Children’s Dental Health Month! By Dr Bindu Sachdeva, One Stop Dental, Hazlet NJ
Who doesn’t love to see a toothy grin? There is something about the wide-eyed innocence of kids and the unabashed happiness in their smile that just gets you straight in the heart. Toothy grins don’t always come naturally and need some routine maintenance to stay healthy. The February 2021 National Children’s Dental Health Month is brought to you by the American Dental Association a tradition started in 1949. It is their annual push for thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers, and many others. Youngsters need to be screened at an early age to determine their oral health and that their teeth are progressing normally. It is recommended that your child have their first visit after their first tooth erupts or by their first birthday. It is at this point the dentist will briefly examine your child’s teeth, gums, jaw, and bite to ensure that everything looks good. Dental hygiene is one of the most important things we can teach our children as part of their daily routine. It is not always easy, but the sooner they develop good habits, the better their dental health will […]
How Do Athletes Approach Spine Care? Ask This Cyclist and CEO.
Jason Desalvo, CEO of Clear Mountain Partners and Strategic Outpatient Services – and a serious cyclist – knew something was wrong when he woke up with what he calls the worst stiff neck of his life. Jason, 51, participated in bike races since he was in his 20s and was accustomed to a busy, active lifestyle both on the bike and off. That all came to a screeching halt when his neck pain intensified and began radiating down his right arm. With a background in medical practice management, Jason knew he was experiencing nerve pain. When the pain became unbearable, he headed to the ER at Morristown Medical Center. An MRI two days later revealed a severely herniated disc in his cervical spine, toward the base of his neck. “After consulting with several neurosurgeons, I took a shot at physical therapy,” Jason shares. “However, instead of getting better, I got worse and started losing the use of my right leg. Just like that, I went from being someone who exercised nearly every day to someone who could barely walk. It was pretty scary.” Needing to look for the next treatment option, Jason reconnected with Dr. Scott A. Meyer, a board-certified […]
Ah hormones…the mixed bag of tricks. By Dr. Daniel Savarino
There are times in your life where you bless their existence and times you curse them. Your body’s hormones serve as an internal communication system between cells throughout the body, controlling most of your basic bodily functions. Since they coordinate everything from digestion and growth, to your appetite, immune function, mood, and libido, when they are out of balance it can have a big impact on your health, well-being, and many feel their sanity. Combine all that with winter weather and a year of social distancing, many people feel they need a little help to feel better about themselves and life in general. Anxiety, depression, insomnia and reduced sex drive and not pleasant ways to exist when it is not your norm. The main female hormones are estrogen and progesterone, which are made by your ovaries. These hormones are a very important part of your reproductive system, including your menstrual cycle. Estrogen also affects your bones and the health of your heart and blood vessels. Progesterone is made by your ovaries during the second half of your menstrual cycle. It further thickens the lining of the uterus. During menopause, usually in the late 40s or early 50s, your ovaries slowly […]
Covid 19- A Heartless Disease By Dr. Peter Farrugia
Congratulations, you have survived the dreaded Covid19. You have spent the last 11 months worrying about it, distancing yourself from your former life to avoid it, catching it, dealing with it, and successfully fighting it off. I’m sorry to say you are not in the clear yet. You probably still don’t feel 100% and it has been weeks or even months since you were ill. It was possibly the sickest you have felt in your entire life. We are learning daily about the after affects, both short and long term that the spectrum disease has caused. This vicious virus leaves a calling card after it is done. The reported long-term symptoms may include: Fatigue Shortness of breath Cough Joint pain Chest pain Difficulty concentrating. Depression Muscle pain Sleep issues Rash or hair loss Loss of small and/or taste Headache Intermittent fever Fast-beating or pounding heart. Although the more serious long-term complications appear to be less common, they have been reported, and given the very large population infected by the virus, this adds up to significant amounts. These complications have been noted to affect different organ systems in the body, including your heart. Part of the issue is that […]
