Month: February 2023

Categories
Enlarged Prostate

PAE and Improvement in Sexual Function

Studies have found that treating benign prostate hyperplasia with prostate artery embolization can improve erectile function.

Studies have found that treating benign prostate hyperplasia with prostate artery embolization can improve erectile function.

One of the studies that found this to be true, appeared in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.  The researchers conducting the study followed 53 consecutive patients both before and after their prostate artery embolization procedure.

What they found was that over 60% of the patients experienced an improvement in erectile function by their 3-month follow-up post-PAE. They also found that none of the patients that took part in the study experienced ejaculatory dysfunction.

The same can’t be said for another common treatment for benign prostate hyperplasia, called transurethral resection of the prostate, also known as TURP.

In recent years, TURP,  which was once the standard for BPH surgery, has become a less favorable treatment option due to its risk of sexual side effects and other complications. In fact, it is not uncommon for TURP surgeries to result in damage to the nerves or muscles surrounding the neck of the bladder.

When the muscles or nerves surrounding the neck of the bladder are damaged, semen no longer travels out of the body through the urethra. Instead, semen flows backward into the bladder during ejaculation.

This backward flow of semen is referred to as retrograde ejaculation, which is estimated to affect as many as 65-75% of men following the TURP procedure.

It is also important to point out that some estimates suggest that up to 10% of men who undergo the TURP procedure experience erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is defined as when a man has difficulty getting and maintaining an erection.

Though for some, this problem is temporary and only happens during the post-TURP recovery period, while for others, it can be a permanent condition.

Fortunately, prostate artery embolization does not carry these same risks– A fact that is backed up by several more research studies. This includes, but is not limited to, a study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

In our next article, we will take a look at the results of that study.

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Benefits of Stretching

Regular stretching can help reduce osteoarthritis knee pain and increase mobility. But it must be "regular" and not just once in a while.

Regular stretching can help reduce osteoarthritis knee pain and increase mobility. However, the key word here is “regular” and not just once in a while.

Studies have found that the best way to become someone that practices any type of exercise regularly (this includes stretching) is to develop an exercise habit.

In developing an exercise habit it’s good to start with an activity that doesn’t take a ton of motivation or exertion. Basically, something that is on the easier side, and that you will actually do.

Stretching can be a great place to start.

Though stretching will not cure osteoarthritis of the knee, it can help to slow its progression. It can also help reduce knee pain and other osteoarthritis symptoms.

Studies like this one have also shown that by making stretching a habit, you can actually increase your range of motion. This is great, considering a symptom of knee osteoarthritis is stiff joints and decreased mobility.

Another area affected by knee osteoarthritis is flexibility.

Flexibility is one of the most important characteristics of our muscles.

By being flexible we have more mobility, less stiffness, and are less prone to injury. However, as we increase in age, our flexibility decreases. Fortunately, as demonstrated in this study , regular stretching can actually increase flexibility and improve knee function.

Stretching regularly has also been shown to delay the need for medical or surgical intervention.

That being said, if you are in pain and are in need of medical intervention, please take action by exploring your options.

Gone are the days of a total knee replacement being the only go-to procedure for treating symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Today there are non-invasive procedures available such as Genicular artery embolization which can be done as an outpatient procedure. Not only that, but GAE has a must faster recovery time. To learn more about Geneticular Artery Embolization, please check out this article.

Ok, so let’s get back to stretching-

When it comes to stretching there are two types of stretches: Static and Dynamic.

In our next article, we take a look at these two types of stretches and begin to explore specific stretches for those of us with knee osteoarthritis.

Categories
Fibroids

The Power of Non-Verbal Communication

According to a study, published in Healthcare magazine non-verbal communication makes up 65-90% of what we communicate to others.

According to a study, published in Healthcare magazine non-verbal communication makes up 65-90% of what we communicate to others.

In fact, the messages that our body language sends to others and to ourselves are incredibly powerful.

So what does this mean for those of us suffering from the pain and uncomfortable symptoms of uterine fibroids?

It’s hard to sit up straight and practice proper posture when you’re experiencing fibroid-induced cramps, pelvic pain, backaches, bloating throbbing aches, and acute pains.

Even worse, the impact that fibroids can have on our posture can communicate unwanted messages to others and to ourselves.

According to a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, sitting and standing with good posture increases positive thoughts and as a result, self-confidence, while slouching increases negative thoughts and lack of confidence.

In the study, the participants were seated at a computer terminal and instructed to either sit down with their backs erect and push their chest out (confident posture) or slouched forward with their backs curved and their faces looking at their knees (doubtful posture).

While holding their assigned posture, the students were asked to write down either three positive or three negative personal traits as they related to future job performance, and they were asked to rate how well they think they would perform at that future job.

