Just a tip: Our newsletters are a bit easier to read on smartphone browsers than within your email. Read on for some great health info from our doctors!

JOINT PROTECTION FOR PATIENTS WITH ARTHRITIS

Dr. Chapman, our Rheumatologist, has shared these tips

and wishes you all a great, healthy, joint-protected summer!

• Respect Pain: Arthritis patients often avoid activity to prevent pain, but this leads to more joint pain and deconditioning. If pain results from too much activity, increase rest breaks or use adaptive equipment such as a reclining bike. Also, honor the 2-hours rule: if there is pain 2 hours after activity, you’ve done too much.

• Distribute the load over stronger/larger joints: This will reduce strain that can overstretch your joints. (Example: use an open hand to wash a table.)

• Keep Moving: This prevents stiffness and pain. Take breaks when driving long distances, and sit on the aisle in theaters to have room to stretch.

• Lose weight if needed: If dieting efforts have failed, consider asking for a referral to a bariatric gastroenterologist or surgeon.

• Use good posture and body mechanics: This helps minimize musculoskeletal strain. Joints should be used only in their anatomical positions (i.e., don't lift while twisting or turning).

• Use the minimum necessary force: Squeezing and pinching activities put stress on small joints. Trying using less force, take breaks, or use special equipment.
  See: aidsforarthritis.com.

• Simplify work using efficiency principles: Plan, organize, and balance work. For carpal tunnel syndrome prevention, use an ergonomic keyboard.

• Remain active to maintain and increase strength and range of motion: The key is building muscle strength without causing further joint damage. Consider requesting a Physical Therapy* referral.

*Note: Occupational and Physical Therapists teach patients how to care for their joints and use them wisely. They have many years of training and experience; many hold a doctorate degree. Personal training may help, BUT be careful. Unfortunately, most personal trainers have little or no experience with arthritis.There are no well-established training requirements, therefore a certificate does not guarantee competence. Ask questions!

SKIN CONDITIONS TO LEARN ABOUT: WARTS

We'll continue highlighting different conditions throughout the year.

Why get warts checked out?

Warts, caused by a virus, are contagious and capable of multiplying on yourself and others. Sometimes wart-like growths turn out to be cysts or even skin cancer.

 How are warts treated?

Dermatologists may freeze diagnosed warts away. If we suspect skin cancer, though, we often surgically remove lesions for lab testing (biopsy). It’s estimated that over a million cases of squamous cell carcinoma will be diagnosed through biopsy this year in the US.

Warts tend to be more stubborn on certain areas of the hands, feet, elbows, and knees, and may require more visits to remove. The goal is to completely remove them with as little scarring as possible.

Preventing Cancer

Certain strains of warts—particularly certain genital warts—are considered precancerous and risk developing into squamous cell carcinoma. Fortunately, we have vaccines to prevent these warts, thereby decreasing risk of cancer. These vaccines—Cervarix, Gardasil, and Gardasil-9—are made for people aged 11-26. We hope to see far fewer cases of cervical, genital, and oropharynx cancers as more people are vaccinated. In 2013, over 4,200 American women lost their lives to cervical cancer, so much work remains to be done in getting young people vaccinated. Such vaccines are not yet powerful enough to treat established wart infections, so they are used primarily for prevention. 

We hope a lot of you completed self examinations of your skin last month. Whether or not you did, we want to help you get in the habit of checking yourself and everyone in your family each month. Here's a reminder of how to do it. It's easy! Remember to keep using your sunscreen properly all summer long, too.