Osteoarthritis Treatment by Protecting Your Joints

osteoarthritis treatment dallasOsteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, affects millions of people in the United States. It is characterized by the wearing and tearing of the protective cartilage at the end of your bones. Although osteoarthritis can occur in any joint in the body, it is most common in your hands, knees, neck, and lower back.

 

Hyalgan, Accuhealth’s osteoarthritis treatment Dallas offering, is designed to slow the development of the disease and dramatically reduce pain and discomfort.  It is a naturally derived formula made from hyaluronan, a protective fluid found in the joints and can fully relieve pain for at least 6 months.

 

In addition to medical treatments, patients can alleviate the painful symptoms caused by osteoarthritis by limiting joint stress and strain in the following ways:

  1. Wear extra-cushioned shoes with arch support, especially when exercising.
  2. Pay attention to your posture to avoid putting extra stress on joints.
  3. Avoid neck strain by placing reading materials at an eye level
  4. Bend at the knees and straighten the legs when lifting items off the ground.
  5. Practice good leverage movements and lifting when working around the house or in the garden, or when reaching to high places.

To learn more about our comprehensive approach to pain management and rehabilitation visit our car accident injury Dallas page.

Preparing for Your Transition Back to Work

pain clinic dallasAfter an injury the idea of returning to work can be very overwhelming, especially if you have endured a long recovery period. There are many concerns that may cross your mind, such as worries about changes while you were gone and whether or not you will be able to perform as well as you did before the injury.

At our pain clinic Dallas center, we offer a work hardening program to help facilitate the rehabilitation process and to minimize the many challenges involved in returning to work. We focus on the dynamics and obstacles to recovering your normal life and livelihood and provide counseling for those that are anxious about their near future.

A major concern many workers have is that their injury and loss of time at work was an inconvenience to others. This often leads to feelings of anxiety and stress. However, it’s important to recognize that all good employers value workers that have been previously trained at their company and who are concerned about fulfilling their job responsibilities.

While you are away from your job recovering from you injury you can be pro-active about your future transition back to work by staying in regular communication with your manager or supervisor. You should ask about any changes that have taken place so that you will be up-to-date when you return. This will also help ease your worries and concerns about not being able to work.

To learn more about our benefits and wage compensation visit our state workers compensation page.

Important Tips for Getting Workers Comp- Dallas

Workers compensation is a legal obligation for most employers in the United States. In the case that employees are injured or become ill as a result of their job duties, employers must pay wage replacement and medical benefits.

 

At Accuhealth, our workers comp Dallas specialists help patients file their claim and understand their rights to benefits. Although the process of filing a workers comp claim may seem straightforward, there are exceptions, rules, and important details to review. For example, an employer may refuse to take responsibility for an accident or any inappropriate working condition. In order to best prepare and better your chances of receiving benefits follows these three tips:

 

1. Don’t Wait, Report Any Injury or Illness Immediately
The more time that goes by the more difficult it can be to have an employer acknowledge the situation. Report the injury to the Human Resource Department, a supervisor, or the risk-management department.
2. Fill out an Injury Report
Ask your employer for an accident report form in order to document the injury. Even small injuries need to be documented as they can worsen over time.
3. Ask Your Employer to Explain the Benefits They Offer
Even before an injury occurs, it is important to know what your employer does and does not cover so you do not miss out on any benefits or expect more than you receive in the end.

 

To learn more about the state program and coverage visit our Texas workers compensation Dallas page.

Walmart Moves Away from Workers Compensation and Stirs Concern

workers compensation dallasWalmart’s decision to discontinue their state workers compensation system in March has raised concern among employees and advocates of the state system. As one of Texas’ largest private employers Walmart may influence the entire industry with this big move.

While most employers across the country are legally obligated to participate in their state’s workers compensation program, employers in the state of Texas have the option to use other forms of insurance that are often less costly. Given the unique situation in Texas, workers compensation Dallas program specialists at Accuhealth know how important it is to help patients file their claims and receive the medical attention they need.

In general, private insurance companies offer fewer injury benefits and often imply big cost savings for businesses. According to a 2010 study conducted by the Texas Department of Insurance, fifteen percent of Texas businesses with more than 500 employers do not participate in the state workers’ compensation program. Target, another large employer in Texas, for example, has used its own injury care policy since 2005.

However, cutting costs does not necessarily mean that the quality of care will be affected. According to Bill Minick, president of PartnerSource, who has worked on numerous injury benefit policies for large companies, including Walmart, private plans encourage employee accountability and the timely reporting of injuries to their doctors and pain management Dallas specialists.

Less Invasive Treatment: The New Healthcare Trend

While the most aggressive procedures have traditionally been preferred by patients and doctors, health experts are beginning to see that when patients have more information they prefer less invasive treatment, according to a recent article in the Health section of the New York Times.

 

Most notably, a tendency towards less intrusive medicine and treatment has become very apparent in acute and chronic pain management and as a result of medical advances, injection treatment Dallas specialists are able to treat patients for joint and muscle pain more effectively and with fewer side effects. For example, patients that suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee can receive a naturally-derived treatment called Hyalgen that lubricates the knee joints such that damaged caused by osteoarthritis can be reversed.