The outcome of the study was that the participants in the confident posture down significantly more positive thoughts and rated themselves much higher in regard to their performance as future employees. While the participants assigned that sat in a doubtful posture, wrote significantly more negative thoughts about themselves and rated themselves lower in regard to future job performance.

With so many studies finding a clear connection between confidence, self-esteem, and posture, as well as the messages it sends to others, you may be left wondering:

What am I supposed to do? Should I just force myself to sit up straight even though it hurts?

No. Of course not. But there are actions you can take to make you more comfortable in the short term, as well as treatment available to help you in the long term as well.

 

Categories
Enlarged Prostate

Avoiding Sexual Side Effects Through PAE

Surgical treatment for BPH like TURP can result in adverse sexual effects, while prostate artery embolization, does not carry this same risk.

Surgical treatments for benign prostate hyperplasia, such as TURP can result in significant adverse sexual effects, while prostate artery embolization, does not carry this same risk.

TURP can result in a condition known as retrograde ejaculation.

Some research studies have estimated that 65-75% of men have retrograde ejaculation post-TURP. While other studies, such as this one, estimate that as many as 70-90% of men experience this condition.

Though typically retrograde ejaculation isn’t harmful per se, it is a condition that can result in decreased sexual pleasure and fertility issues.

Prostate Artery Embolization, on the other hand, is associated with little to no sexual side effects.

In fact, some studies have found statistically significant data showing that PAE can actually lead to an improvement in erectile function, such as this one which found an overall improvement in sexual function by 34 percent for the patients, within the first-month post-PAE.

Another study, which was published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine also sought to uncover the impact that prostate artery embolization can have on erectile function.

In the study, researchers looked at 167 patients that underwent PAE and collected data including the Sexual Health Inventory, and other health measurements. The patients were followed up with post-PAE at 3, 6, and 12 months.

What they found was that prostate artery embolization had no adverse effect on erectile function in the majority of patients at 3 months after the procedure, and the number continued to go down at 6 and 12 months.

Though there were still cases of ED, in some of the patients, this was not purported to be directly caused by the procedure and could be due to other complications including preexisting conditions and complications from other procedures such as TURP.

There are also several studies that found Prostate artery embolization to be associated with statistically significant improvement in erectile function.

In our next article, we will take a look at some of these studies.

In the meantime, if you are suffering from the symptoms of benign prostate hyperplasia, and are worried about treatments that could have a negative impact on your sexual health, there are options available.

To set up a consultation in order to find out if prostate artery embolization could benefit you, please call us today at 301-622-5360 or reach out to us through our website.

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Natural Pain Relief Through Exercise

Studies have found that exercise can be as beneficial to reducing knee pain as over-the-counter pain relievers. However, the idea of starting an exercise routine may sound daunting, or even crazy. 

Exercise can be as beneficial to reducing knee pain as over-the-counter pain relievers.

Yet the idea of exercising to reduce knee pain for those of us with osteoarthritis might sound a little crazy.

However, it’s not. And studies such as this one, prove it.

Land-based exercises such as walking, moderate cycling, and strength training can reduce knee pain by 10 to 15%, if not more.

Even better, people who exercise need less pain medication than those that do not exercise. And, in some cases, people who exercised regularly, didn’t need to take any pain medication at all.

Exercise can reduce knee pain by strengthening the muscles that surround the knee, thus making it more stable. Exercise that strengthens the quads and hamstrings, can not only result in reduced joint pain but can help keep the knee more stable.

This stability and increase in muscle can also decrease the impact on the knees, which as a result, reduced knee pain as well.  and help the knee to become more stable. It will also experience less impact, which as a result, reduces pain.

Another highly recommended, and research-backed exercise for those of us with knee osteoarthritis, is swimming.

Swimming is a wonderful low-impact exercise. And, just like land-based exercises, swimming can also lead to the release of a little something called endorphins.

Endorphins are natural feel-good painkillers that are released during exercise.

These neurotransmitters, which are also sometimes referred to as hormones, can not only decrease pain but can increase feelings of happiness and well-being.

So exercise can reduce knee pain, increase knee mobility, and triggers the release of chemicals that reduce pain and make us feel happier all around?

Yes.

However, when it comes to exercising with knee osteoarthritis, not all exercises are created equal. Therefore, it’s important to check with your doctor before starting any exercise plan.

Chances are, they will recommend that you practice low-impact exercises, such as stretching, walking on the treadmill, swimming, or yoga, to name a few.

Once you get the green light to start exercising, the next step is to…start.

However, you might be thinking “Easier said than done”.

Maybe, but trust us, it can be done.

In our next article, we will take a look at a few tips on how to get started and make exercise a part of your daily life.

