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Manatee County Edition Spring 2020

FEATURED ARTICLES

PATRICK G. DERMARKARIAN, MD

T he quest began just after the turn of the century with a trip to Boston’s legendary Fenway

Park. It ended last September with a Texas two-stop in which Robert Long and his wife visited Globe Life Park in Arlington and Minute Maid Park in Houston.

With the homes of the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros scratched o� their list, Robert and his wife had completed what baseball fans consider the ultimate road trip – a visit to each of the ballparks that are home to Major League Baseball’s 30 teams.

“It was a great tour, so much fun,” Robert exudes. “We really enjoyed it and liked most all the parks. � ey all have their own certain charm to them. San Diego was probably my favorite, I guess. It’s beautiful and in such a beautiful setting.

“Oh, and Yankee Stadium is special, of course, and so is Wrigley Field in Chicago. Another one that I really liked is in Kansas City. I felt like I was in a Norman Rockwell painting watching a game in that stadium.

“Now we have do-overs to do because a couple of the teams have moved into new stadiums since we started this. We have to go to the new one in Minnesota and the new one in Miami, and there’s a new one in Arlington now, too, so we’re looking forward to that.”

When he’s not traveling to baseball parks, Robert likes to stay up on the latest movies and play golf, but this retired school superintendent recently had to

put his golf clubs away for a while due to some serious back pain.

� e pain � rst � ared up while Robert was out gol� ng one morning this past November. � e pain was initially so great, he says, that he had to kneel down to place his ball on the tee. Soon thereafter, he sought medical help for the problem.

Superb patient care sparks rapid recovery from spine surgery

Time to Decompress During his previous vis i t with Dr. Dermarkarian, Robert learned that the root cause of his pain was a severe case of stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal that results in a pinching of the nerves in the spine.

Dr. Dermarkarian initially suggested treating the problem with physical therapy or epidural injections, but upon seeing Robert in the condition he was in following the cruise, Dr. Dermarkarian suggested a more aggressive � x.

“We had talked about watching this and seeing if it got any better, but at that point, Robert’s gait was changing,” Dr. Dermarkarian reports. “He was barely able to walk because of the pain, so I recommended surgery, and Robert agreed.”

For patients such as Robert, there are two forms of spine surgery that can alleviate their pain. One is a decompres-sion procedure where the objective is to alleviate the pain by removing any bone or tissue that may be compressing the nerves. � e other is a fusion-type procedure which may be needed in order to realign or recon-struct the spine in order to adequately alleviate the pressure on the nerves. � e decision between the two is dependent on what is seen on x-rays and advanced imaging, such as MRI and/or CT.

For Robert, Dr. Dermarkarian p e r f o r m e d t h e d e c o m p r e s s i o n procedure, and he chose to perform that procedure at Manatee Memorial Hospital,

After being informed at an urgent care clinic that he was suffering from sciatica, a condition caused by problems with the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back and down the back of each leg, Robert decided to trudge on.

He did, at least, until the pain inten-si� ed. � en, and largely because he had a weeklong cruise to the Mexican Riviera coming up, Robert visited orthopedic surgeon Patrick G. Dermarkarian, MD.

“Dr. Dermarkarian didn’t say I couldn’t go on the cruise, but I probably shouldn’t have,” Robert says. “I was in so much pain that I had to go to the emergency room the night before we got on the boat, and then, during the cruise, it was really tough.

“It was while I was on the cruise that I got my � rst cane because the pain was like nothing I’d ever felt before. It ran through my left buttock and all the way down my leg, so as soon as we got back from the cruise, I went back to see Dr. Dermarkarian.”

Back Pain Institute of

West Florida, P.A.

6Alternative LINX

Sophisticated Development

Dentistry for the Final Frontier

Eye Floater Laser

3David A.

Napoliello, MD, FACS

Physician Partners of AmericaPair Up

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Dental Cosmetic Center, P.A.

FHCN Special ReportGaming:

Medical Disorder or Not?

Natural Healing Arts Medical Center

Wave Goodbye to Erectile Dysfunction

Hawthorne Village of BrandonWedding Bells Ring

20 Minutes to FitnessDoctor Endorsed–

No Excuses!

Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center To the Pointe

TMS of Central FloridaLifting the Fog of

Depression

South Florida Eye Clinic

10

Specialty care HoSpital

DAVID A. NAPOLIELLO, MD, FACS

For more information, please visit www.DavidNapolielloMD.com

LEARN MORE

Dr. Napoliello and his staff look for ward to answering your questions. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the number below or visit them at one of their two o� ce locations:

Lakewood RanchMedical Offi ce Building

8340 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.Suite 101

Venice411 Commercial Court

(941) 388-9525

David A. Napoliello, MD, FACS, is board cer-tifi ed by the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He earned his undergraduate degree at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, and his medical degree at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Napoliello completed his residency in general surgery at Penn State–Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, and a Fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at Mayo

Clinic Jacksonville. He is past chief of surgery for Venice

Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. In addition, Dr. Napoliello was voted one of the top general surgeons in

Sarasota and Manatee Counties by his peers

and patients for the Castle Connolly list of America’s

Top Doctors ten years in a row.

Minimally invasive technique resolves acid re� ux disease

T he misery often starts with a burning sensation behind the breastbone that radiates to the neck and throat. In addi-

tion to this pain, known as heartburn, there may be nausea, regurgitation, bad breath and, eventually, tooth decay. These are some of the telltale signs of a common condition known as gastroesophageal re� ux disease, or GERD.

The term gastroesophageal refers to the stomach (gastro) and the esophagus, or food pipe. � e esophagus empties into the stomach through a circular band of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). If the LES doesn’t open and close properly, digestive acids from the stomach can � ow back into the esophagus and cause symptoms.

“When this backflow of stomach acids happens persistently, the condition is diagnosed as GERD,” explains David A. Napoliello, MD, who is board certi� ed by the American Board of Surgery and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. “Over time, GERD can damage the esoph-agus and lead to serious complications.”

Among these complications are esoph-agitis, or in� ammation of the esophagus; and stricture, a narrowing of the esophagus due to scar tissue from acid erosion. Other complications include the formation of ulcers in the esophagus and the develop-ment of precancerous changes in the tissue, a condition called Barrett’s esophagus.

Being obese or pregnant, smoking, overeating, eating late at night; eating certain foods, such as fried or fatty foods; drinking alcohol or coffee, and taking certain medications, including aspirin, can contribute to the weakening of the LES and the development of GERD. Another factor associated with GERD is hiatal hernia.

“There is a natural space in the diaphragm, the thin muscle wall that sepa-rates the chest cavity from the abdomen, that allows the esophagus to pass through to the stomach. It’s called the hiatus,” Dr. Napoliello educates. “� e hiatus can become abnormally large from actions

such as years of coughing or straining. � e stomach can inappropriately slip upward into the chest cavity though that enlarged hiatus. � at is a hiatal hernia.

“� e normal position of the stomach is a major force in reflux manage-ment. When the stomach and its connection to the esophagus are in the wrong anatomical position, the proper food depositing mechanism is broken. � is

contributes signi� cantly to the heartburn and regurgitation associated with GERD.”

With GERD and hiatal hernia, people can experience all of the usual symptoms of GERD and also suffer addit ional symptoms attr ibuted to hiatal hernia. These can include di� culty swallowing and respiratory issues such as chronic coughing and asthma-like symptoms.

LINX®

hernia. He is a specially trained re� ux surgeon who completed a fellowship in minimally invasive and advanced laparoscopic surgery at the world-famous Mayo Clinic.

“During the combined GERD/hiatal hernia surgery, we begin by repairing the hiatal hernia,” Dr. Napoliello states. “� at involves � rst putting the stomach back into its appropriate position. � en we sew the defect in the diaphragm closed with or without the use of a biologic mesh patch. After that, we pursue the anti-re� ux procedure.

“� ere has been classically one type of anti-re� ux surgery, called Nissen fundo-plication, during which the surgeon wraps the upper portion of the stomach around

lower part of the esophagus breaks that bond and allows food to pass from the esophagus into the stomach. After that, the magnetic bond quickly reforms, which resists gastric pressures and prevents acids from � owing backward.”

Surgery to install a LINX Reflux Management System can be done as an outpatient procedure or with an over-night stay in the hospital. A standalone LINX procedure takes about one hour to perform. When done as a GERD/hiatal hernia repair, surgery time is slightly longer, about an hour and a half. � e LINX device can be removed or replaced if necessary.

“The LINX device was developed by pioneers in re� ux surgery and studied for more than ten years,” Dr. Napoliello reports. “� e LINX Re� ux Management System is a safer choice for people whose GERD has not responded to medications, and surgery is the next step in treatment.”

� e LINX technique is also a good option for those who are concerned about the risks and side effects of long-term medication use to manage their GERD symptoms, adds the doctor.