Orthopedic Spine Treatments: The Answer to Reducing Your Back Pain
Just the mention of back pain probably makes you cringe. Whether it’s chronic or acute, back pain can make you miss work and everyday activities you enjoy. Conservative treatments sometimes work to relieve your pain, but what if you’re one of those who deal with chronic pain that’s relentless even with treatment? At NJ Spine and Wellness, our team’s main goal is to get your life back to normal with as little pain and discomfort as possible. Our amazing team consists of doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists who combine their training to give you the best outcome possible. We also have interventional pain doctors and acupuncturists to fully round out your treatment plan. Our orthopedic spine treatments are designed to treat even the trickiest forms of back pain. Causes of chronic back pain Back pain is a very common condition that can affect you at any point in your life. Medical conditions and injuries are common causes. Your back pain may come on suddenly or creep up on you over time. It can be debilitating, causing you to miss out on work and daily activities. Although it’s frustrating to deal with, back pain is rarely caused by a life-threatening condition. Your pain may be due to an […]
Battling a Brain Tumor, Single Mother Finds Neurosurgeon Who Helps Her Put Kids First
Susan Pisarchik, 48, discovered her symptoms weren’t just signs of middle age and that she needed to undergo complex brain surgery at the base of her skull – quickly. Like many parents, Susan Pisarchik was inundated with everything that comes along with having teenagers. Her 14 year old was in eighth grade and her twins were seniors in high school, which meant SAT testing, college tours and applications on top of the usual hustle as a single working mother. With the hectic pace of life, Susan – who had persistent ringing in her ear and was experiencing frequent headaches – says she just kept dealing with her symptoms. “For a while I thought I just needed better reading glasses and that what I was experiencing was part of being middle age,” recalls Susan. “When I went to my general practitioner, I was diagnosed with tinnitus – constant ringing in the ear sometimes associated with age-related hearing loss – but my symptoms only got worse, and I began to lose my vision.” Susan’s doctor ordered an MRI. The scan revealed a left frontal meningioma, a type of brain tumor that forms on the inner lining of the skull, which normally protects […]
EmSculpt NEO Dr. Daniel Savarino
The world of non-surgical body contouring and body shaping is rapidly changing and progressing. New technologies and innovations are continually increasing the amount of fat that can be lost and skin tightening that can be done without surgery and with little downtime. One device stands out as a breakthrough, the newly released EmSculpt NEO by BTL Aesthetics. The EmSculpt NEO combines two technologies into one device that until now could never be combined, radiofrequency (RF) and Hi-Fem. The reason is that RF requires metal and Hi-Fem uses electromagnetic waves, like a magnet. The team at BTL Aesthetics has developed a patented technology that now combines both radiofrequency and electromagnetic wave technologies for a treatment that is far superior and provides a much-enhanced treatment pathway for those struggling to lose stubborn body fat. EmSculpt NEO will set the Goldstar standard when it comes to treatments related to body contouring and body shaping even beyond cool sculpt technology! How It Works: Radiofrequency technology or RF works by increasing the temperature of the tissue being treated. This happens by putting the cells in an excited state causing them to oscillate which in turn causes friction between the cells, producing heat. When the tissue […]
Disuse Syndrome By Dr. David V Lopez, M.D. FAAOS
If you are like most people, you have been home a lot, sitting in front of your computer or television, trying to maintain your career or your sanity. Between quarantining and social distancing, the home you loved has become your confinement. Many of our patients come in saying Covid is a pain, but in actuality, it is giving people pain who have not had the virus. The world is off their routine since Mid-March when realization hit that we are all in danger of a new life-threatening illness. Gone are the hours we spent at the gym, stretching, toning, and socializing. Gone is our attempt at a healthy diet, comfort food has ruled for 10 months. Welcome to sedentary living. A sedentary lifestyle is one in which you are relaxing more than you are being active. As a very productive employee in an office, you could take a stroll to the bathroom, chit chat, at the water cooler, or go out for lunch. That has been replaced with sitting at your desk at home with your drink in front of you and very little time to roam, stretch, or be you. Even active adults that enjoyed golf, tennis and the […]
