PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY
WARNING!
COURIER L 12 IFE, JANUARY 22-28, 2021
CHECKIN’ IN WITH:
Assemblywoman
Marcela Mitaynes
BY ROSE ADAMS
Democratic Assemblywoman Marcela
Mitaynes took offi ce on Jan. 6 after
defeating 26-year incumbent Félix Ortiz
in the June 2020 Democratic primary for
the District 51 Assembly seat, which represents
Sunset Park, Red Hook, and part
of Bay Ridge.
Mitaynes, a tenant organizer and
registered Democratic Socialist, is one
of a handful of young progressives to be
elected to the state legislature in recent
years, including North Brooklyn Assemblywoman
Emily Gallagher, Bushwick
state Sen. Julia Salazar, and Bedford-
Stuyvesant state Sen. Jabari Brisport.
Brooklyn Paper virtually sat down
with Mitaynes to discuss the district’s central
issues and her legislative goals.
Note: this interview has been edited for
clarity and brevity.
Brooklyn Paper: As you start
your fi rst term, what are your top
priorities, what are some of the issues
you plan to tackle fi rst in the
coming weeks and months?
Marcela Mitaynes: I think a big
issue, because of the housing crisis, is
about rent. The eviction moratorium is
great, but it still leaves a lot of folks vulnerable.
It’s just passing the buck down
the line — it’s really just allowing folks
to get into debt — so there’s a lot of concern
from families about how that’s going
to be dealt with.
I’m pushing to cancel the rent, not
just for residential tenants, but for commercial
tenants as well. I’m hearing
from some small business owners that
they’re dealing with rent increases during
the pandemic; they’re struggling to
fi gure out how to adjust to the regulations
and stay afl oat. I’m recognizing
also that our small mom-and-pop landlords
depend on the rent to pay their
mortgage. If we can cancel rent for these
three constituencies, I believe we will be
able to stabilize our community while
we work with at state level and with the
federal government on relief.
BP: What’s something you’d want
to do differently than predecessor,
Félix Ortiz?
MM: One of the things I’d want to do
differently is just being more present
in the community. Being visible, being
accessible. I think that for a lot of folks,
we didn’t see that, and I know that’s
something that I saw that was a big
change when we got Councilman Carlos
Menchaca. Bumping into him on Fifth
Avenue, seeing him get on and off the
train — there was a difference in being
able to see him actively in the district,
and that’s something I want to continue
Assemblywoman Marcela Mitaynes.
to do. I love being able to walk on Fifth
Avenue or on the way to the supermarket
and run into constituents and have
conversations about the things that are
happening.
BP: As you know well, gentrifi cation,
displacement, and waterfront
development are some of your district’s
biggest concerns. How do you
plan to tackle that in the Assembly?
MM: Defi nitely working with community
organizations and coalitions
that are already on the ground. Especially
with the waterfront — there was
a lot of work done by local community
groups and local leaders on having the
community lead a vision of what our
waterfront could actually be. That was
really instrumental in fi ghting off the
Industry City rezoning. We know that
this is the largest and last working waterfront
this city has, and plugging in
the Green New Deal and the new green
economy will give our folks an opportunity
to enter living-wage, union jobs.
BP: Who’s an assemblymember,
past or present, who you look up to,
and how would you try to emulate
their work?
MM: That’s a little bit diffi cult, and I
say that because as someone who came
up in the tenant movement, I became
more aware of the corruption that’s involved
in the state legislature, and I
understood that the real estate industry
has a really big hold on what happens.
So I don’t know if there’s someone specifi
c that I look up to. Wanting to just
continue forging a new path — a more
progressive path — challenging the
political infrastructure that’s already
there, really envisioning what ‘community
led’ really means.
Brooklyn, NY — The most common method
your doctor will recommend to treat your neuropathy
is with prescription drugs that may temporarily
reduce your symptoms. These drugs have names
such as Gabapentin, Lyrica, Cymbalta, and
Neurontin, and are primarily antidepressant or
anti-seizure drugs. These drugs may cause you to
feel uncomfortable and have a variety of harmful
side effects.
Peripheral Nerves
Figure 1: Notice the very small blood vessels
surrounding each nerve.
Peripheral neuropathy is a result of damage
to the nerves!
Often causing weakness, pain, numbness, tingling,
and the most debilitating balance problems.
This damage is commonly caused by a lack of
blood flow to the nerves in the hands and feet
which causes the nerves to begin to degenerate
due to lack of nutrient flow.
As you can see in Figure 2, as the blood vessels
that surround nerves begin to “die” they cause
you to have balance problems, pain, numbness,
tingling, burning, and many additional symptoms.
Nerve images
Figure 2:
When these
very small
blood vessels
become
diseased
they begin to
shrivel up and
the nerves
begin to
degenerate.
The main
problem
is that your doctor has told you to just live
with the problem or try the drugs which you
don’t like taking because they make you feel
uncomfortable. Our facility right here in Brooklyn,
NY offers you hope without taking those endless
drugs with serious side effects. (see the special
neuropathy severity examination at the end of
this article).
In order to effectively treat your neuropathy
three factors must be determined.
1) What is the underlying cause?
2) How Much Nerve Damage
3) How much treatment will your condition
require?
The treatment that is provided at AllCare
Neurocorrective Wellness has three main
goals:
1) Increase your blood flow
2) Stimulate your small fiber nerves
3) Decrease your brain-based pain
The treatment to increase blood flow utilizes
a specialized low-level light therapy (not to be
confused with laser therapy) using light emitting
diode technology. This technology was originally
developed by NASA to assist in increasing blood
flow.
The low level light
therapy is like watering
a plant. The
light therapy will
allow the blood
vessels to grow
back around the
peripheral nerves
and provide them
with the proper
nutrients to heal
and repair. It’s like adding water to a plant an seeing
the roots grow deeper and deeper.
The amount of treatment needed to allow the
nerves to fully recover varies from person to
person and can only be determined after a
detailed neurological and vascular evaluation. As
long as you have not sustained at least 85% nerve
damage there is hope!
Dr. Ofir Isaac, DPT at AllCare Neurocorrective
Wellness Center will do a neuropathy
severity examination to determine the extent of
the nerve damage for only $70. This neuropathy
severity examination will consist of a detailed
sensory evaluation, extensive peripheral vascular
testing, and a detailed analysis of the findings of
your neuropathy.
Dr. Isaac will be offering this neuropathy severity
examination from now until January 1,
2021. Then the prices will go up significantly.
Call 347-274-8523 to make an
appointment with Dr. Isaac to
determine if your peripheral
neuropathy can be treated.
Now, most major health insurances are accepted
including medicare which covers the majority of
your treatment.
NOTE: We are located 1213 Avenue P right in the
heart of Midwood, Brooklyn.
Dr. Ofir Isaac PT, MS, DPT
Chronic Pain Diagnostic Specialist
Owner & Clinical Neuropathy Director
Hi my name is Dr. Ofir Isaac, a Neuropathy
Specialist and Pain and Injury Consultant,
and I guarantee that this procedure will
work for you on the spot. AllCarePT.com
Where? Allcare Pain Elimination
For Life, at 1213 Ave P right here in
Midwood, Brooklyn. It’s my passion to
empower patients like you to eliminate their
chronic pain through our unique “Active”
Neuroscience-Based Approach To Pain.
/AllCarePT.com