“� ere have been reports recently ques-tioning the standard medical management of GERD, especially the use of proton pump inhibitors,” Dr. Napoliello observes. Proton pump inhibitors are a group of medications that stop production of a protein in the stomach that is necessary for acid secretion.

“� ese medications have been linked to decreased calcium and magnesium, stomach tumors, blood clots and even the development of dementia. Patients who have concerns about these risks now have an answer for treatment of their GERD. It is the less invasive surgery using the LINX device.

“The LINX Reflux Management System is a simpler, more readily revers-ible option that can provide signi� cant GERD relief. The LINX procedure is excellent for GERD, especially for GERD in combination with hiatal hernia.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. LINX graphics courtesy of Torax. mkb

Anti-Refl ux AvenuesPeople can have GERD without having a hiatal hernia and a hiatal hernia without having GERD, but in most instances, people with hiatal hernia also have GERD. � ey generally co-exist. In some cases of simple hiatal hernia, there may be no symptoms, but symptomatic patients are treated with medication or surgery, Dr. Napoliello notes.

“� ere is a type of hiatal hernia called a paraesophageal hiatal hernia that is dangerous because with it the stomach can get constricted and its blood supply can get cut o� ,” he informs. “With that type of hiatal hernia, surgery is indi-cated upon diagnosis.”

When surgery for GERD with hiatal hernia is warranted, Dr. Napoliello can typically treat both conditions during one surgical session. He performs most of these combined procedures as lapa-roscopic surgeries with the patients under general anesthesia. Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive technique that uses thin instruments and a camera inserted into the abdomen through tiny incisions. � e surgeons view the esophagus, hiatal hernia and surrounding tissue on a video screen.

Fortunately, Dr. Napoliello has expertise in surgically treating GERD with hiatal

the esophagus. � is adds pressure to the LES and lower end of the esophagus. � is procedure, although tried and tested, has some rare pitfalls that would favor a simpler intervention.”

Now, however, there is an option for GERD treatment that is less invasive and proving to be equal, if not more e� ective than fundoplication in reducing GERD symptoms. � is technique uses a re� ux-preventing device called the LINX

Re� ux Management System.

Magnetic Mastery� e LINX system is a drug-free treatment for patients who continue to experience signi� cant GERD symp-toms despite conservative

treatments such as lifestyle changes and acid-suppressing

medications. � e LINX proce-dure is considerably less invasive than

fundoplication because it doesn’t require any surgical changes to the anatomy.

“� e LINX device is a small, � exible, circular band of interlinked magnetic beads made of titanium,” Dr. Napoliello describes. “� e device is placed around the base of the esophagus, and it essentially acts as a new, arti� cial lower esophageal sphincter.

“� e beads in the device form a strong magnetic bond, which holds this arti� cial LES tightly closed. When patients swallow, the movement of food passing through the

CHARLES DEVINE, MDKATHLEEN CARROLL, MD

TROY NOONAN, MD

Charles Devine, MD, (center) specializes in psychiatry and neurology and has been in practice for more than years. He earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine in and later performed his residency at the University of South Florida. He is a member of the Florida Psychiatric Society and is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Kathleen Carroll, MD, (left) specializes in psychiatry and neurology and has been in practice for more than years. She earned her medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine in and later completed a general psychiatry residency at the University of South Florida. She received advanced training in electroconvulsive therapy at Bay Pines Veterans Administration Hospital and is a member of the Florida Psychiatric Society as well as a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Troy Noonan, MD, (right) specializes in general psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. He earned his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University in Chicago, Illinois in and has been in practice for more than years. He is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

The highly trained doctors and sta� members at TMS of Central Florida are committed to providing their patients with compassionate care in a comfortable environment. The staff utilizes the most advanced technology available in providing hope and healing for conditions such as treatment-resistant depression. If you’re su� ering from depression or another disorder that is making it di� cult to enjoy life or to function, call or visit the o� ce for a free consultation.

Be Your Best Self

(813)423-7037

Visit them online at www.tmscentral� orida.com

Lifting the Fog of

Nonsurgical, drug-free therapy restores passion for life

TMS is helping Mishelle enjoy life

again

Brandon1119 Nikki View Dr.

T o say that Mishelle Delfrate was once a fitness fanatic would be a bit of an understatement. For this

54-year-old native of El Paso, Texas, � tness was never just a pastime or even a passion. It was a way of life.

“It pretty much encompassed my life,” Mishelle con� rms. “I was a Zumba® instructor and a yoga instructor, and for years, that was where I drew most of my friends from and where a lot of the excitement in my life came from. It was my identity.”