 

After years of reading about the overuse of prescription drugs and their health risks and the high radiation exposure during medical exams, the belief that more medicine and complicated procedures results in better health is fading. Not only has it proved more risky to patient’s health to operate under this common assumption, it has been more costly. According to New York Times writer, unnecessary treatment constitutes one third of medical spending in the United States.

 

That is why at Accuhealth pain management and injection therapy Dallas experts take a comprehensive and integrated approach to treating patients such that physicians, chiropractors, physical therapy specialists all work together to determine the most effective, sensible and appropriate care for each patient.

Hylagan Injection Therapy: The Recommended Knee Pain Treatment

Hyalgan is a medication that is administered to relieve knee pain in people with osteoarthritis in the knees when other medications have proved ineffective. Hyalgan is a natural liquid that is very similar to that found in our joints and works as a shock absorber or lubricant.

At pain management Dallas clinic hyalgan injection therapy provides full pain-relief for up to 6 months or even more in some patients. It has been approved by the FDA and has shown to have little or in many cases no side effects.

Hyalgan is injected directly into the patient’s knees and in order to ensure effectiveness a patient receives between three to give shots. Generally, a patient is given one injection per week for 5 consecutive weeks.  Best results occur when a patient follows the shot schedule given by their doctor.  Side effects include redness or soreness that can last for a couple of hours or sometimes a few days.  If swelling or pain continues for more than a few days you should contact your doctor.

While receiving Hyalgan injections it is important to avoid activities that put stress on your knees such as tennis, jogging, heavy lifting, or standing for long periods of time.

Other treatments for knee pain are available; however, pain clinic Dallas staff recommends Hyalgan injections for its success in soothing pain and enhancing mobility.

Understanding Whiplash After a Car Accident

If you have been in a car accident or car collision it is very likely that you have suffered from a whiplash injury. Whiplash results from the sudden, rapid, and forceful impact that occurs during a car accident. What happens is that while your body is secured by the seat belt, your head and neck, which are not held back in any way, are jolted very quickly by the uncontrolled movement of the car. As a result, the soft tissue and vertebrae are over-extended and damaged, even in minor car accidents.

 

Immediately after the incident, car accident injury Dallas specialists recommend that patients determine if they have any symptoms of whiplash. Common symptoms include neck stiffness and tenderness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vertigo. In addition, sleep disturbance and mood changes are symptoms that can begin shortly after the accident incidence.

 

Pain and discomfort associated with whiplash can last several months. In cases where the damage is very severe and there is impairment to the joints and discs, a patient’s injury can result in chronic pain and even debilitation.

 

If possible, it is best to seek medical attention as soon as possible after the accident occurs. Even if you do not feel like you have experienced whiplash it is best to contact a doctor or whiplash injury Dallas health professionals to ask if immediate medical attention is needed. If there are signs of whiplash injury, you need to maintain the patient’s head and neck stable in one position.

 

There are a number of treatment options available that ease and heal pain associated with whiplash. Treatments include physical therapy and massage treatment, chiropractic therapy, trigger point and Aponeurosis injections, spinal injection treatments, and prescription medication.  At physical therapist Dallas treatment center, health professional use a multi-disciplinary approach that enables patients to complete recovery and be free from pain.

Dallas Pain Management and Injury Center Accuhealth Launches New Website

AccuhealthJanuary 6, 2011 (Dallas, TX) – Dallas pain management and injury center Accuhealth Pain & Injury is announcing the launch of their new website, http://www.accuhealth.net.  Accuhealth specializes in treating a wide range of conditions related to both acute and chronic pain, and their services also focus on aiding patients with workers compensation and auto injury claims.

The new website showcases Accuhealth’s comprehensive services and ability to provide patients the most thorough care available.  Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals with a range of specialties – including physical medicine and rehabilitation pain management, physical therapy, massage therapy, anesthesiology, psychology, chiropractic, and occupational therapy – Accuhealth offers diagnostic and treatment services for many types and levels of acute or chronic pain.  The practice is also known for their osteoarthritis treatment of the knee, and their trained physicians offer Hyalgan injection therapy for proven relief of osteoarthritis-related knee pain for up to six months.

Accuhealth’s staff also specializes in providing quick and effective claims processing for Federal and Texas workers compensation, Major Medical and automobile accident injuries.  The Accuhealth team offers free consultations plus complete medical evaluations and diagnosis, continuing progress evaluations, pain management and physical therapy for all kinds of work- or automobile-related injuries.  They also offer free transportation to and from the clinic, referral services for patients in need of an attorney and claims processing assistance (for both Federal and Texas State Workers Compensation).

The new site features a wide range of patient resources, including information on conditions and treatments as well as specific services at Accuhealth.  The new blog will also offer updates on the practice and new information for patients.  Accuhealth’s unique approach offers patients a comprehensive way to treat their injuries and chronic pain while smoothing out the process of filing their claims.

 

About Accuhealth Pain & Injury
Accuhealth Pain & Injury’s pain management Dallas clinic offers pain management and injury treatment services. They also offer expedited claims filing services and specialize in auto injury Dallas and worker’s compensation.  For more information, visit http://www.accuhealth.net.

Welcome to Accuhealth

Welcome to the Accuhealth blog. Please check back for updates and commentary from our healthcare practice.