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Archives for May 2018

Aging Well Spotlight – Meet Bob Locke

May 12, 2018 by Nancy Alexander Leave a Comment

by Nancy Alexander, PT

I was reminded of Bob recently when I saw one of those inspiring quotes on social media.  It read, “Life is all about how you handle Plan B.”  We’re all dealt with change in life, aren’t we?  Some things just don’t go as planned.  Sometimes we get some news that has the potential to rock us to the core.  Truth is, we have a choice as to how we respond.

Bob is 69 years young and retired five years ago.  His wife retired about a year ago.  About two years ago, Bob started noticing some changes to his body.  He self-diagnosed it as restless leg syndrome.  He and others also noticed his walking changed.  His feet were wider apart and his arms were up in the air beside him.  His facial expression changed.  Actually, it didn’t change — that was the problem.  It was flat with little expression at all.  He had bouts of constipation that could not be explained.  He is a frequent swimmer and he began to notice that he couldn’t flutter kick like he used to.  “I sunk,” Bob said.  “I just didn’t have the strength or coordination to do it.”

His symptoms were explained about one year later when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.  “That is not how I planned to spend my retirement,” Bob noted.  I asked Bob what his initial reaction was.  “I wasn’t surprised,” he said.  As a pharmacist, he had known something wasn’t right and had an idea what it might be.  Bob revealed he has an uncle with Parkinson’s.  His younger brother has Parkinson’s, too.

Bob is a doer.  He is very active and currently swims at the Canandaigua Family YMCA three days per week.  He performs cardio exercise two days per week.  He walks about five miles per day.  He is active on the weekends, too.  Bob has always been active physically and professionally.  He retired from UR Medicine’s Thompson Health after 30 years of service.  He was Director of Pharmacy and Cardiopulmonary Services.  He has also served as Executive Director of Therapeutic Services at Thompson Health.  He contributed to St. John Fisher’s Pharmacy program for many years including serving on the Pharmacy Assessment Committee and multiple search committees.  He was awarded a Preceptor of the Year there.  “I really enjoyed being at St. John Fisher,” said Bob.  “That was fun and I was appreciated.” 

Bob served on the Board of Directors for the Canandaigua Family YMCA for approximately 20 years.  He served as President of the Board for three years, and Vice President for three years.  He is currently President of the Thompson Health Guild and has served there about five years.  He currently works at the Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store in Canandaigua.  He enjoys woodworking and has a shop at his home. 

He and his wife started travelling more after they retired.  They visit family across the United States and have been on many cruises.  They’ve been to Hawaii twice and plan to go again.  It is easy to see that Bob has contributed greatly to the health of his community.  His accomplishments are many.  His achievements are extensive.  His attitude, however, is arguably his greatest asset.

“When I received this diagnosis, I decided I could feel sorry for myself or move on,” said Bob.  “I’m not going to change it.  It is what it is.  Sitting and stewing is not going to help.”  He remembered telling his younger brother when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease that it wasn’t a death sentence.  “Now,” Bob said, “I have to remind myself to take that same advice.”   Bob added, “Other people have it a lot worse than I do.  To me, it’s an easy choice.  I really don’t feel any different.  I can still do all the things I enjoy – I just get tired a little more quickly.  I’m so thankful I’m turning 70.”   

Soon after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, Bob took action.  He enrolled in treatments called LSVT-LOUD and LSVT-BIG.  Bob said both helped him greatly.  (For more information, visit https://lsvtglobal.com/patient-resource)  Bob attended a local support group but hasn’t been able to go much as it conflicts with his hours at the Re-Store.  “I walked in and was surprised there were three other guys I knew there.”  He started journaling about having Parkinson’s Disease and notes observations he’s made and writes about how he feels about what is happening.  He is staying active and takes his medications.  “It is so important for me to continue exercising and to just keep moving.  I feel better when I do.”

Bob is making this adjustment look easy.  I’m sure it’s not.  He could have become angry.  He could have complained.  He could be bitter.  He is none of those things.  He is the same kind and caring man he has always been.  He made a choice to keep on living.  I’m sharing this story because Bob wanted to share it.  He hopes that others who are dealt a challenging diagnosis can learn to live with their condition, and, more importantly, live a good life at that.  “As long as you can keep doing what you’re doing, do it!” said Bob.  “Know your limits – but do what you can.” 