Mishelle’s passion for � tness instruc-tion didn’t come without consequences. From simple wear and tear, she twice tore her left rotator cu� so badly that she needed surgery to repair it. However, it was a non-work-related shoulder injury that robbed her of her identity.

“I was on my way to a doctor’s appointment one day in 2011 when I got rear-ended,” Mishelle explains. “� e person who hit me never stopped and hit me so hard that as my car spun around, the seat belt cut into my shoulder and severed all the nerves.”

Mishelle’s third shoulder injury in two years required yet another surgery, but this time, the damage was so great that full range of motion could not be

restored to the shoulder, which she can no longer lift over her head.

That limited mobility ended Mishelle’s career as a � tness instructor, which so devastated her that over the course of the next year, she fell into a deep depression during which she all but cut herself o� from the rest of the world.

“Prior to becoming a � tness instructor, I was very introverted,” Mishelle reveals. “Being a � tness instructor changed that. But after the accident, I went back to the way I was before, only worse. I literally went into a tailspin.

“Because I didn’t know what to do with my life anymore, it was all I could do most days just to get out of bed. And when I did, I didn’t want to talk or visit with anyone. And if someone did talk to me, I didn’t have the energy to respond.”

Mishelle’s lack of energy took a toll on her general health as well. Within a year of losing her job, she gained 40 pounds and sat idly while her blood pressure soared. � ankfully, the doctor she had long seen for help with attention-de� cit disorder took notice.

“He started asking if I was okay, and I’d always say, I’m � ne or just really tired, but he could see I was declining,” Mishelle says regarding Charles Devine, MD, of TMS of Central Florida. “Finally, he suggested I try an antidepressant.”

Mishelle says that over the course of a couple of years, she tried a number of antidepressants, but none of them effectively pulled her out of her depres-sion. Eventually, Dr. Devine suggested she try TMS therapy.

The TMS EraApproved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2008 for people with treatment-resistant depression, TMS therapy uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the parts of the brain that are insu� ciently active in people su� ering from depression.

� e magnetic pulses are similar to those emitted during an MRI, the di� er-ence being they are delivered through a cup-shaped device that is placed on the prefrontal cortex of the patient while he or she rests comfortably in a chair similar to a dentist’s chair.

TMS treatments last for 18 minutes and 45 seconds, and patients typically receive a total of 36 treatments over a six-to-eight-week period. Patients are usually treated five times per week for the first five weeks of the program, with the length of treatments and their number being reduced beginning in the sixth week.

“When TMS is successful, there is a true anatomical and physiological change within the brain. � e anatomical change is the increased blood � ow. � e physiological change is the better regulation of blood sugar and brain chemistry that produces a result where people can either come o� their medi-cation altogether or function better with it.”

Life-Changing Results � e amount of time it takes for patients to begin realizing results from TMS therapy treatments varies. Some don’t notice a di� erence in their mood for a few weeks. Others, such as Mishelle, notice a change after only a few days.

“Within a week of starting the treat-ments, I could tell I was coming out of the fog,” she says. “� en I started to get up and actually had a desire to clean up around the house and do other things. I remember saying to myself one day, I actually feel good.

“The biggest difference was when people would call. I was no longer looking for an excuse not to talk to them. And when somebody asked me if I wanted to go to lunch or something, instead of saying no, I would say yes and actually go.

“After that, I started going outside more, and I have to say, once I got out into

Far different than electroconvulsive therapy, which uses an electric stimulus, TMS treatments are administered in the doctor’s office and are considered safe and easy on the body. � e most common side e� ect is some mild to moderate scalp discomfort stemming from the treatment application.

“What TMS does is stimulate blood flow to the frontal lobes of the brain, which is where the emotional regulatory centers are located,” Dr. Devine educates. “By increasing that blood � ow, the brain is stimulated to more e� ectively regulate its own blood sugar, which is what we’re trying to target with medications.

“At its core, TMS is a noninvasive, non-medicinal therapy that produces a genuine anatomical change, which in terms of regulating blood sugar is di� erent than insulin. While insulin helps somebody regulate their blood sugar, you have to keep taking your insulin to keep it regulated. � at’s not the case with TMS.

the garden, it was like a light bulb went on. All of a sudden, I loved being outside in the sun, working in the garden. Now, I can spend all day out there. I just love it.”

Along with gardening, Mishelle has found another new passion in photography. She has even served as the photographer for a couple of weddings. She doubts she’d be doing that or much else were it not for Dr. Devine and TMS therapy.

