Author: Cotton

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that half of all physicians exhibit at least 1 sign of burnout. Measures of burnout include high levels of emotional exhaustion, high levels of depersonalization and low sense of personal accomplishment. Physicians also have higher levels of burnout than other American workers according to the study. Physicians on the front lines of medicine, such as family medicine, emergency medicine and general internal medicine seem to be especially prone to burnout. Specialists seem to have less symptoms of burn out. What is driving this trend?

The authors of this study think that loss of autonym and loss of meaning in what physicians do are major factors. These factors and others are influenced largely by the current healthcare environment and all the tasks that a physician must perform throughout the day. It all affects the doctor-patient relationship. Patients notice this as well, with many expressing dissatisfaction with their doctor visits. Perhaps it is all the other tasks physicians have to perform before, during and after a patient visit that are affecting this. Charting the visit, following up test results, contacting other providers, calling insurance companies are just some of the tasks a physician must do related to a visit.

The face to face time with the doctor and patient is what suffers. This face to face time helping people is what drew most of us to medicine in the first place. The direction that medicine is heading is sure to increase this non-patient work that needs to be done. All physicians should make a concerted effort to improve the face to face time we have with patients, for theirs and our sakes. Also, keeping a healthy work-life balance is essential to decreasing burnout symptoms. A healthy body, mind and spirit are all fortifications against burnout. We as physicians are privileged to be able to look after the needs of our patients. Patients should as well be thankful there are physicians to take care of them. So, next time you are in to see your doctor, remember that he has a lot to do outside of your visit to give you the best care possible. Thank him or her for being there for you. Help them keep their purpose alive, so we can keep the best and brightest in medicine.

Make an appointment today to see the doctors of Midtown Podiatry, who strive daily to increase relationships with all of our patients.

Medical Nutrition Therapy has been around for more than 200 years. It was the only way to manage Diabetes prior to the discovery of insulin therapy. Nutrition therapy for diabetes was initially popularized by Dr Elliot P Joslin, one of the most important diabetes physicians of modern times. Dr Joslin held a strong belief that patients should be empowered to help in their treatment. Today, the benefits of proper nutrition are well appreciated. With diabetics, proper nutrition has been shown to decrease the dose of medications needed to control blood sugar and allow for weight loss, which have been shown to reduce the complications of Type 2 diabetes.

How to get started?

For any medical intervention to be succesful, realization of the need for therapy by both the patient and medical professional are essential. Simply saying “avoid sugar” or “cut back on carbs” is not enough to achieve good outcomes. The Primary Care Physician or Endocrinologist needs to emphasize the importance of nutrition to all diabetic patients and make the referral to a nutrionist or diaetician where appropriate. Medical Nutrion Therapy begins with a thorough assessment by a registered nutritionist or dietitian. This assessment will address metabolic needs and lifestyle patterns, help set goals and guide interventions The information obtained from this assessment can help develop specific, individualized dietary recommendations. The challenge for medical practitioners is to translate these recommendations into a patients lifesyle and make them an intergral part of their treatment plan. The registered nutritionist/dietician along with the diabete educator are 2 very important parts of the team approach to treating diabetics.

For more imformation or a recommendation to a nutritionist, please call us. If you or anyone you know has a diabetes related foot problem or just need to have their feet checked, don’t hesitate! Give our office a call ASAP! The foot you save may be your own!

Want to know how to shave your head? There actually are tried and true steps that are detailed here.

The first and most important element, once you’ve made the decision to shave your head, is to know your head and I mean not just what you see in the mirror.

The contours of your head, the thickness of your hair, the texture (fineness or coarseness), whether it’s curly or straight are all factors that will affect the shave because this is definitely not one size fits all.

What may work for your best buddy will not necessarily work for you and learn why…

The Bald Truth About How To Shave Your Head

While you want to know how to shave your head don’t expect your first time in to be perfect…and that’s okay. A clue to the way your head will respond to shaving is in how your beard responds to shaving. Chances are good that you will have areas of your head that respond the same way.

Shaving in the shower may be your best bet because the feeling of water massaging your head will help relax your scalp muscles, open your pores and follicles, and soften your hair for a smoother head shave by the razor blade.

If you’re new at this, it’s better to use a razor with a high quality blade made specifically for head shaving. With the proper razor, you won’t need to worry so much about the angle or the pressure applied to your head.

