Month: March 2023

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Warming Up with Dynamic Stretching

Dynamic stretching is a movement-based type of stretching that uses the muscles themselves in order to bring about a stretch.

Dynamic stretching is a movement-based type of stretching that uses the muscles themselves in order to bring about a stretch.

Unlike static stretching, in which a stretch is held for a period of time, dynamic stretches can be functional and even mimic the movements of the activity or exercise you’re about to perform.

Both static and dynamic stretching are excellent additions to any exercise plan.

Static stretches are most likely the type of stretching that you encounter most frequently in day-to-day life.

It’s that first stretch when you get out of bed, or the stretch when you stand up from your desk at work.

It is also the type of stretching that is practiced as part of a yoga routine and can even lead to an increase in relaxation as well as an increased feeling of calmness and peace.

Some of the most common static stretches are:

  • Hamstring Stretches
  • Quadricep Stretches
  • Posterior capsule stretch

Both static and dynamic stretches can boost circulation, increase flexibility, prevent injury, and lead to a smoother and more productive workout.

It’s also important to note that when practiced regularly, both types of stretches can help decrease knee pain, increase mobility, and lead to an overall improvement in quality of life.

While static stretching has many benefits these types of stretches do little to actually warm up the body in order to prepare it for a workout. Therefore it’s important to incorporate both types of stretches into your daily routine.

Movement-based, dynamic stretches are also proven to increase energy levels, strength, and range of motion, and, they can be easily incorporated into your everyday routine.

However, before adding static and dynamic stretching to your exercise routine, it is always best to consult with your doctor to find out if there are any stretches that you might need to avoid or make adjustments to.

In our next article, we will take a look at a few dynamic stretches that with your doctor’s OK, you may wish to try at home.

Categories
Fibroids

The Mental Health Impact of Fibroids

Studies have found that women with symptomatic uterine fibroids can experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and self-direct harm.

Studies have found that women with symptomatic uterine fibroids can experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and self-direct harm. This is especially true for women experiencing physical pain, and for women who are experiencing emotional difficulties as a result of a hysterectomy.

In 2022, the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health published the results of a study on depression, anxiety, and self-directed violence in women with fibroids, especially those experiencing pain or who have had a hysterectomy.

The study also screened its participants, eliminating those that prior to their diagnosis with uterine fibroids, had a prior diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or a history of self-violence. Women who had been prescribed anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication were excluded from the study.

Once the participants were selected, the study compared 313,754 women aged 18-50 that had been diagnosed with uterine fibroids with 627,539 who did not have fibroids.

What they found was that the women who had been diagnosed with uterine fibroids had much higher rates of anxiety, depression, and self-directed violence than those that did not have fibroids.

The researchers of this study also found evidence to support that there may be a link between chronic pain and depression.

Though the exact reason for this connection needs to be studied more, most experts agree that the connection could be due to similar biological mechanisms in patients with both chronic pain conditions and depression, as well as anxiety.

Another interesting finding of this study was significantly higher rates of symptomatic uterine fibroids in African American women.

Not only did the African American participants have higher rates of uterine fibroids with worse symptoms, but they did so at younger ages, and were more likely to have hysterectomies. For more information on this, you may wish to check out this previous article.

Though the study found that African American women experienced greater health challenges related to uterine fibroids, those in the study had lowered rates of diagnosed depression and anxiety.

The authors of the study purported that the lower rates of mental health issues amongst this particular group could be inaccurate due to a remaining stigma when it comes to getting help for mental health issues amongst African-American women.

Their theory was developed based on evidence in past studies that found that African American women, due to the stigma around mental health issues, are less likely to report symptoms even though studies have shown that they have higher loads of stressors than White women due to racial disparities, and other factors.

The bottom line is that no woman should have to suffer the physical, mental, and emotional impact that uterine fibroids can have on their life.

Therefore, if you or a loved one are experiencing fibroid symptoms or fibroid symptoms that coexist with chronic pain, depression, or anxiety, it’s important that you speak with your doctor, or call us here at MidAtlantic Vascular and Interventional, and together we can find the right treatment method for you.

Categories
Enlarged Prostate

PAE and Sexual Function

Prostate artery embolization does not carry the same risk of sexual dysfunction as other treatment methods for an enlarged prostate.

Prostate artery embolization does not carry the same risk of sexual dysfunction as other treatment methods for an enlarged prostate.

Prostate surgeries such as transurethral resection of the prostate, also known as TURP, can result in damage to the nerves and muscles surrounding the bladder. This, in turn, can result in a condition where during ejaculation, the semen flows backward into the bladder.

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

So does prostate artery embolization carry any risk of sexual problems?

Of course, there are many factors that can contribute to erectile problems and sexual dysfunction, but the procedure of prostate artery embolization usually is not one of them.

A study published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice, called “Sexual and functional outcomes of prostate artery embolization: A prospective long-term follow-up, large cohort study” took a further look at the effect that prostate artery embolization can have on sexual function.

This particular study involved 147 patients with a mean age 72.5 years, that were treated with PAE.

The researchers followed up with each patient 12 months after the PAE procedure and measured their International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), IPSS quality of life (QoL), prostate volume determination, and Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM). They also accessed ejaculatory function and medication utilization.

The data from the 12-month follow-up showed that the mean IPSS and QoL scores significantly decreased, and all the objective parameters (mean Qmax, PVR, and prostate volume) reported a significant improvement.