“It’s been great for me, and with the exception of a few short treatments about six months after I had the � rst series, I haven’t had to have it since,” Mishelle exudes. “I believe in TMS therapy so much that I even recommended my son try it because he’s a lot like me.

“And of course, I recommended that he see Dr. Devine. I really think the world of him. I’m extremely fortunate that he’s in my life and so happy that he recommended TMS therapy for me. I probably wouldn’t feel as good as I do today without it.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Jordan Pysz. mkb

Page 2 | Florida Health Care News | Spring 2020 | Manatee County Edition Manatee County Edition | Spring 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 3MiniMally invaSive General SurGerypSycHiatry/tMS

(continued from page 1)

PHYSICIANS ARE ON THE MEDICAL STAFF OF MANATEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, BUT, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, ARE INDEPENDENT PRACTITIONERS WHO ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS OF MANATEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ACTIONS OR TREATMENTS PROVIDED BY PHYSICIANS. FOR

LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE, DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS, AND THE NON-DISCRIMINATION NOTICE, VISIT OUR WEBSITE.

Please visit Manatee Memorial Hospital online at manateememorial.com

Patrick G. Dermarkarian, MD, is a board-eligible orthopedic surgeon who subspecializes in spine surgery. After graduating from Tampa’s Jesuit High School, he obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, his medical degree from Tufts University and completed his fi ve-year residency at Florida Orthopaedic Institute® through the University of South Florida. He completed his spine fellowship at the prestigious University of California San Francisco, train-ing under world-renowned orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons. He is trained in all aspects of spine surgery, including motion preservation sur-gery, minimally invasive procedures, and complex adult and pediatric deformities of the spine.  He has given multiple presentations at major spine surgery meetings, including the North American Spine Society (NASS), International Society for the Advancement of Spinal Surgery (ISASS) and Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS).

Manatee Memorial Hospital has a long tradition of providing medical care in a comfortable and convenient environment for thousands of patients. Serving the community for years, the -bed, acute-care facility offers access to more than physicians and allied health professionals, with a broad range of specialties. Manatee Memorial Hospital can offer patients the added benefit and convenience of services such as x-rays, laboratory tests and MRIs, all conducted in one place.

Advanced CareTrust your care to Manatee Memorial Hospital. The hospital also off ers several programs to help educate the public about maintaining or regaining health. Visit their website for more information at manateememorial.com. Manatee Memorial Hospital is in Bradenton at:

206 2nd Street East

(941) 746-5111

Comfortable and Convenient

which o� ers a comprehensive range of surgical services for joints and the spine.

“Manatee Memorial Hospital has a great sta� that is well-versed in spine surgery,” Dr. Dermarkarian observes. “� ey have both ortho-pedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons and a dedicated nursing sta� that understands the procedures surgeons perform.

“� e whole process of getting the patient prepped and to the operating room is very seamless there, and when it comes to postop-erative care, Manatee Memorial’s Nurse Navigator, Andrew Stritzl, RN, BSN, is a huge asset.

“He looks after all the orthopedic-type patients and spine patients and knows exactly what the best process for taking care of them postoperatively is. He’s an incredible resource for us.”

Clean Sweep Robert had his surgery on December 17. � e procedure, which begins with the physician making an incision about � ve centimeters long in the patient’s lower back, takes about 90 minutes to complete.

“� rough that incision, I gently elevate the musculature o� the spinous process [a bony projection on each vertebra],” Dr. Dermarkarian explains. “� e spinous process connects to the lamina, and you take out part of that bone and the ligament in between on both sides.

“� at decompresses the canal, and then an instrument is used to sweep around in there and make sure the nerve is completely free of anything that might be pushing on it or any large disc herniations that could result in impingement.

“I typically do this as an outpatient procedure where the patient goes home later that day, but with Robert, I wanted to keep a close eye on his respiratory and cardiac status, so we had him stay overnight, and he went home the next day.”

Robert’s stay wound up lasting less than 24 hours, but he was pain free shortly after coming out of surgery. He has remained that way since and says his activity level is increasing all the time now.

“� ey have you follow the BLT order, which is no bending, lifting or twisting, for a while, but I was back walking right away, and by January, I was driving again, which is something I hadn’t done since I � rst hurt my back in November,” Robert says.

“So the recovery went very well for me, and the surgery was wonderful. In fact, the whole experience was topnotch. I could not be happier with Dr. Dermarkarian and the folks at Manatee Memorial Hospital.

