Author: St. Elizabeth Healthcare

As an athlete, it is inevitable that at some point you will experience an injury. Whether it is a minor deep tissue bruise or something that requires surgery, cryotherapy can aid in recovery and pain management. “Using cold or ice on an injury is beneficial in helping to control swelling, reduce bleeding and it may even help with pain management,” says Dr. Michael Miller, of St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine. Why Cryotherapy is Effective Cryotherapy helps reduce swelling and bleeding by constricting the blood vessels. “Ice may be applied immediately after an injury, not only to control swelling and bleeding, but…

Scalp cooling technology helps to reduce chemotherapy hair loss For many cancer patients, hair loss during chemotherapy is one of the hardest parts of their treatment plan. While it can be an inevitable treatment side effect, it is often an emotional hurdle for patients to overcome. At St. Elizabeth Healthcare, we want to help. Our cancer patients will soon have the opportunity to incorporate the DigniCap® Scalp Cooling System into their cancer treatment plan. The DigniCap® is the first FDA-approved scalp cooling technology to help prevent hair loss during chemotherapy. How do cooling caps work? Research has shown that many…

Maybe you’ve heard of osteoporosis but assumed it was something to worry about in old age. Not the case, experts say. Taking steps now to improve your bone health can have valuable benefits for our bones for years to come. What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a bone disease that occurs when the body loses too much bone, the body makes too little bone – or both. This results in decreased bone strength and bone mass, which in turn significantly increases the risk of broken bones. Bones can become so weak that in serious cases of osteoporosis, broken bones result simply…

Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? These days, we are all in a rush to get out the door each morning. It’s easy to bypass breakfast – but should we be making time for it? Benefits of breakfast The short answer: yes, breakfast is worth the extra effort. Breakfast often sets the tone for your day, helping to refuel your body after fasting all night and jump-starting your metabolism. Starting your day off with a good, balanced breakfast can offer benefits such as: Better blood sugar control Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, decreasing your risk of…

Did you know that difficulty swallowing can occur as a result of a stroke or undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer? Did you know that according to the CDC it is estimated 89 percent of people with traumatic brain injury, MS and Parkinson’s disease have trouble with swallowing? Did you know that speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat those suffering from swallowing disorders? Michelle Brueckner, a speech-language pathologist at St. Elizabeth Healthcare and a board-certified swallowing and swallowing disorder specialist says, “Swallowing disorders or dysphagia can occur as a result of brain or nerve damage such as a stroke, head…

Although arthritis is America’s leading cause of disability and over 20 percent of Americans suffer from some form of arthritis, the different types of arthritis aren’t widely known. Rheumatologists at St. Elizabeth Physicians described the three categories of arthritis: Degenerative – more commonly known as osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. In fact, if you live to be age 80, you most likely will get this arthritis. Inflammatory – is a grouping of types of arthritis involving the immune system including rheumatoid, psoriatic, lupus, and gout. Infectious – caused by a bacteria, virus or fungus. It can affect…

Each year, the American Stroke Association estimates of the 800,000 people in the United States who have a stroke, 600,000 have never had a stroke before. The American Stroke Association and St. Elizabeth Healthcare believe the only way to reduce that number is to work together and educate the community. “The one word to remember when it comes to recognizing a stroke is ‘sudden’,” says Dr. James Farrell, Neurologist with St. Elizabeth Physicians and Medical Director of the St. Elizabeth Stroke program. The 5 symptoms of stroke are: SUDDEN weakness of your face, arm or leg. Try to lift both…

In communities all across the United States and the world, people join together to be a part of Relay for Life. This incredible event celebrates cancer survivors and honors those warriors who have lost their battle to the disease. What is Relay for Life? Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event. Participants form teams and those team members take turns walking around a track. Each event is at least a few hours long, with many events lasting an entire 24 hours, signifying that cancer never stops to sleep. St. Elizabeth Healthcare is a proud participant of multiple…

What do you know about melanoma? St. Elizabeth Healthcare wants you to be a part of the Melanoma Know More movement. Warning signs and symptoms of melanoma Melanoma can be one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer. However, there is a bright side: when it’s detected early, it is highly treatable. The American Academy of Dermatology (ADA) suggests using the ABCDE method to identify melanoma warning signs: A: Asymmetry (one half is unlike the other) B: Border (irregular, scalloped or poorly defined) C: Color (varied from one area to another; shades of tan, brown and black; sometimes red, white…

If you suffer from jaw or face pain, you may be one of the 10 million Americans the National Institutes of Health estimates are affected by TMJ dysfunction. Many people that suffer from TMJ dysfunction think they have issues with their ear, others are under a great deal of stress. The good news is, there is a treatment that can provide you relief from the pain. TMJ stands for the temporomandibular joint that connects your jaw to your skull. If this joint is injured or damaged, it can lead to pain in the joint or the muscles that control your…