Immediate Care Launches Mobile Van Service to Expand COVID Testing
Companies, Organizations, Government Can Now Schedule On-Site Testing, Anywhere in New Jersey RED BANK, NJ – January 14, 2021 – As the demand for COVID testing in New Jersey grows – with hospitalizations reaching all-time highs – Immediate Care is now taking its service on the road. The Red Bank-based company, which has been erecting mobile testing centers in parking lots to test thousands of people a day, is introducing a fully customized commercial van as a mobile testing site. The van, which is staffed by a nurse practitioner, a medical assistant and a driver, is now making scheduled stops throughout central New Jersey, collecting nasal and saliva swabs of people where they live and work. “When we built the mobile testing centers, we quickly realized that they can’t be easily relocated,” said Sal Cannizzaro, CEO of Immediate Care. “So, we thought the best way to accommodate the smaller groups at municipal facilities or such business locations as restaurants, offices or warehouses, would be through some innovation. That’s where the idea for the mobile medical van was born.” The van follows specific design protocols, such as providing additional heat, air conditioning and a fan for consistent positive air flow. There […]
Shedding Unwanted Weight
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Restorative Dentistry for Dental Health
Restorative Dentistry stays true to the definition of the word restore, although keeping your teeth in mind: return (someone or something) to a former condition, place, or position. repair or renovate (a building, work of art, vehicle, etc.) so as to return it to its original condition. Restorative Dentistry refers to the management and procedures that your dentist performs to keep your mouth functional and healthy. These procedures may include putting in your basic fillings, dental implants, dentures, and crowns. While this kind of dentistry is not considered a specialization, it does require skill and experience. There are four primary types of dental materials used to restore teeth: porcelain, dental amalgam, composite resin, and gold. Composite resin includes ceramic or plastic compounds that can be used with other materials like glass ionomers. There are precious (noble) metals (gold, platinum and palladium) which are biologically compatible and very durable. And non-precious metals (which are not like gold and can have biological sensitivity issues) almost as durable. Fillings- there are a variety of treatment options designed to restore the surface of teeth or replace missing teeth in any of the dental materials previously mentioned. The material used depends on which tooth is […]
How Fast Action Helped 87-Year-Old Freehold Woman Survive a Major Stroke
Eileen Kelleher, 87, of Freehold, New Jersey, has been a caretaker her entire life. As the oldest daughter in her family, she helped raise her siblings in Ireland after her mother passed away when she was 12. Immigrating to the U.S. by herself at age 19, she worked in the Bronx and sent money back to her family overseas each month. She raised six children of her own, took in her friends’ children when they were struggling postpartum and worked as a home health aide at the Jewish Home and Hospital for the Aged. It was only fitting that she receive outstanding care when she needed it the most. “My mom’s stroke literally happened right before my eyes,” says Eileen’s daughter, Margaret Kelleher. “We were at home, having a conversation when she left the room for a moment. She walked back over to my desk, opened her mouth to say something and nothing came out. She was staring straight ahead and started to slump over. I told her she was having a stroke and guided her gently to the floor as I called 911.” Margaret requested her mother be taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where Eileen had been […]
Diabetes Eye Disease — Dr. Gioia’s thoughts