“Dr. Dermarkarian did a great job explaining everything, and the Manatee Memorial Hospital sta� was really top-of-the-line. If you’re assigning a number grade to them, with ten being the highest, they get a ten from me, for sure.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by

Jordan Pysz. Gold seal graphic courtesy of

Manatee Memorial Hospital. mkb

Patients electing to have joint replace-m e n t s u r g e r y

at Manatee Memorial Hospital have long had the opportunity to attend a class where they can learn more about the procedure and its expected outcome.

Patients choosing to have spine surgery at the hospital will soon have that same opportunity. � e classes will be sponsored by the Center for Orthopedic and Spine Surgery at Manatee Memorial Hospital and will be conducted by Andrew Stritzl, RN, BSN.

“The c la s ses he lp patients prepare for surgery and are designed to opti-mize the surgery so that we get better outcomes,” Andrew states. “Each patient gets a manual that explains everything they

Comprehensive Orthopedic ServicesThe Center for Orthopedic and Spine Surgery at Manatee Memorial Hospital off ers a comprehensive range of services that includes foot and ankle surgeries, hip, knee and shoulder surgeries, sports medicine and joint replacement. The Center is certified for hip and knee replacement through The Joint Commission. For more information or to take a tour, please contact the Center’s orthopedic nurse, Andrew Stritzl, RN, BSN, at (941) 745-7417.

CLASS Is In

Session

need to know, but it helps to actually discuss issues with them one on one. � at way, a patient knows that they should probably board their two German Shepherds for a week or two after surgery, or have a friend or family member check in on the patient during their recovery so that everything goes well for them.”

As part of the program, Andrew will see patients before and after surgery and will oversee their post-operative care as long as they are at the hospital. For more information about the classes, contact Andrew at Manatee Memorial Hospital at (941) 745-7417.

Robert points to a display of all the

major league ballparks he’s visited.

Learn more at www.20minutesto tness.com

Blake is a nationally certified personal fitness professional and is passionate about

helping clients improve their health and fitness in a safe

and effective manner.Blake (left) keeps close watch on Catherine as

she works through her 20-minute, once-a-week workout.

Brief, once-a-week workouts save time and build muscle

D r. Catherine O’Connell’s cat Fuzzy is quite a hand-ful. Barely two years old, the Maine Coon is already

living up to its reputation as the “gentle giant” of the domestic feline world, as it currently weighs in at a robust 18 pounds.

For more than a year, Catherine had been telling her son that she needed to stick to a good workout regimen just to be able to lift Fuzzy. Her son found out recently that Catherine wasn’t kidding around when she said that.

“I hadn’t seen my son in about a year, and when he came home and saw Fuzzy and reached down to pick him up, he said, You really do have to lift weights to pick this cat up,” Catherine relates. “I told him, “� at’s why I go to 20 Minutes to Fitness.”

Catherine, 68, has always been a bit of a � tness fanatic. A family practitioner in Sarasota who still sees patients � ve days a week, she does yoga and spends a lot of her free time either at the gym, biking or hiking.

� at � tness regimen was interrupted a couple years ago when Catherine tore her rotator cu� while at the gym. It was shortly after that, while she was still recov-ering from the tear that forced her to scale back her workouts, when she � rst discov-ered 20 Minutes to Fitness.

“Several of my patients were going there, but the one who tipped the balance for me was an eighty-four-year-old woman who began at � rst just to serve as moral support for a friend who was trying it out,” Catherine explains.

“� is lady has a lot of arthritis but still plays a lot of tennis, and she told me that since she’d started going there, she’d lost eight pounds and was feel-ing stronger. When she bounced o� my examining table, I thought, Good Lord, this is amazing.

“� at was over three and a half years ago, and I remember thinking to myself at the time, If this woman who is eighty-four can do it, so can I. I went and I tried it out, and I was so impressed that I’ve been going ever since.”

Tailored Training At 20 Minutes to Fitness, each client works out one-on-one with a nation-ally certi� ed personal � tness coach who

creates and super-vises a detailed workout program that is designed to do exactly what its name implies: achieve results through once-a-week sessions that last 20 minutes.

� e workouts are structured around an exercise method known as slow-cadence train-ing in which the coach guides the client’s pace and form as weights are lifted in ultra-slow movements. Each repetition lasts 20 seconds to maximize muscle performance, always achieving a full body workout at each session.

“What we do is very slow paced, and what that does is create continuous ten-sion on the muscle � bers,” explains Blake, Catherine’s personal � tness coach. “Just because you’re only working twenty minutes a week doesn’t mean you aren’t putt ing your muscles under tension for the same amount of time that you would during a traditional work-out program where you work out three or four times a week.