Not only that, but at 12 months antegrade ejaculation was preserved, and they even reported a slight improvement in IIEF scores (International Index of Erectile Function).

126 of the patients were also followed up with 18 months after PAE, and it reported significant improvement of all the variables evaluated (even for PSA values and IIEF scores). No major complications occurred.

Another study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine reviewed the records of 83 consecutive patients undergoing PAE.

Multidisciplinary follow-ups included the same measurements taken during the previous study such as IPSS, QoL, and IIEF scores.

The results of their research determined that of the 83 patients, none of them developed retrograde ejaculation. They also found that for those taking medication prior to PAE, many no longer needed it.

The study concluded that

“PAE represents a novel treatment strategy for symptomatic BPH that significantly reduces symptom burden, prostate volume, quality of life, and medication utilization. As our data suggest, PAE may actually improve sexual function for many patients.”

Not only does PAE have the advantage over TURP, in that it is associated with a decreased risk of urinary complications and sexual side effects such as retrograde ejaculation and erectile dysfunction, but it has even more advantages as well.

These advantages, include, but are not limited to: PAE requires no hospitalization, no general anesthesia, and a much faster recovery period than prostate surgery.

To find out if PAE could help you, please call and set up a consultation today.

Categories
Knee Osteoarthritis

Benefits of Static Stretches

Static stretches, which are stretches that are held in a set position for a short amount of time, can benefit people with knee osteoarthritis. 

Static stretches, which are stretches that are held in a set position for a short amount of time, can benefit people with knee osteoarthritis.

This type of stretching, where one holds a particular stretch for 20-45 seconds, is one that is usually done before a workout, such as going for a walk, a run, or lifting weights.

Static stretches are most likely the type of stretching that you encounter the most in day-to-day life.

From the runner pausing in front of your home and stretching quickly, or the neighbor stretching their back in their front lawn after some yard work. Or even the full-body stretch we often do after getting out of bed. These are all, more often than not, static stretches.

Practicing static stretches can be beneficial to your knees and to your entire body, as it can result in many benefits such as:

  • Increasing blood flow
  • Decreasing muscle soreness
  • Improving flexibility and range of motion

Better yet, this type of stretching can provide a feeling of relief and relaxation. This is especially true when static stretches are done as part of a yoga routine.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common static stretches, that, with your doctor’s approval, you may wish to start doing as part of a daily workout routine.

Hamstring Stretches:

Place one leg on a stool and the other on a flat surface. Lean forward, keeping your hips and knees straight.

Quadricep Stretches:

Bend your knee back and hold your ankle with the same-sided hand. Keep your stomach muscles tight to prevent your back from creating an arch and causing injury.

Posterior capsule stretch:

Relax your shoulder and stretch one arm across your body. Use the other arm to hold the outstretched arm in place. This stretch is helpful for anyone using overhead or throwing motions.

Again, it’s important to consult with your doctor before making any fitness routine an active part of your life. However, if you are given the green light, then it’s definitely worth giving these stretches a try.

In fact, your doctor may have already suggested that you incorporate stretching as part of your daily routine, as it is proven to reduce joint pain and stiffness.

In our next article, we will take a look at another type of stretch known as dynamic stretching.

Categories
Fibroids

Feeling Better with Help

The physical and emotional toll that fibroids can have on a woman, can affect she feels about herself and how she feels about her body. 

The physical and emotional toll that fibroids can have on a woman, can adversely affect how a woman feels about herself and how she feels about her body.

It can also affect how she walks, how she sits, and how she stands. All of which can make her appear lacking in confidence and can send other body language messages as well.

Add to that, the many disruptive, challenging, and even painful symptoms that come along with having uterine fibroids, of various sizes and numbers.

All of this makes perfect sense when you think about what women with fibroids have to deal with, sometimes on a daily basis. Such as:

• Unusually heavy period

• Long than normal periods

• Bleeding in between periods

• Pressure and pain in the pelvis

• Frequent urination

• Lower back pain

• Pain during intercourse

• Difficulty conceiving

Fortunately, help is available.

In fact, there are many ways to manage uterine fibroid symptoms, such as medication, as well as dietary and lifestyle changes. However, the only way to really address and treat the fibroids themselves is through surgery or a non-invasive technique called Uterine Fibroid Embolization.

UFE is a non-invasive outpatient procedure that is proven to reduce fibroid symptoms.

The procedure is done by an expert interventional radiologist who will insert a tiny catheter into the wrist.

Then through the use of moving x-ray technology, the catheter is guided through the blood vessels until it reaches the artery supplying blood to the fibroids.

Once in place, teeny tiny beads are released through the catheter and into the artery, where they create a blockage.

Though the word blockage may sound scary, in this case, it is not.

Unlike a blockage to the heart or other vital organ which can be deadly, this particular blockage is only cutting off the blood supply to the fibroid. Fibroids can not survive without the vital nutrients they receive through the blood. As a result, the fibroids shrink and die, as do the fibroid symptoms.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, the success rate of uterine fibroid embolization is up to 95%.

By treating the fibroids themselves, you can finally experience freedom from fibroid symptoms, including the impact they can have on your body image, and your posture.

So take action today and call us to set up a consultation.

With our help, we can have you sitting straighter, standing taller, and feeling and looking more confident as you continue your life journey, without the troublesome burden of fibroids.

For more information about fibroid diagnosis and treatment, or to schedule an appointment, please do not hesitate to call us at MidAtlantic Fibroid Care, at 301-622-5360.