Shaving Against the Grain and Other Shaving Tips

The one constant in how to shave your head for getting a clean shaved head and smooth skin is to use good quality shaving products for both preparation and post-shave care. To shave your head, remember the following:

Your head shave is best completed after a warm shower. This softens the scalp and opens the hair follicles.

Apply a good botanical shave oil, as a pre-shave will give you a moisturized prep for a pain-free shave. This is especially true for guys with sensitive skin.

Shaving after a shower will leave your hair softer and easier to cut.

Start with the lighter, finer hair and leave the coarser hair until last giving your pre-shave product more time to work.

Guys with coarse or curly hair should consider shaving with the grain because you are the ones more susceptible to ingrown hairs and razor bumps.

Guys with finer hair can shave against the grain for the closest shave. Shaving with the grain gives you the least amount of irritation.

Spare yourself some painful nicks by passing over each area of your scalp only once. Unless your razor isn’t sharp enough, this should do the trick. This will also minimize any irritation.

Remember guys (and gals) to take your time, take smooth long strokes and go slowly.

When you’re done, apply cool water to your head. The warm water before the shave opens your pores to allow moisture in. Following your shave with cold or cool water will close those pores to aid retaining the moisture.

Apply a post-shave lotion to pre-empt any skin irritation but make sure it doesn’t contain any alcohol. Alcohol will dry your skin not to mention that it will leave you with a little after burn sensation on a fresh cut.

Remember to use good quality products that assist you in providing the best shave possible. Perfection comes with experience. How to shave your head the best way is by taking the time to consistently go through the “ritual” which will in-turn guarantee you great results.

When there is parental drug abuse in the home, the children will have problems. Parents who do not provide good role models, do not fulfill their parental role. Parents are looked up to by their children – what young children observe they come to see as being the way of life.

Parental drug abuse can have an impact on children before they are born – parental drug use can affect child development from conception, particularly in the first three months of the pregnancy when the fetus is most actively developing.

Fetal alcohol syndrome can deform and retard an infant, drug abuse produces low birth weight babies – some infants when born suffer from drug withdrawal. Drug abuse can lead to lack of bonding between mother and baby. This can lead to attachment difficulties for the child in all future relationships.

Deprivation, depression, malnutrition and emotional distress occur when the attention of the mother is focused more upon drug abuse than on caring for her baby. Parental drug abuse can isolate the family from the community and give children the stigma of being from a “bad” family.

With parental drug abuse there is tension and often fighting between the parents. Between ducking for cover and trying to form meaningful attachment to its parents, a child can be emotionally torn apart. Scientific evidence suggests that when a child is under stress, survival needs are prioritized. Fully integrated cognitive and emotional development does not occur. Abuse from parents can be physical and emotional.

An example of fragmented development of the psyche occurs with schizophrenia. R D Laing provides many case studies in his books which would suggest that it is enforced relationship with dysfunctional, powerful others that is a prime cause of mental distress and disorder in those who have to live with them.

When children have to cope with the fallout from parental drug abuse, it takes away their childhood. Living in fear tends to make children streetwise and wary – but emotionally vulnerable. Children may take sides with and feel protective of a mother – while experiencing intense guilt and shame at their lack of power to deal with the situation.

If a mother is abusing drugs, children will feel most insecure. The foundations for trust and love are based on our early experience of “mother”.

When the adults in the home abuse drugs it reduces the available money for necessities of life. Drug abuse has a negative effect at both a financial and emotional level. Children need the help and support of parents to meet their developmental milestones.

When parents are not responsive to important issues that the child is facing, children may become over dependent on other children to fill their emotional need for attachment. They will find that it is easy to attach themselves to gangs and groups who also feel alienated from normal relationships in the community.

Parents who are immersed in drug culture have an uncertain, anxious lifestyle, sometimes actual violence, illness, criminal conviction impacts upon the children.

Parents intent on raising “good” children will tend to ostracize and keep away from families with drug abuse problems.

Children can feel anger, resentment, envy and shame as a result of their parents not being like other happy family people.

Children distressed by parental drug abuse are lucky if they can confide in a relative or a grown up friend, as this helps them to gain a wider and hopefully more positive experience. Unless parents accept responsibility to stop drug abuse – intervention is justified.