“In fact, this method is actually more e� ective because in this program, you have more time under tension on those muscle � bers. And the longer the muscle is chal-lenged, the deeper it reaches into the tissue. So whereas each repetition in a traditional workout lasts one or two seconds up and one or two seconds down, we stretch that out to a ten to twelve second count. � at’s a big, big difference and achieving far better results.”

Each workout consists of five to seven exercises. Each exercise is done

on specialized equipment for approximately two minute s , with the goal being to reach what is known as peak perfor-mance . When muscles reach this performance l e v e l d u r i n g strength train-ing, blood � ows to the site. � at f low of blood supercharges the body and helps it to burn fat while it rebuilds and strengthens the muscle naturally.

“Muscle reaches peak performance when you can no longer move the weight stack one more inch,” Blake relates. “Although we’re not running and jumping and sweating and moving all around, we really are pushing those muscles to that peak performance

point.”The pro-

gram has years of research and plenty of sci-ence beh ind i t s s u c c e s s , which is fur-ther achieved through highly s p e c i a l i z e d weight-training

equipment that was originally designed for use in physical therapy.

The equipment features a pat-ented double-stacking system where weight stacks increase in increments of 2 pounds instead of the traditional 5, 10 or 20 pounds. The system is also calibrated to work specific muscle groups without putting stress on joints or ligaments.

Research has shown that in addi-tion to improving strength, weekly, 20-minute, slow-cadence training ses-sions can also help increase energy, control arthritis, fight symptoms of diabetes and reduce back pain. � ey can also increase bone density and cardio-vascular health, improve balance, and the list goes on.

“Very Fit and Strong”Catherine is a good example of how a 20 Minutes to Fitness workout is geared to improve strength through-out the body. When she � rst arrived at 20 Minutes to Fitness, she was looking for a program designed primarily to aid her in her hiking and biking activities and help her correct body imbalances.

“Although always focusing on a full body workout, Dr. O’Connell wanted to target her hamstrings and glutes to improve her gait and to target the muscles in her upper and lower back to improve her posture,” Blake reveals.

“We worked to make sure her neck is nice and strong, and to strengthen the shoulder area where she’d had the prob-lems with her rotator cu� .”

The success is evident, Catherine explains, when she does chores.

“I notice it most when I go to get bags of salt for the water purifying sys-tem I have,” she relates. “I go in and pick out the big, forty-pound bags and dump them in the cart, and someone always asks me if I need a hand with them, and I say, No, I can manage.

“� en I put them in the trunk of my car, and when I get home, I hoist them back out and take one bag in each hand and go around back and dump them in the system. So yes, I am very � t and strong now.”

Catherine says the time she saves as a client of 20 Minutes to Fitness is one of the best bene� ts.

“I’m very busy and so it frees me up to do other things that I love to do,” she states. “It’s made a big di� erence in my life. Even my patients have noticed. � ey’ll say, You’ve got muscles, Doc, and I’ll say, Yes, I do.

“It’s really done wonders for me, which is why I absolutely recommend 20 Minutes to Fitness. � e coaches and everyone there are all so very lovely. � ey’re just delightful and very professional, and I really enjoy it. It’s keeping me � t.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photos by Jordan Pysz. ke

“It’s made a big diff erence in my life. Even my patients have

noticed. They’ll say, You’ve got muscles, Doc, and I’ll say,

Yes, I do.”

– Catherine

The staff at 20 Minutes to Fitness

looks forward to serving all your fitness needs. They offer personalized, one-on-one training with no annual

contracts or membership fees. For a complimentary

orientation, please contact:

Lakewood Ranch6257 Lake Osprey Drive

(941) 309-8989Sarasota

209 N. Lime Avenue

(941) 361-1000Tampa

11610 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.

(813) 664-8888

Page 4 | Florida Health Care News | Spring 2020 | Manatee County Edition Manatee County Edition | Spring 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 5

Barry LevineExecutive Publisher

Gina L. d’AngeloCFO/HR

Roy CummingsEditorial Supervisor

Michelle BrooksCreative Director

Brian LevineProject Coordinator

Patti DiPanfiloEditorial Staff

Laura EngelProduction Assistant

Kristy EllenbeckerGraphic Designer

Nerissa JohnsonJordan PyszPhotography

Dominic Donnell Aldy Laracuente

Bob MizeGary SmithSteve Turk Distribution

Manatee Memorial HospitalSpecialty Care Hospital

TMS of Central FloridaPsychiatry/TMS

David A. Napoliello, MD, FACSMinimally Invasive General Surgery

20 Minutes to FitnessPhysical Fitness

Back Pain Institute of West Florida, P.A.

