HIVAMAT® 200

Dr. Perry is pleased to announce the addition of HIVAMAT® Deep Oscillation Therapy to his clinic to enhance patient outcomes and quality of care. With very few other organizations in WA, the NW and even the United States, Dr. Perry’s clinic is the first to offer this technology for pain and swelling to Seattle patients.

“With all of the athletically inclined people in the Northwest, there are bound to be injuries,” says Dr. Perry. “With the HIVAMAT® technology literally at our hands, we can offer patients accelerated regeneration after trauma, getting them back to their sport in less time.”

HIVAMAT® 200 is a unique product offered by PHYSIOMED® for immediate treatment for acute trauma, after surgery, chronic conditions and sports injuries. HIVAMAT® utilizes a low energy electrostatic field which creates a deeply penetrating and lasting resonant vibration of the treated tissue area. Minimal external pressure – applied by a technician’s hands – enables the application in acute and sub-acute trauma, chronic pain or in the vicinity of open wounds.

HIVAMAT® Therapy is used in place of ultrasound and electrical muscle stimulation for all kinds of sports injuries. “Since treatment is delivered through my hands,” says Dr. Perry, “I can better target areas of pain.”

HIVAMAT® Therapy is used by over 60 professional sports teams, over 100 university athletic department and thousands of hospitals, physicians, and physical therapy clinics world wide. By incorporating this therapy into their treatments, patients experience improved results for a number of conditions such as: tendinitis, lymphedema, plantar fasciitis, bursitis, muscle spasms, acute and chronic pain, post operative incisions, non-healing wounds and other types of conditions. It can also be used to clear sinus pressure and respiratory congestion.

“Although HIVAMAT® Therapy is mostly known for its use in high profile athletes, it can be an effective treatment for athletes at all levels of competition or recreation,” says Dr. Perry. “Within days of treatment, patients have benefited from increased mobility and relaxed muscles, allowing them to return to their activity sooner than without treatment.”

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/Biopuncture-A-Healing-Cure-All-Pt-1
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/Biopuncture-A-Healing-Cure-All-Pt-2

I don’t know Dr. Lee Wolfer, but I do know Dr. Jan Kersschot, who coined the term biopuncture years ago. He is a hilarious and brilliant family practitioner from Belgium. I had the great joy of training with him and still do email back and forth about this therapy. Dr. Hans Mueller, a german physican, is another doctor I have gained a lot of knowledge from. He is also recognised internationally as Europe’s premier clinician in the early management of muscle strains. This recognition was initially bestowed on him by his patients, most notably from the thousands of professional football (soccer) players he has managed over the past 30 years from every country in Europe. Increasingly this recognition has been accorded by the “mainstream” clinicians in the United Kingdom, promting an invitation to the round table ‘think tank’ on how to treat elite athletes with sprains and strains.. I will post another article about his therapies for the acute injuries of muscles soon.

Like many other physicians and practitioners, I have seen first hand how effective biopuncture can be for sports injuries and pain syndromes. I think the first jaw dropping moment I had, was when treating a long-distance runner who had twisted his ankle on a root while trail running. His ankle was bruised and largely swollen. We made sure there was not a fracture with some imaging and decided to give these biopuncture injections a shot (mind the pun). The day I injected his ankle it you couldn’t really discriminate his ankle bones due to the swelling and he was barely walking without a limp. Three days after the injection the swelling had almost completely resolved and he was able to bear weight on the joint. After another series of injections his ankle felt great. He was sent to do some physical therapy in combination with some oral medication I prescribed and he was off and running just a week and a half later. (Typically a sprain like this takes you out for at least a month). I have now had similar clinical outcomes with several patients/athletes who have suffered mainly from sports injuries. Whether it be a shoulder or rotator cuff strain, knee pain, ankle sprain, plantar fasciitis, low back pain, neck pain, hamstring strain or other injury, this has been a really safe, quick and effective treatment to get the athletes back to their sport in a natural way – without the typical, conventional pharmaceuticals. The same holds true for a lot of chronic pain syndromes.

