62 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • JUNE 21, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
For people with diabetes: get active
this spring, but check your feet fi rst
Spring is fi nally here, and it’s an ideal
time to get outside and be more physically
active. For those with diabetes, regular
exercise helps increase circulation and is a
critical part of staying healthy. But, before
lacing up your sneakers, here are some
important steps to ensure your feet are in
shape:
Get the green light from your health care
provider. Discuss the type of physical activity
that’s best for you and ask your provider
to examine your feet. In general, your feet
should be examined four times each year.
Everyday foot care. Sometimes, people
with diabetes have serious foot problems
yet feel no pain. Th is may be due to nerve
damage, a long-term complication of diabetes.
Everyday self care includes inspecting
your feet for scratches, cracks, cuts or
blisters, and washing and drying them carefully,
especially between the toes.
Wear socks and well-fi tting shoes.
Because of the higher risk of foot problems
among those with diabetes, avoid going
barefoot, even indoors. Wear socks and
shoes that fi t properly.
If you do notice a problem, it may be a
foot ulcer. Ulcers occur most oft en on the
ball of the foot or on the bottom of the big
toe. Ulcers may also appear on the sides of
the foot. Keep in mind, while some ulcers
may not hurt, every ulcer should be seen by
your health care provider right away.
Get foot ulcers treated. If you have a foot
ulcer, there are innovative treatments, such
as EpiFix(R), a wound care product from
MiMedx, used extensively to rapidly and
eff ectively heal diabetic foot ulcers. EpiFix
is a dehydrated human amnion/chorion
membrane allograft and contains 285 different
growth factors and regulatory proteins,
which signal your body’s cells to go
to the target site, help the site to heal, and
help your own cells restore the damaged
tissue. EpiFix enhances healing, modulates
infl ammation and reduces scar tissue formation.
EpiFix is covered by MediCare
in all 50 states and by many commercial
insurers.
Let it heal. If you have an ulcer, help it to
heal by staying off your feet. Walking on
an ulcer may worsen the problem by making
the wound larger or migrating it deeper
into your foot.
“Foot problems, including ulcers, are
common among people with diabetes, but
they don’t have to hold you back if you take
the proper precautions and seek early treatment,”
says Dr. Matt Garoufalis, president
at Physicians Surgery Care Center, Chicago,
Illinois, and past president of the American
Podiatric Medical Association. “Before you
step out to enjoy the spring weather, have
your feet checked by a healthcare provider
to make sure you’re good to go.”
Courtesy BPT
Don’t be sidelined by an injury - new
treatment could help you get back to go
Weekend warriors are enjoying golf,
tennis and jogging in record numbers.
While many will continue to enjoy these
leisure activities pain-free well into their
senior years, increasing numbers face the
prospect of surgery for bone, joint and
muscle injuries. In fact, more than 50 million
adults over 18 have doctor-diagnosed
arthritis, and one in two adults are aff ected
by conditions and injuries aff ecting
bones, joint and muscles.
“Active adults are experiencing
sports-related injuries to tendons and
joints at an increasing rate,” says Alfred
Gellhorn, MD, Physiatrist and Sports
Medicine Specialist at Weill Cornell
Medical Center in New York.
Treatment options include anti-infl ammatories,
physical therapy and bracing to
provide symptomatic relief. If these do
not provide a long-lasting solution, surgery
is oft en the next step. Now there is
a new, non-surgical, regenerative solution
available.
AmnioFix(R), administered by injection,
is a placental tissue allograft composed
of the amnion and chorion layers
of the amniotic sac. AmnioFix is not
a stem cell treatment. It contains 285 different
growth factors and regulatory proteins,
which signal your body’s cells to go
to the target site, help the site to heal, and
help your own cells restore the damaged
tissue. It is a new option to enhance healing,
modulate infl ammation and reduce
scar tissue formation in various injuries
and conditions.
“Traditional methods, such as cortisone
injections, have been used for many years
to treat osteoarthritis and tendon injuries,
and can have signifi cant drawbacks
including a degenerative eff ect over time.
Th ese traditional approaches have to be
balanced with the realization that there
is oft en long term damage to the structures
we are trying to treat,” continued
Dr. Gellhorn. “AmnioFix, in my experience,
has shown promise in the treatment
of chronic tendon injuries and osteoarthritis
which are very challenging conditions
- to fi nd something with such potential
has been very exciting for me and my
patients, and represents a terrifi c new
option for us.”
People who may be suff ering from
sports-related injuries or arthritis should
consult their sports medicine specialist or
orthopedist to determine the best treatment
plan. For more information on
AmnioFix as a non-surgical, regenerative
solution, visit www.getbacktogo.com.
Courtesy BPT
/www.getbacktogo.com