 

Categories
Fibroids

Messages from Body Language

Fibroid pain can affect how we sit, stand, and carry ourselves in life. It can also affect the message this body language sends to others.

Fibroid pain and discomfort can affect how we sit, how we stand we stand, and how we carry ourselves in life. It can also affect the message this body language sends to others.

The pain and the unpredictability of fibroid symptoms such as heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods, as well as acute cramping, can not only adversely how we feel about our bodies, but it can also affect the way we present ourselves to others.

Let’s face it, it’s hard to stand tall, and walk with confidence when your uterus is throbbing, or acute pains are causing you to want to curl up in a little ball in your bed.

In fact, according to a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, sitting up and standing up straight increases positive thoughts and as a result, self-confidence.

In the study, 71 students that were participants were told that they would be taking part in two separate studies at the same time, one organized by the business school and one by the art school.

The participants were then told that the study of the arts was going to examine their ability to maintain a specific posture while engaging in a study conducted by the business school.

The participants were then seated at a computer terminal and instructed to either sit down with their backs erect and push their chest out (confident posture) or slouched forward with their backs curved and their faces looking at their knees (doubtful posture).

While in their assigned posture positions, the students then were told that they would be participating in another study that investigated factors contributing to job satisfaction and professional performance.

Still holding their assigned posture, the students were then asked to write down either three positive or three negative personal traits as they related to future job performance.

For the final task of the experiment, the participants were asked to take a survey where they rated how well they think they would perform as future employees.

In our next article, we will take a look at the results of this study and how it can relate to women with uterine fibroids.

Categories
Fibroids

Under the Influence of Fibroids

No woman has to suffer the emotional, physical, and psychological toll that uterine fibroids can have on them. Treatment is available.

Studies have shown that having uterine fibroids can increase anxiety and depression. As a result of the psychological impact of having fibroids, problems in relationships can occur.

Furthermore, these mental health effects can reduce our ability to engage in and further develop our hobbies and interests.

Why is this?

For starters, let’s say you love the outdoors and love camping. Well, with the fibroid symptom of heavy menstrual bleeding and bleeding between periods, enjoying the great outdoors isn’t quite so easy.

This also applies to a beach day, a road trip, or any other activity that provides distance from your bed and your bathroom.

Fibroids can also be uncomfortable, and this discomfort can impact how feel about our bodies. Which is also known as our body image. You can learn more about body image and fibroids by reading this previous article.

Though others might not notice any difference in our physical appearance, and in fact, there might not be a difference at all, our perception and experience could be quite different.

Due to the pain and pressure of fibroids, as well as the fibroid symptoms of water retention, constipation, and bloating, our abdomen and lower parts of our body feel inflated and larger than they are.

Fibroids can also affect our physical appearance in other ways. One of which is our posture.

In our next article, we will explore the effect that fibroids can have on our posture and the message that it sends to ourselves and others.

In the meantime, there is no reason to let fibroids keep you from feeling good about yourself and enjoying your life when help is available.

If you are interested in exploring your treatment options and learning about Uterine Fibroid Embolization, which has a proven track record of success, please call and set up a consultation with MidAtlantic Vascular and Interventional today.

Categories
Enlarged Prostate

Sexual Function or Dysfunction

Prostate surgery can increase the risk of sexual dysfunction.  However, some methods are better than others.

Some treatment methods for benign prostate hyperplasia carry the risk of causing sexual dysfunction. However, not all treatment methods carry this same risk.

One of the most common and longest-running treatment methods for BPH is transurethral resection of the prostate, also known as TURP. While another, the newer method has been increasing in popularity, called prostate artery embolization, or PAE.

Though both of these treatment methods are effective in relieving the symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate, TURP carries a higher risk of sexual dysfunction.

In fact, while prostate artery embolization has been shown to actually improve erectile function following the procedure, TURP can come with long-term sexual complications some of which can be permanent.

The most common erectile complication that affects as many as 65-75% of men following the TURP procedure, is something known as “retrograde ejaculation”.

Retrograde ejaculation is caused by damage to the nerves or muscles surrounding the neck of the bladder, which can happen during prostate surgeries such as TURP.

When these muscles or nerves are damaged, semen no longer travels out of the body through the urethra, but rather it flows back into the bladder during ejaculation.

Though retrograde ejaculation can make an orgasm less pleasurable for men, it isn’t necessarily harmful. Except when it comes to fertility.

Due to the backward flow of semen, retrograde ejaculation can interfere with a man’s ability to get a woman pregnant.

Though there are other ways to achieve a pregnancy, such as fertility treatments, those methods can be incredibly expensive and are not an option for everyone.

Therefore, for men that are interested in having children the natural way, the TURP complication of retrograde ejaculation is problematic.