Feel free to give me an email if you have more questions or call my office and set up an appointment.

I think it is great this fairly new form of medicine is getting the exposure it should.

An analysis of studies that followed 1.5 million Americans over time may finally resolve the issue (New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 2, 2010). After excluding smokers and people with underlying illnesses, the researchers found that the death rate across various age categories was lowest for people whose body mass index (BMI*) was in the normal range (20 to 24.9), and then increased steadily with BMI. People who were morbidly obese (a BMI of 40 or greater) were 2.5 times more likely to have died during the study period than those who maintained a normal weight. Of interest to Heart Letter readers, cardiovascular disease was the most common cause of death among people who were overweight or obese.

The study wasn’t perfect. It was based on white Americans, so the results may not apply to African Americans, Hispanics, or other ethnic groups. Still, at a time when 68% of Americans are overweight or obese, this study provides a reminder that it’s important to keep your weight within the healthy range, or work to move it in that direction, to protect your heart and live longer.

*To calculate your BMI, multiply your weight in pounds by 703. Divide that number by your height in inches. Divide again by your height in inches.

Or you can look it up at www.health.harvard.edu/bmi.

Source Citation
“Heart Beat: Stay lean, live longer.” Harvard Heart Letter 1 Mar. 2011. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.

In a group of 7,500 men and women with new rheumatoid arthritis whose health was followed for up to 12 years, more people than expected had a heart attack, developed chest pain with activity or stress (angina), or needed a procedure to open or bypass a blocked heart artery within five years of their diagnosis (Journal of Internal Medicine, December 2010).
This work emphasizes how important it is for everyone with rheumatoid arthritis, including those just learning they have it, to focus on improving heart health while coping with their joint problems. Although an arthritis-specific approach to warding off heart disease doesn’t yet exist, the basic steps for protecting the heart and arteries are a great start:

-exercise
-follow a healthy diet
-manage your weight
-control your blood pressure and cholesterol.

It’s possible that taking a baby aspirin or a cholesterol-lowering statin may be good options for people with rheumatoid arthritis, but these and other drug-based strategies haven’t yet been tested.

Source Citation
“Heart Beat: Rheumatoid arthritis should heighten heart awareness.” Harvard Heart Letter 1 Mar. 2011. Academic OneFile. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.

“Observational studies have linked higher intakes of whole grains to lower abdominal adiposity; however, the association between whole- and refined-grain intake and body fat compartments has yet to be reported,” noted Nicola McKeown, PhD, a scientist in Tufts’ HNRCA Nutritional Epidemiology Program and program director of Nutrition Epidemiology at the Friedman School, and colleagues in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

So McKeown and colleagues analyzed data on 2,834 men and women, ages 32 to 83, participating in the renowned Framingham Heart Study. Dietary information was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire, and results were adjusted for other lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, as well as calorie intake. Researchers compared grain intake with individuals’ abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)-essentially, belly fat. Such fat around the abdominal organs is particularly unhealthy, and is a factor in metabolic syndrome, a precursor to heart disease and diabetes.

People who reported eating three or more daily servings of whole grains and who limited their intake of refined grains to less than one serving a day averaged 10% lower VAT volume. Eating more whole grains was also associated with lower SAT, while people consuming more refined grains tended to have greater SAT volumes.

In this study, a serving of whole grains was considered one cup of whole-grain breakfast cereal, such as oat cereal; half a cup of cooked oatmeal, brown rice or other grains; one slice of dark bread; three cups of popcorn; or two tablespoons of added bran or added germ, such as wheat germ. Refined grains included processed breakfast cereals, white bread, English muffins, bagels, muffins, biscuits, white rice, pasta, pancakes, waffles, crackers and pizza.
McKeown and colleagues reported that the VAT-fighting benefits of whole grains were diminished among people also eating four or more daily servings of refined grains. McKeown commented, “This result implies that it is important to make substitutions in the diet, rather than simply adding whole-grain foods.”

