News & Updates

How to Stay Healthy Through the Winter
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April 4, 2016
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But if you experience chronic pain, lower temperatures can make it one of the most difficult times of the year.
Like most chronic pain — often gets worse as temperatures drop. Blood flow slows in your outer extremities when your body is exposed to cold. Nerve pain — especially in your hands and feet — increases as your circulation decreases.
The change in barometric pressure — due to temperature drops — intensifies pressure on the nerves, which send pain signals to the brain. Your perception of pain is increased as the nerve signals slow down because of the pressure. Also, soft tissues become firmer and tighten in the colder weather, thus resulting in painful muscle spasms. This is why it’s important to take precautions as the seasons change.
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​When a Rash Isn’t Just a Rash
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April 4, 2016
An allergic or irritant reaction causing contact dermatitis is uncomfortable but not contagious. Find out how to treat, or better yet, prevent that red, itchy rash on your skin. Visit your healthcare provider if it won’t go away.
Irritant reactions can occur after a single exposure or after repeated exposures over time, whereas it takes multiple exposures to the same chemical to develop an allergy.
​Every time your skin comes into contact with an allergen that it doesn’t like, your body’s immune system responds. White blood cells are recruited into the skin, releasing chemical mediators of inflammation. This response causes the itchy rash. The rash may appear minutes, hours or several days after exposure