As for Bob, he continues to exercise five days per week and looks forward to spending time with his wife, traveling, seeing his grandkids.  “I’m going to keep going.” 

Plan B is looking pretty good to Bob.  Well played, Bob.  Well played.

http://www.agingwellnow.com/about/

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No Magic Required: Managing Osteoarthritis

May 12, 2018 by Nancy Alexander 1 Comment

by Nancy Alexander, PT

When researching osteoarthritis recently online, I was blown away by all the ads and articles touting the next miracle cure for arthritis.  “Heal your joints now!”  “Made with safe, patented nutrients!”  It went on and on.  I had to scroll down to get to the information I really needed.  Please know there is no magic cure for osteoarthritis (OA).  What’s important to know is that there are ways to manage this condition to help reduce pain and enjoy activities better.  Furthermore, these strategies will help you lead a healthier lifestyle for the long term.

 

Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans.  OA can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck.  Common risk factors include increasing age, obesity, previous joint injury, overuse of the joint, weak thigh muscles, and genes.  The good news is we can control our weight and fitness level right now.  We have choices we can make every day!  Let’s make the right choices.

 

(Source:  www.istock.com)

According to Oxford Dictionaries, arthritis is defined as painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints.  It occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones wears down over time.  Think of our upstate New York roads in the spring.  We have a bumpy ride, right?  There are cracks in the pavement and potholes.  The cartilage of our joints with OA are just like the road surface.  What was once smooth is now rough.  Cartilage breaks down and causes fissures at the surface (these are your potholes).  It’s important to know that this joint damage cannot be reversed – unless you’re considering surgery for a joint replacement.  Sure, there are arthroscopic procedures for major tears in the cartilage that suddenly limit your range of motion and function.  But degenerative changes at a joint that occur over time cannot be reversed.  Watch out for the so-called “cures” out there – we can’t cure arthritis.

 

OA affects our lives in a number of ways:

Pain –  our joints hurt.  This is typically achy but can also be sharp with certain movements.

Stiffness – movement is slower, feels boggy.  You may even have limited range of motion.  For example, you might not be able to bend your knee all the way or you may not be able to straighten it out completely.

Decreased mobility – it hurts to move, so we avoid it.  For example, we park close to stores, and maybe limit how often we leave our home.

Fall risk – the less we move, the weaker we get.  Weakness and decreased range of motion leads to increased fall risk.

 

How can we manage these conditions?   OA is typically treated in the following ways:

Medications:  These typically begin with over the counter NSAIDS (Eg., Advil).  For something stronger, your physician might progress to prescription narcotics, and later steroids, and/or injections.

Modalities:  Ice or heat – which is better?  Ice is ideal for acute inflammation.  That is, when you have a recent injury or sudden pain with movement.  Ice helps control inflammation and pain.  Heat is very soothing for an arthritic joint – absent of any acute inflammation.  For example, I have arthritis at my low back and sitting in a heated seat feels wonderful.  However, I have tried this and sometimes it makes the pain worse.  That to me is diagnostic as I now know there is some kind of acute inflammation going on.  Time for ice.  If you’re ever not sure which one to use and you try heat and it makes your pain worse, you have your answer.

Posture education:  We want to preserve the natural curves in our spine and joints.  Using a lumbar roll and sitting on a surface where are hips are slightly higher than our knees is ideal for a normal spine.

Movement:  Engage in general movement throughout your day.  This can include but is not limited to household activities, home maintenance, gardening, hobbies, walking.

Exercise:  When we’re in pain and feeling stiff, we actually need to move sometimes.  We often do the opposite and the cycle of disability begins.  This can be counter-intuitive.  Listening to your body can help you understand this and you can learn to use movement to your advantage.

 

Exercise relates to function.  It needs to.  Movement and exercise help us make our lives better.  Exercise can also decrease your reliance on pain medications, too.  This can be a big advantage.  For your safety, always consult with your physician prior to starting any exercise program.

 

There are common conditions that we may experience as we get older.  Osteoarthritis is one of the most common.  OA is not reversible.  There is no cure.  We can better manage OA through various methods including movement and exercise – this is the preferred long-term approach.  Exercise can be targeted to stretch muscles and strengthen key muscle groups including the core.  Keep Moving!!

 

For more information, please contact Nancy at nancy@agingwellnow.com.

http://www.agingwellnow.com/about/

 

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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