Paragon Orthopedic Center Blog

Paragon Orthopedic Center in Grants Pass puts patients first as their priority, especially during this epidemic.  We want you to know we continue to thoroughly sanitize our office and have all of our staff wearing masks at all times.  Paragon continues to limit visitors arriving with patients as many other clinics are doing, to minimize potential exposures.  It is well-known you can be a carrier of Covid-19 without knowing it and without symptoms.  By limiting visitors, we are decreasing the number of people you could unknowingly be exposed to during your time in our clinic to keep you as safe as possible.  Paragon is doing all that it can to limit the transmission of Covid-19, so please wear your mask as long as you are in the building.  Harvard Medical School just updated their article detailing known ways to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus yesterday and here is the link to that.  This thorough article includes information about items to have on hand if you do have to isolate, what precautions are necessary to help prevent infection of this virus, and  how to keep yourself safe when going out.  Be safe Southern Oregon!

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/preventing-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus

If you are a smoker and have been seen by Dr. Bents or Dr. Van Horne at the Paragon Orthopedic Center, then you know that they will not do orthopedic surgery on you until you have stopped smoking.  And there is no fooling them.  They have their ways of finding out if you didn’t completely quit.  Why so strict?  It’s for your own good if you smoke.  The post-surgical consequences have been proven and can be dire: longer time for the broken bone to heal, poor healing of your wound, and infection are some of the problems that can lead to a less than satisfactory result.  Save money, save your health, save the loved ones around you who inhale the second-hand smoke and make this your 2021 New Year’s resolution.  The American Lung Association can help you.  Stop today.  Find more information and an easy link to the ALA here:

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/surgery-and-smoking/

There have been variants of the Covid virus detected in countries abroad such as England, China, and South Africa, and some stateside, such as Colorado, California, and Florida.  It seems like it will be a matter of time before one of them reaches Southern Oregon.  What does this mean to you?  The Wall Street Journal tackled a few questions that help you understand what a variant is, why they’re making headlines, and what these mutations mean for treatment.  The variants upon initial investigation have shown to be more infectious.  Bad news: these variants spread quicker.  Good news: the illness is no worse than what has already been seen.  Initial lab tests of the available vaccines have proven effective against these variants, with some experiments ongoing.  The CDC is continuing to urge those who are eligible to get vaccinated and for all to use strategies known to reduce the spread, such as masking, distancing, and hand washing.  Read more here:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-covid-19-strains-what-scientists-know-about-coronavirus-variants-11609466017

Nearly 2 in 5 Americans has made a resolution for 2021, and three-quarters of those say the pandemic has shaped their goals.  The experts are saying that during this time of uncertainty, with Covid continuing to alter and shape our lives, sticking to the basics of what each day brings might be best.  Resolve to do things that motivate you.  What makes you feel good?  We have enough around us right now that can be depressing, so stick to the positives when you can.  Focusing on helping causes outside yourself is also very good for mental health.  Giving to others will give your spirits a lift and Southern Oregon has varied opportunities.  Many in our area are in need from job losses and some are still rebuilding their lives after the summer fires.  Build short and long term habits that leave you with a smile.  And don’t go big.  Not right now.  Make small changes within your control.  If you want more motivation, here is an article that can help you:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-the-pandemic-is-shaping-our-2021-resolutions-and-what-experts-want-you-to-keep-in-mind

For the first time, the governmental body which recommends dietary guidelines has advice about toddlers and babies: no added sugars.  None.  Take a look at the contents of many processed foods and you’ll likely find added sugar.  The sugars for small children do not include those that are naturally occurring, like those in fruits, milk, and some vegetables.  The dietary guidelines are reassessed every five years and come from a committee composed of doctors and academics.  Based on a scientific committee’s work, some recommendations were not adopted by the USDA regarding sugar and alcohol consumption.  The overall advice is to “follow a healthy dietary pattern,” and the new slogan is, “Make every bite count.”  Read more from the Wall Street Journal here:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-u-s-dietary-guidelines-reject-recommendation-to-cut-sugar-alcohol-intake-11609254000

Researchers have looked into the 98.6 degree F body temperature we all learned and found that over the past 200 years, it has decreased 0.05 F every ten years.  Why, you ask?  It could be from environmental changes.  Everything from the way we live, the food we eat, and the microorganisms we’re exposed to are different and these all could impact our body’s regulatory processes.  After studying 25,000 British patients, the average body temperature was 97.9 degrees F.  Stanford Medicine has an article that goes into this in much more detail, saying that 98.6 F is wrong and digs into the facts.  Read more here:

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/01/human-body-temperature-has-decreased-in-united-states.html

A study that has been applauded for being well done with a diverse sampling of races shows that fish oil and vitamin D do not help prevent atrial fibrillation nor help cardiac health, as has been touted.  Doctors are saying you would be better off spending that money to eat better and get exercise.  Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heart rhythm that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, dementia, and possibly death.  There was a study that wasn’t specific about the connection between atrial fibrillation and fish oil, but this new one concludes there isn’t one.  This study followed 25, 000 people.  The use of supplements has risen and is a 12 billion dollar industry, but experts say their benefits are often overstated.  Focusing on a healthy lifestyle is a better solution.  Read more details from ABC News here:

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/vitamin-fish-oil-supplements-benefit-cardiovascular-health-study/story?id=74371590

The study results that emerged this past week about how people on a vegan diet showed increased incidences of bone fractures included that vegetarians and pescatarians also showed similar increases.  The vegan diet is typically lower in calcium and protein because vegans do not eat anything that comes from animals, which are primary sources of these nutrients.  In this study that came out of BMC Medicine, vegans were at an average 43% higher risk for fractures than those who ate meat.  Fractures were found throughout the body, but mainly hips and legs.  The biggest difference came in hip fractures, where vegans were 2.3 times more likely to have than those people who ate meat.  Previous studies have shown that supplemental calcium and vitamin D help offset these risks, but that was admittedly not investigated for this particular study.  More research needs to be done to include data on those who take supplements.  To read the fine points of this recent information, here is a link to a great article put out by MedicalNewsToday.com:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vegan-diets-may-be-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-bone-fractures#Vegan-bone-health-requires-more-research

If you have never looked into whether or not you’re at risk for a bone fracture, Paragon Orthopedic Center has something for you today.  Here is a completely free tool from americanbonehealth.org to help you understand your chances of a fracture if you are age 45 or older.  It will ask you some questions, takes just a couple of minutes, and will provide a printable graphic at the end.  In addition to the easy-to-read graph, it will provide a chart with steps to take for your particular risk category.  Dr. Bents and Dr. Van Horne at Paragon are always happy to discuss ways to keep your bones strong.  Fractures can dramatically impact your health and lifestyle, so it’s always best to avoid them.  Click on the link below to begin this simple calculator quiz:

ABH Fracture Risk Calculator

The Paragon Orthopedic Center newsletter for the month of December is hot off the presses and it’s timely news you’ll want to read.  We are covering the Covid-19 immunizations that are rolling out this week.  There are whispers of conspiracies and flat-out misinformation being mistakenly passed out as fact by some in Southern Oregon.  We help you get the facts and educate you so that you can help others who might not be as well-informed.  Check it out:

Paragon Press, December 2020