How much whole grains should you aim to include in your diet? The American Heart Association recommends getting at least three one-ounce-equivalent servings of fiber-rich whole grains per day.

To learn MORE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2010; abstract at . Whole Grains Council

You don’t need a home gym to exercise at home. Here are four inexpensive, easy-to-store alternatives that, together, enhance all the elements of fitness: muscle strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance. All are sold in sporting-goods stores.

Getting on the bandwagon

Elastic exercise bands are a perfect option for beginning strength training. They’ve been used by physical therapists for years. Cheap (usually about $3 a band), portable, and versatile, these long, wide bands provide the resistance you need to work your muscles. They often come with illustrated booklets. The bands’ colors reflect the level of resistance. You can strengthen and tone virtually all your major muscles—and work them from a variety of angles, depending on what you use as an anchor for the elastic band.

Rowing. Sitting on the floor with your legs extended, loop band under arches of feet and hold one end in each hand. Start with arms extended forward. Keeping your back straight and shoulders down, pull your elbows back slowly, contracting shoulder blades. Hold for 2 seconds; release slowly. Repeat.

Tips: Start with easy resistance and gradually increase the difficulty. If you’re stretching the band too much, switch to a harder resistance. Keep the band at its normal width so that it doesn’t cut into your hands, feet, or ankles. After stretching the band, release it slowly, but do not let it go slack. Wrap the band securely around your hand or foot so it won’t slip. When an exercise calls for anchoring one end of the band, choose an object that won’t move, such as a pole or heavy piece of furniture.

Having a BIG ball

The big vinyl therapy ball—also called a physio-, Swiss, or gym ball—has been used for 30 years in Switzerland. Now these balls are turning up in gyms and physical-therapy offices across the U.S. Filled with air and relatively soft, unlike medicine balls, they cushion you as you stretch. They come in different sizes, for people of different heights. For instance, a 65-centimeter (about 24-inch) ball is recommended for those between 5’8″ and 6′. Inflated with a simple pump, they start at about $20.

You can do calisthenics (strengtheners) and stretches on the ball, as well as warm-up and cool-down routines. Ball workouts require the use of multiple muscle groups. For instance, by simply sitting and bouncing on the ball, you work your hamstrings, quadriceps, abdominals, and back muscles. Add arm movements, and you also get an upper-body workout. The main benefits are improved coordination, balance, and posture.

Stretch for hip flexor muscles. Kneeling, put your stomach on the ball. Keeping one knee forward and bent at a 90° angle, put forearms on the ball. Extend the other leg backward, with the knee on the floor. Hold and feel the stretch in the front of your hip. Your front knee should be over the foot. Then lift the back knee, straighten the back leg, and stretch again. Switch legs.

Tips: When you sit on the ball, as you would a chair, your thighs should be parallel to the ground. Don’t wear pins or anything that might puncture the ball. Make sure you have enough room so that if you lose your balance you won’t fall onto a piece of furniture. If you are older and/or have poor balance, start off with a “spotter”—someone who will stand alongside you and make sure you don’t fall off the ball.

Taking your medicine ball

For a different kind of ball workout, try medicine balls. Leather versions used to be popular among trainers and athletes in the 1930s. Today these weighted balls, dubbed “plyoballs” or “body balls,” are usually made of polyurethane and/or vinyl.

What you do with a medicine ball is called plyometric exercise. This involves stretching a muscle (as when you squat before you jump to shoot a basket) and then contracting it suddenly or “explosively” as you jump. You can hold the ball above your chest to make your sit-up routine more strenuous. Or substitute it for hand weights while doing aerobic dance. Or play toss or keep-away with one or two partners. Plyometrics can build muscle strength, thus increasing power for specific sports.

Twist. Sitting with your back at a 45° angle to the floor, move the ball from side to side, twisting your upper body.

Tips: Start with a small, lightweight ball—about 18 inches in diameter and weighing 5 to 9 pounds. Balls over 16 pounds should be used only in professional training. Vary your workout to avoid overuse injuries or soreness. For advanced or intense plyometric exercises, consult a trainer.