November is Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness month and we’ve compiled a quick rundown on what Diabetic eye disease is and possible treatments. The now common maxim of “Don’t get Diabetes, you’ll go blind” may seem dramatic out of context, but vision is a great concern for optometrists when working with Type 1 and 2 Diabetic patients. So why exactly is this the case? Diabetic eye disease is a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of the disease. Anyone with diabetes is at risk for vision loss or blindness from diabetic eye disease. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common causes of irreversible blindness in adults with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and is caused by microvascular damage to the retina. Other diabetic eye diseases include diabetic macular edema, cataract, and glaucoma. According to the DivFuss study , DR remains a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. Despite clinical trials showing that tighter control of blood glucose and blood pressure reduces the risk of microvascular diabetes complications, and despite tremendous advances in the clinical management of diabetic eye disease, rates of DR in the USA have increased by […]
Knee Arthroscopy Monmouth County NJ
The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body, consisting of bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. A lot of moving parts and soft tissue in a body part which takes a lot of abuse mean a lot of opportunity for injuries. Any way you move during the course of the day means movement for this joint, without even realizing it. It seems that only when an injury happens do people realize how much they depend on their knees. The knee joins the femur (thigh bone) to the Tibia (shin bone). A smaller bone runs alongside the tibia called the fibula, and the kneecap, or patella, are the other bones that make the knee joint. The kneecap rests against a groove at the end of the femur, allowing it to move around. There is a protective layer of tissue called cartilage which provides cushioning, allowing the bones to glide around without difficulty. Between the femur and tibia are disks of tissue called menisci which also help absorb the pounding the knee takes. Now add tendons (which connect the knee bones to the leg muscles that move the knee joint) and ligaments (which join the knee bones […]
When is Neck Pain More than Just Stress?
After being told her neck pain was due to stress, 34-year-old Erika Kiel discovered she had a malignant tumor in her brainstem and made an incredible recovery following neurosurgery. Healthy, active and in her 30s, Erika Kiel had no real cause for concern when she began experiencing neck pain. She chalked it up to being a stomach sleeper and tried to put it out of her head with plenty on her plate between working full time and studying to earn her master’s degree. When it didn’t subside, she headed to a chiropractor who started treating her for what they believed was stress-induced neck pain. But after four weeks of treatment and intensifying pain, Erika knew something was really wrong. “It came to the point where it felt like I had charley horses constantly going down the back of my deck,” says Erika. “It was incredibly painful, and it got so bad, I went to the emergency room. Like the chiropractor, the ER doctors told me it was just really bad stress. They sent me home with a few Valium and instructions to follow up with an orthopedic doctor.” Before she could even get in to see the orthopedist, Erika, searching […]
Ozone Therapy
Most people have heard of Ozone, but only in how it relates to the Earth’s atmosphere in which it absorbs the ultraviolet light, is considered a pollutant, and is thin with holes in it. Ozone has actually been used therapeutically for 150 years. It is a gas, which is colorless, and is a form of oxygen. Ozone Therapy is widely used in other countries including Germany, Russia, and Cuba. There are professional medical Ozonotherapy societies in over ten countries worldwide. Ozone has been studied globally for its ability to disinfect and treat disease by inactivating bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and protozoa, stimulation of oxygen metabolism, and activation of the immune system. Also referred to as Ozonotherapy, it is used in alternative medicine. There are claims that it will increase the amount of oxygen in the body through the introduction of ozone. Diseases treated are infected wounds, circulatory disorders, geriatric conditions, macular degeneration, viral diseases, rheumatism/arthritis, cancer, SARS, and AIDS. Ozone therapy leaves bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast, and protozoa essentially inactive. While its natural form is a gas, it should not be inhaled as it irritates the airways. It is administered directly to the tissue in a protective covering, intravenously, or […]
Should You Give Epidural Injections a Shot for Your Back Pain?
