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Trying to Lose Weight? AHC’s Medical Weight Loss Clinic Can Help!

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Weight Loss Programs

Weight gain is something most people battle at some point in their lives.  The Internet is saturated with thousands of articles on special diets, supplements and different types of advice and weight loss programs.  But, how healthy are these and if you lose weight, how do you keep from regaining it? The bottom line is that there are no magic pills or miracle weight loss programs.   True weight loss takes time, commitment and encouragement.

AHC’s medical weight loss clinic is designed to help you make the lifestyle changes you need to keep the pounds off for good.  Each of our weight loss programs are overseen by our expert weight loss physician to ensure you are losing weight safely while improving your overall health.  Let’s take a look at the three types of weight loss programs available at AHC’s medical weight loss clinic:red

  • Phentermine
    Our medical weight loss physician utilizes this FDA approved appetite suppressant to help increase energy while decreasing appetite.
  • Vitamin B12
    Low B12 can wreak havoc on your body.  It not only makes you feel tired but can negatively affect numerous body systems.  Our medical weight loss doctor prescribes B12 to help patients increase their energy and metabolism.  Vitamin B12 supplements are combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan.

AHC’s medical weight loss programs (Phentermine) include initial exam, medication monitoring by our weight loss physician, diet plan, counseling and weekly visits and weigh-ins.  If you want to lose weight and start feeling great, our medical weight loss clinic can help.  Call to make your appointment today.

Physical Medicine Options for Knee Pain Relief

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We’ve discussed the types of knee pain a patient can experience. Now, we will focus on knee pain relief treatments offered by our qualified physical medicine practitioners. The first step in determining which physical medicine services should be incorporated in a customized knee pain treatment plan is to conduct a complete physical evaluation.  Once the root cause of knee pain is identified, we can then determine the best physical medicine services to treat the condition.  Let’s take a look at some treatment options for knee pain relief:

Physical Therapy

The goal of physical therapy is to re-train the body to function properly.  When the body is functioning properly, injury occurrences are significantly decreased.    Physical therapy can help relax soft tissues and tight muscles that are related to knee pain.  Physical therapy is also used to strengthen and stabilize the muscles, tendons and ligaments around the knee joint. Passive physical therapy may be recommended for individuals with severe knee pain. This can involve transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), ultrasound, heat, ice and stretching.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is a type of physical therapy that uses water to take the weight off of joints and allow the muscles to relax.  Knee exercise and knee extensions performed during hydrotherapy can help a patient regain and/or improve muscle strength.  Hydrotherapy is also used to increase blood circulation, which is especially helpful for people suffering from arthritis related knee pain.

Joint Injections

Joint injections can help relieve knee pain in a matter of hours.  Joint injections reduce inflammation and are used in physical medicine as an alternative to pain medication. There are many types of injections that may be used including:  hyaluronate to improve the cushioning in the joint, as well as more traditional medications. At Advantage Healthcare of Charleston, all joint injections are administered under fluoroscopic guidance. A fluoroscope is  a real time x-ray that allows our providers to see the joint at rest or in motion. This technology also enables our provider to efficiently deliver medication to the appropriate joint space.

These are just some of the treatments we may recommend to you for knee pain relief.

Types of Knee Pain

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Knee pain is a common problem that can be caused by a variety of issues.  Although commonly associated with increased age, knee pain is a condition that can happen to anyone.  In general, the knees take a beating as they are constantly subject to direct force while standing and walking.  At Advantage Healthcare of Charleston (AHC), we break knee pain down into three categories:

Acute knee pain

– comes on suddenly and is usually associated with an injury such as a ligament or meniscus tear or broken bone.

Condition-related knee pain

– examples include infections, excessive weight, lack of muscle flexibility and/or strength, previous injuries, etc.

Chronic knee pain

–includes issues with the bursa, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, patellar syndrome, etc.

Associated symptoms that come along with knee pain vary and can include limited range of motion, popping or crunching, weakness, swelling, warm to the touch, stiffness and instability.  Narcotic pain killers and surgery are generally the recommended courses of action in traditional medical practices.  However, AHC takes a different approach, offering less invasive and safer physical medicine services for knee pain. In fact, as physical medicine practitioners, we specialize in surgery-free knee pain relief.

Are you in need of knee pain relief?  If so, give us a call and book a consultation.  We will diagnose the cause of your knee pain and develop a customized, surgery-free treatment plan to help you get back to doing the daily activities you enjoy…pain free!