one episode of low back pain during their lifetime. Factors that increase the risk of developing low back pain include smoking, obesity, older age, sedentary work, a stressful job, job dissatisfaction and psychological factors such as anxiety or depression. Physically strenuous work also contributes to low back pain. Most people with back pain have nonspecific back pain. Such people usually improve in a few weeks with conservative care. Less than one percent of people have serious causes, such as cancer or infection and less than 10 percent have less serious causes like fracture, pinched nerve, or narrowing of the spinal cord. Therefore, it’s important to see your primary care physician first, before seeking specialist care. Most of the time, a focused history and physical examination are enough to make a diagnosis of back pain. It is imperative to prevent back pain from developing in the first place. People can do a number of things to prevent back pain. 1. Exercise and stay active The most important thing you can do is exercise routinely and stay active. Regular exercise improves cardiovascular fitness and can be combined with specific exercises to strengthen the muscles of the hips and back. The abdominal muscles are particularly important in supporting the lower back and preventing back pain. Exercises can be as simple as walking every day. And other activities like Pilates, Yoga and aerobic exercises are also very helpful in preventing back pain. 2. Avoid high-impact activities It is important to avoid activities that involve repetitive bending or twisting and high-impact activities that increase stress in the spine. 3. Bend and lift correctly Bending and lifting correctly is also important. People with low back pain should learn the right way to bend and lift. For example, lift with the knees bent and the abdominal muscles tightened. This way you avoid straining the weaker muscles in the lower back. 4. Take a break People who sit or stand for long periods should change positions often and use a chair with appropriate support for the back. Readjust your office chair several times throughout the day to avoid sitting in the same position. Taking brief but frequent breaks to walk around will also prevent pain due to prolonged sitting or standing. People who stand in place for long periods can try placing a block of wood on the floor, stepping up and down every few minutes. Author Dr. Meetu Agrawal is a primary care physician with Anne Arundel Medical Group (AAMG) Largo Primary Care. To reach her practice, call 301-925-7610. Originally published Dec. 19, 2016. Last updated Dec. 16, 2019.0
- Physical TherapyGeneral Page Tier 3BlogWhen it comes to keeping your body healthy, the first things you may think about are your diet and exercise habits. While those are two vital parts that contribute to your wellbeing, many other factors are often overlooked, including your posture. Good posture is tough to define, but it often includes the correct alignment of bones and joints while sitting, standing and lying down. This ensures your muscles are being used properly. Bad posture can affect your overall health and lead to chronic pain. Poor movement patterns generate both physical and mental stress, like indigestion, neck and back discomfort, headaches, an increased risk of heart disease, and fatigue. It’s important to pay attention to how you move and position your body. The benefits of practicing good posture are undeniable. It engages your core, increases energy, relieves pain and improves your appearance. Because of this, there are many items out on the market claiming they can help you improve your posture. We decided to put one new gadget to the test. The Upright Go is a Bluetooth device you attach to your back. It’s designed to improve and track posture by vibrating to alert you when you slouch. Shannon Robinson, physical therapist with Luminis Health Physical Therapy, tried it out for a day to see what she thought. To first get started with Upright Go, you download the free app and sync the device to your phone. You then attach a small, white device to your upper back via an adhesive sticker. When in ‘Training Mode,’ the device will vibrate on your back to alert you when you slouch. Their website recommends training daily in order to form a better posture habit. After each daily training session, you can switch to ‘Tracking Mode’ to continue monitoring your posture throughout the day. “I could feel myself having to use all back muscles to sit up tall with my shoulder blades pinched and eventually my muscles would feel fatigued, telling me that they were really working,” Shannon says. “Using the app, you can see all your posture statistics, goals, and how you have improved over time.” Shannon felt the device worked well with activities that require an erect trunk posture such as sitting, standing and walking. However, “it was very sensitive and required me to actively pinch my shoulder blades and retract my neck to an uncomfortably extreme position,” she describes. “I found the device to be inappropriate to wear with activities that require a lot of movement such as bending forward to treat patients.” The device may work for those who have desk jobs, Shannon says, and it does tend to be useful to track your progress. The vibration is also adjustable. “But, overall, I wouldn’t recommend it.” The best way to improve posture, instead, is good, old-fashioned physical therapy focused on postural strengthening. Exercise and stretching can improve your posture because it helps increase your circulation and range of motion. “They are the most effective and realistic ways to improve back support. Lumbar cushions are a good tactile cue, but exercise is best.” Whether you’re someone who works a physically demanding job or sits at a desk, the Luminis Health Physical Therapy team can help you train your spine and offer tips to prevent and alleviate poor posture. We offer convenient, outpatient locations throughout Anne Arundel County, and into Prince George’s County. Our specialists can treat you near your home or work. Visit LuminisHealth.org/Physical-Therapy or call 443-481-1140 to learn more.0