When back pain hits and you can’t work, run errands, or play with your kids, you may feel isolated, but know you are not alone. In fact, you’re among the 31 million Americans searching for pain relief. Research shows back pain is the top cause of disability around the world. The team of experts at NJ Spine and Wellness helps people throughout New Jersey relieve their aching backs for good by approaching the pain from multiple angles. We have orthopedic surgeons, pain management doctors, chiropractors, sports medicine professionals, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and acupuncturists all working together to develop a treatment plan that addresses your unique symptoms. This multidisciplinary approach allows us to tackle your back pain from multiple angles and offer treatment options that range from conservative and traditional to alternative and innovative — we leave no stone unturned when it comes to stopping your pain. If you’ve tried therapy, with little to no improvement, it may be time for an epidural injection, which we offer here! Common causes of back pain Back pain is an umbrella term covering a long list of conditions which can involve your muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, spinal discs, and nerves. Some of the most common types of back pain are: Sciatica Herniated discs Buldging […]
Why Minimally Invasive Surgery Isn’t Always the Answer
High school math teacher Carrie Mazak credits her recovery from a ruptured brain aneurysm to a calculated decision to perform open surgery. It was 5:40 a.m. when Joe Senerchia heard his wife, Carrie Mazak, reciting her ABCs in the guest bedroom of their Ocean Township, New Jersey home. “I had heard on a newscast that if you think you’re having a stroke, you may not be able to recite the alphabet,” says Carrie. “I could, but my right leg was numb. I had an awful headache, and it sounded like the room was underwater.” A few minutes earlier, Carrie was getting out of the shower and flipped her head over to put her wet hair in a towel. “It felt like an explosion went off in the right side of my head,” she explains. “Not knowing exactly what had happened, I checked in on Carrie and saw her sitting on the floor, leaning up against the bed,” recalls Joe. “When she told me her right leg was numb, I asked if she thought she was having a stroke. She said she just needed a minute. But in less time than that, she was passing out and struggling to breathe, so […]
Restore the way you look and feel after breast cancer surgery
What is breast reconstruction? Breast reconstruction is plastic surgery to rebuild the breast or breasts after mastectomy or lumpectomy. What are my options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy? Reconstruction after a mastectomy is accomplished either by autologous reconstruction, using a patient’s natural tissue taken from another place on the body or by implant reconstruction, inserting saline or silicone breast implants as you would during a breast augmentation. How is breast reconstruction performed after a lumpectomy? Reconstruction after lumpectomy is usually performed as either an oncoplastic reduction or fat grafting. Oncoplastic reconstruction is similar to undergoing a breast reduction. This procedure will allow the patient to have a smaller, lifted, and more cosmetically pleasing breasts. Fat grafting is a procedure in which liposuction removes fat from one or several areas of the body and it is then transferred to the breast. Will insurance cover my breast reconstruction? The 1998 Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act specifies that healthcare insurers must cover breast reconstruction following mastectomy. It also stipulates that any surgery needed to the opposite breast (i.e. lift, reduction or augmentation) to obtain symmetry will also be covered. I had breast cancer surgery years ago. Can I still have reconstruction? Immediate […]
October is Bone and Joint Health Awareness Month!
Every October, the United States Bone and Joint Initiative promotes Bone and Joint Health Awareness Week. Their focus is on educating the general public about musculoskeletal (bone and joint) conditions. Why October? October 12 – World Arthritis Day October 16 – World Spine Day October 17 – World Trauma Day October 19 – World Pediatric Bone and Joint (PB&J) Day October 20 – World Osteoporosis Day Bone and joint diseases affect roughly 50% of the nation’s population. The disease presents itself in the form of arthritis in various kinds, Spondyloarthritis, osteoporosis, Metabolic bone diseases, Scoliosis, fractures, and muscle and ligament injuries and is a leading cause of chronic pain and physical disability worldwide for backs, knees, and hips. These conditions include everything from childhood conditions to advanced arthritic issues in elderly patients. The Baby Boom generation started becoming eligible for Medicare beginning in 2011. The older we get, the more frequently we fall down and go boom while still leading increasingly healthy and active lives. One of the keys to the outreach program is prevention as part of joint and bone health. How can you help keep your bones and joints healthy? Keep a healthy body weight – Additional weight can increase the stress […]