Learning the ropes

Jumping rope is great exercise for adults as well as kids. All you need is a rope and good shoes—plus a little instruction at first and then some practice.

As aerobic exercise became a byword in the 1980s, rope jumping gained new popularity—for good reason. As a way to build cardiovascular endurance, jumping rope can be as strenuous as jogging, but is lower in impact, since you should jump only a little off the ground. It helps improve coordination, speed, and agility. If you engage in a sport (such as tennis, basketball, or skiing) that requires bursts of speed and power, jumping rope can be particularly beneficial. It works muscles in the legs, shoulders, chest, and forearms. And it burns lots of calories.

Check the rope length. Stand on the center and pull the handles up your sides: the ends of the handles should come just up to your armpits.

Tips: Wear shoes with good support; aerobics shoes or cross-trainers (not running shoes) are best. Make sure the rope handles fit comfortably in your hands. It’s best to jump on the kind of springy wood floor found at a gym or health club, but a lawn or a mat works well, too. Carpets are fine, but a thick one may throw off your timing. Concrete is too hard and increases the risk of injury, but if your shoes are good enough you should be able to jump anywhere.

If you are just beginning to jump, start at about 70 turns a minute, which allows you to double-hop each jump. Keeping your elbows near the sides of your hips, turn the rope with your wrists and forearms—don’t turn from the shoulders. To minimize stress on your legs, jump just high enough for the rope to pass under your feet—only an inch or two off the ground. Land softly on the balls of your feet and let your heels help absorb the impact. Land with your knees slightly bent. Keep your posture erect, shoulders back, and abdomen tucked in. Slow down if you get winded or too tired. Jumping rope can elevate your heart rate very quickly.

If you have restless leg syndrome (RLS), these symptoms will be all too familiar: When you’re lying in bed, or sometimes just sitting for long periods, your legs take on a life of their own, itching, pulling, aching, and burning; you can’t resist the urge to move them. Walking around may help (RLS is triggered by rest). Generally this happens in the evening or at night, and can put an end to sleep. It can also disturb the person who shares your bed or bedroom—secondhand RLS, as it were. Involuntary leg jerking (“periodic limb movement disorder”) may accompany RLS, but RLS is unrelated to the calf cramps that most of us experience at one time or another.

Is low iron the culprit?

Though RLS has been much studied, no one knows what causes it. It may occur at any age, even in children, but people over 45, especially women, are most likely to be affected. Pregnant women, in particular, may have RLS in the last three months before giving birth.

The most recent theory is that iron deficiency is a factor—the clue is that pregnant women often have low iron stores, and RLS sometimes accompanies iron-deficiency anemia. Or it could be that the body somehow fails to process iron properly. Thus iron supplements are sometimes prescribed for RLS, but you should get medical advice first. Don’t take an iron supplement on your own, beyond what’s in a multivitamin/mineral pill.

If your RLS is frequent or severe, see your doctor. There may not be much a doctor can do, but checking for iron deficiency might be a good idea, you can contact me to set that up if you need. There’s no standard medication, though I have had a lot of luck with certain supplement protocols which I prefer over the tranquilizer prescriptions anecdotally used.

What you can do on your own

• Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol in the evening. Smoking, too, will worsen RLS—so here’s another reason to quit if you smoke.

• Massage your legs before going to bed. Stretch your leg muscles and rotate your ankles.

• A hot water bottle or, conversely, cold compresses applied to your legs at bedtime may help. Try both and see which works. It may be simpler just to take a warm (or cool) bath before bed.

• Sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs.

• If RLS keeps you awake, get up and try to distract yourself. Do a few exercises. Walk around. Stand at a counter and read or watch TV. Mental distractions are helpful.

• RLS tends to become less severe, or even vanish, after age 60. You may simply get better on your own.

The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation promotes research and offers support. You can get more information on its website. Or you can phone 507-287-6465, or send an e-mail to rlsfoundation@rls.org.