- Plastic Surgery & Skin CareGeneral Page Tier 3BlogMost of us have heard about Botox and fillers, but how do they work? Chief of Plastic Surgery Derek Masden, MD, answers a few common questions below. What is Botox? A provider can inject Botox, a prescription medicine, into muscles to temporarily smooth the look of moderate to severe forehead lines, crow’s feet lines, or frown lines between the eyebrows. Botox works by temporarily weakening or paralyzing certain muscles to smooth facial wrinkles. Botox typically lasts between three and 12 months, depending on the area you are treating. What are the benefits of Botox? Botox helps to create a more youthful appearance without surgical intervention and very little downtime. Most patients are able to get Botox and go about their day with little to no side effects. Patients start to see results in just two to four days, however, optimal results typically take 14 days. Where can Botox be injected? Botox can address forehead lines, crow’s feet, or lines between the eyebrows. What is filler? Filler is a general term for hyaluronic acid or similar substances used to ‘fill in’ or plump up areas that have lost volume. Compared to Botox, which freezes muscles to stop creases and wrinkles, filler helps to add volume for a smoother look. What are the benefits of filler? A clinician can inject fillers in the office with little to no downtime and with immediate results. Filler can also last more than 12 months without touchups, which means greater long term results. Where can filler be injected? The lips are the most common place that patients elect to have fillers. Other common injection spots are sunken or recessed areas in the face, such as those around the mouth and cheeks. What if I am interested in reducing wrinkles but I am not ready for injectables? The Luminis Health Plastic Surgery team offers a variety of different skin care products to help patients create a smoother, clearer, and more refined appearance. Skin care can be personalized to your goals including overall skin health, texture repair, skin brightening, complexion clearing, or anti-aging. No two patients are the same so we always recommend an in-depth discussion with one of our providers to determine your goals. This helps us customize a skin care plan for you. How do I make an appointment? To make an appointment, please call 443-481-3400. To find out more information, visit our website at aamgplasticsurgery.com. The holidays are coming up, and Botox can give you a new look! The Luminis Health Plastic Surgery office is offering a special of $10 a unit just for the month of December! Please call 443-481-3400 to make an appointment today. We are conveniently located on the 6th floor of Belcher Pavilion.0
- News & Press ReleasesGeneral Page Tier 3BlogAnne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) is partnering with Surgical Care Affiliates, LLC. (SCA), to open two new surgery centers next year. SCA is a leader in the outpatient surgery industry and part of Optum, a technology-enabled health services and innovation company. The AAMC Surgery Center in Pasadena will offer orthopedic and gynecological procedures and is scheduled to open in January 2019. The Annapolis location, which is expected to open in April 2019, also will provide orthopedic procedures with a focus on total joint replacement and spine care. Both centers will offer outpatient surgery at convenient locations. “Our new surgery centers are an extension of Anne Arundel Medical Center’s high-quality, cost-effective care options to best serve the people in our region,” said Steve Clarke, vice president for Ambulatory Services and Network Development at AAMC. “Patients can expect our same patient-centered care, with the ease and accessibility of outpatient procedures.” AAMC chose SCA as its strategic partner to build and operate the two facilities because of its extensive expertise in this area. “We are partnering with Anne Arundel Medical Center to bring quality, cost-effective outpatient surgical care to residents in Annapolis, Pasadena and the surrounding communities,” said Kristine Lowther, SCA vice president of operations. “We look forward to expanding outpatient total joint replacement and spine surgery in Maryland and helping AAMC care for more patients in high-quality surgery centers.”0
- Men's Health, Orthopedics, Women's HealthGeneral Page Tier 3BlogDo you suffer from back pain? Well, you’re not alone. About 90 percent of the population will experience lower back pain at some point. Symptoms can vary by cause, severity and duration, which can make treating back pain difficult. Symptoms of lower back pain can come on quickly, often unexpected. Back pain can interfere with sleep, work or even completing simple tasks like putting on your socks and shoes. Fortunately, in many cases back pain is due to a non-worrisome cause, even though the pain can feel intense and severe at times. Patients are often surprised to learn their pain could be due to a simple muscle strain or spasm, connective tissue inflammation, arthritis, or normal wear and tear of the structures in the spine. Even more surprising, it’s often difficult for doctors to identify the exact cause of pain. An X-ray and even an MRI can appear relatively normal despite severe pain, further clouding doctors’ understanding of back pain. If you experience back pain, don’t panic. Most episodes of low back pain will resolve within a few days, and 50 percent of people fully recover within two weeks. Here are some helpful tips to manage your symptoms: Keep moving. Staying in bed for more than 24 hours only prolongs your back pain. Walking and other low-impact movements can help your pain. While it may seem counter-intuitive, the more you move the better your back will feel. Just remember to not carry heavy objects, and lift everything with your legs, not your back. Use ice and heat over the site of your pain. Try alternating ice packs or heating pads—20 minutes at a time—to help reduce spasms and inflammation. Over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are more effective than acetaminophen. These non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Check with your doctor to make sure these medications are safe for you to take. If you’re not yet experiencing back pain now, there are a few things you can do to help prevent it in the future: Maintain a regular exercise schedule. Patients with a sedentary life style are at higher risk for back pain. Strengthening your core muscle groups—your back, stomach, glutes and thigh muscles—will help support the mechanical structures in your lower back and reduce your chances of having pain. Maintain a healthy body weight. Excess weight puts additional stress on your back. Avoid smoking and nicotine products. The chemicals from smoking and nicotine products constrict the tiny blood vessels that bring nutrients to the mechanical structures in your lower back. This can wear on the discs in your lower back and prevent healing after an injury. Avoid prolonged sitting at work. If you have a desk job, stand up and move around every 30 to 60 minutes. Author By Chad Patton, MD, medical director of Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Center for Spine Surgery and spine surgeon at AAMC Orthopedics. To reach his office, call 410-268-8862. Originally published May 2016. Last updated August 2018.0
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