It is also important to point out that some estimates suggest that up to 10% of men who undergo the TURP procedure experience erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is defined as when a man has difficulty getting and maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction).

Though sometimes this problem is temporary and only happens during the recovery period, for some, it can be a permanent condition.

Fortunately, there are other procedures to treat BPH that do not carry the same risk for sexual dysfunction and erectile issues. In our next article,  we will look at the effect that PAE can have on sexual function.

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Building an Exercise Habit

The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision but as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger.

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision but as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”

James Clear, Atomic Habits

In order to get in better shape and meet any necessary weight loss goals, it’s all about developing new habits. And, as the above quote from the New York Times Best Selling book Atomic Habits states, it’s all done, one day at a time.

If you are new to working out, a good start is to set goals that you will be able to meet without a ton of effort and motivation ( which is something that needs to be developed over time).

One of the easiest ways to start exercising is to take your exercise goals and break them into small exercise segments that you are likely to do. Then you can build up a longer exercise plan over time.

Author James Clear writes about this concept in Atomic Habits. Clear writes that it’s important to split your exercise plan into easily obtainable chunks because when something is easy, we’re more likely to do it. And, by doing the exercise daily, no matter how little at a time, we will begin to build new habits.

So what does breaking a workout into segments look like?

It could look different depending on what it is you ultimately want to achieve. For example, if you want to start walking on the treadmill regularly, rather than plan to walk for 30 minutes a day, five days a week- change it to “I’m going to walk on the treadmill for 5 minutes.”

Then you can build from there.

Maybe the next day you will walk on the treadmill for 2 sets of 5 minutes, with a little break in between. Then 3 sets of 5 minutes, 4 sets of 5 minutes, until you reach your 30-minute goal.

If you need to, you can even make your daily goal smaller.

Whatever it is, just make the goal something that you will actually do.

You might be thinking, ” Why should I develop an exercise plan, especially when I’m dealing with the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis?”

That’s a great question, and to better answer it, you may want to check out studies like this one.

Studies have shown that people who regularly participate in land-based exercises such as walking, rate their knee pain to be 10 to 15% less than people who do not exercise. Even more, it has been discovered that those who exercised regularly need less pain medication, and in many cases, none at all.

In our next article, we will take a look at some of the exercises that can benefit your knee health. And, we will offer some suggestions as to how it can be developed into an exercise habit. A habit that will benefit your body, your mind, and of course, your knees.

 

Categories
Fibroids

Psychological Toll of Fibroids

Uterine fibroids can not only interrupt our lives, but they can also affect our relationships, our self-esteem, and our perception of our bodies.

Though some fibroids can visibly distort the body, others can distort our perception of our body. This perception of our body is known as our body image.

According to experts at the National Eating Disorders Collaboration,

“Your body image is what you think and how you feel when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind. This includes how you feel about your appearance; what you think about your body itself, such as your height and weight; and how you feel within your own skin.

Body image also includes how you behave as a result of your thoughts and feelings. You may have a positive or negative body image. Body image is not always related to your weight or size.”

When it comes to having uterine fibroids, research has shown that there is indeed a connection between having fibroids and body-image-based concerns.

In fact, according to a recent article in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine entitled “Body image concerns in individuals diagnosed with benign gynecological conditions: scoping review and meta-synthesis,” not only can gynecological conditions like uterine fibroids lead to increased body dissatisfaction, but if this body image concern goes untreated, it can lead to a great reduction in quality of life.

In 2014 a study was released by Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, which took a look at the psychological effects of having uterine fibroids.

The study followed 48 women that were suffering from diagnosed fibroid pain. These women were regularly examined in regard to their emotional and psychological relationship with having fibroids.

What the study found was that the women in the study did indeed experience emotional reactions to having fibroids and fibroid-related pain.

Their emotions linked to their fibroids ranged from mild worry to intense feelings of fear and anxiety. Some women even reported experiencing symptoms as severe as depression.

One of the most commonly reported reasons for these feelings was the unpredictability of fibroid symptoms, as well as the feeling of helplessness in regard to the effect that fibroids have on their bodies and their lives.

Women in the study reported feeling self-conscious about the impact their fibroids had on their appearance and weight, whether the effect of the fibroids was physically evident or not.

As a result of feeling uncomfortable within their own bodies, many of the women reported that it negatively affected their sexual and intimate relationships with their partners.

One of the most upsetting results of the study was the finding that many of the women thought they had no choice but to live with and endure the symptoms of uterine fibroids. And- the psychological toll that comes with it.

Fortunately, that is not at all true, and there is a solution.

In our next article, we will take a further look at the effects of fibroids and the first steps to getting treatment and finding relief.