If you have chronic back pain, it’s tempting to think that it’s best to rest, and even stay in bed as much as possible. Wrong. Study after study has shown that exercise helps reduce low-back pain when you have it, as well as helping to protect against future back pain.

Back pain is often mysterious. Injury to muscles, ligaments, nerves, or the spine may be responsible, but most people with back pain cannot recall a specific incident that caused the pain. The pain can have other causes, such as chronic overuse of muscles, a muscle imbalance that throws the back off kilter, a herniated disk, or other structural problems. Often MRIs and other imaging tools reveal no significant abnormalities in very painful backs, while scans of painless backs may show herniated disks and other abnormalities. But whatever the source of your low-back pain, exercise is likely to be a part of the solution. If the pain is minor, a simple exercise routine may be enough. But generally you’re best off with a program tailored to your particular problem, and that usually calls for advice and guidance from a physical therapist.

You need to do not only exercises that stretch and strengthen weak back muscles, but also those that strengthen your abdominal muscles, such as sit-ups (also called curl-ups or crunches), since abdominals help support the back and tone those glut/butt muscles too. You should also do exercises that keep your hamstring muscles (at the back of the thighs) flexible; tight hamstrings often play a key role in low-back pain. So can tight hip flexors. That’s a large menu of muscles you may need to strengthen and/or stretch. The exercises described here are only a start.

Easy does it

Begin any exercise program slowly. If your back hurts, talk to your doctor or a physical therapist before starting to exercise. Stop if the pain gets worse or if you experience leg pain or numbness. Avoid exercises that increase stress on the spine, such as straight-leg toe touches or backward bends. Before working out, always warm up and then gently stretch. Do the exercises at least three or four times a week.

Press up. Lying on stomach, push upper body off the floor by straightening your elbows. Hold for 5 seconds, then let your back relax as you lower your torso. Repeat 10 times.

Pelvic tilt (to strengthen abdominals). Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor, and arms at sides. Tighten abdominal muscles so that small of back presses against floor. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times.

Bridge (to strengthen lower back). Lie on back with knees bent, feet flat on floor, and arms at sides. Tighten abdominal and buttock muscles and slowly raise hips, so body forms a bridge. Hold for 5-10 seconds, then slowly lower body. Repeat 10 times.

Straight leg raises (to strengthen abdominals). Lie on back with one leg straight and one knee bent (foot flat on floor). Tighten abdominal muscles to stabilize lower back. Slowly lift straight leg 6 to 12 inches and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly, repeat 10-20 times, then switch legs.

Lumbar stretch. Lying on back, clasp one hand under each knee. Gently pull both knees toward chest, pressing lower back into floor. Hold for 10-20 seconds, relax, then repeat. Alternatives: Pull only one knee to your chest, then switch legs. You can also do this on a bed: lie with buttocks near edge of bed; hold both knees to chest; release one leg and slowly lower that foot towards floor; hold stretch and repeat.

Hamstring stretch. Lie on back with legs bent. Grab one thigh behind the knee and slowly straighten knee until you feel the stretch behind the thigh. Hold for 20 seconds, relax, repeat 8-10 times; then switch legs. You can also use a rope or towel to gently pull your leg upright, as shown here.

Wall squat (to strengthen back, hip, and thigh muscles). Flatten back against a wall and squat until upper legs are at a 45° angle to the wall. Hold for 1 minute while tightening abdominal and buttock muscles and keeping knees aligned over feet. Slowly return to standing; repeat several times.

And keep in mind: Walking, swimming (but not the butterfly or breast stroke, which can put excessive strain on the lower back), and cycling are also good for the back. Sports that involve lifting, twisting, excessive arching of the spine, jumping, sudden starts and stops, and/or collisions with other players (including racket sports, golf, bowling, football, and basket-ball) are usually not recommended for people with chronic back problems.

Last words: Don’t think that you can stop exercising when your back pain goes away. Continuing to exercise will help keep your back healthy.

The Best combo is doing your exercises and releasing those chronically tight muscles with therapies such as acupuncture — call me or email for more information.