Chiropractic

Advanced Dental Cosmetic Center, P.A.General, Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry

Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center Podiatry

Physician Partners of AmericaLaser Spine Surgery

South Florida Eye ClinicEye Floater Treatment

Hawthorne Village of BrandonRetirement Community/AL 9949

Natural Healing Arts Medical Center

Erectile Dysfunction

215 Bullard ParkwayTemple Terrace, FL 33617

(813) 989-1330

Florida Health Care News

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Florida Health Care News, Inc., reserves the right to decline any advertising/marketing article.

Florida Health Care News is provided for information only and should not be construed as health care advice or instruction. If you have questions concerning articles in this edition, feel free to call our contributing editors.

Florida Health Care News provides a paid forum for health care professionals to present their ideas about various aspects of health care treatment and proce-dures. Florida Health Care News, Inc. is not responsible for the health care delivered by the contributing editors presented in this edition.

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RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT OR BE

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pHySical FitneSSSpecialty care HoSpital

Bradenton5221 26th St. West

Lakewood Ranch7345 International Place, Suite 101

Get “Back” to Wellness … Naturally!

Please visit www.backpaininstitutew� .com

If your MRI shows disc herniation, a bulging disc or degenerative disc disease, you may be a candidate for VAX-D Therapy. It may

be the treatment that helps you avoid an unnecessary surgery. For additional

information or to schedule a consultation, call or visit one of these Back Pain Institute of

West Florida locations:

Craig S. Aderholdt, DC, received his undergraduate degree from the Pennsylvania State University, State College, and his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University School of Chiropractic, Marietta, GA, where he graduated cum laude. Dr. Aderholdt also holds certifi cation in Chiropractic Adjunctive Physiotherapy from New York Chiropractic College and completed extensive postgraduate training in therapeutic modalities at National-Lincoln School. He is a member of the Florida Chiropractic Association and

American Chiropractic Association and is a certifi ed VAX-D Therapy consultant. He was also voted the Bradenton Herald People’s Choice Awards Winner for , the Manatee Herald-Tribune Awards winner for , and and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune fi nalist for , , and winner in . (941) 756-5528

DR. CRAIG S. ADERHOLDT

VAX-D Therapy is straightening the irregular curvature in Barbara’s neck.

T heodore F. Rowell, DC, had been a chiropractor since 1972. He served patients in Michigan, Arizona and Georgia for nearly 48 years.

It’s fair to say that he is quite discerning when it comes to choosing a chiropractor for his own needs, which he recently needed to do after aggravating an existing injury.

“It was an old injury from an auto accident many years ago,” Dr. Rowell elab-orates. “As a result of that injury, there was a badly deteriorated disc in my low back. But it was treatable through traditional chiropractic channels such as adjustments and manipulations.

“� en � ve years ago, I su� ered a bad fall while working in my yard. � at reinjured my low back and damaged it to the extent that adjustments just weren’t helping enough. � e pain was debilitating.

“Most of the time, the pain was an eight to ten on a scale of one to ten, and I couldn’t function. I couldn’t stand up straight. Within a few minutes of going into a store and walking around, my low back and buttocks became so numb that I had to sit down. � e pain interfered with my life greatly, and I su� ered like that for almost six years.”

When Dr. Rowell moved to Florida last year, he set out to � nd a chiropractor to treat his painful back condition. But he narrowed his search to those who o� ered a speci� c type of treatment, a modern version of a therapy he used more than 30 years ago. � at’s how he discovered Craig S. Aderholdt, DC, of Back Pain Institute of West Florida.

At Back Pain Institute of West Florida, Dr. Aderholdt provides the most advanced treatments for patients in severe pain. Among those treatments is the unique, nonsurgical VAX-D® � erapy. It is a patented, FDA-approved medical decompression technique for alleviating pressure on the discs of the spine that Dr. Rowell is familiar with.

“When I was prac-ticing thirty, thirty-five years ago, chiropractors and researchers developed a treatment protocol called disc distraction,” Dr. Rowell recalls. “It was a technique for improving the alignment of the spine, especially in the low back, where the spinal discs had degenerated to the point where little disc actually remained.

“Disc distraction was a manual proce-dure that stretched and worked the damaged area back to where it could regenerate and rehydrate with � uid. Consequently, patients received relief of chronic, painful back

Advanced vacuum therapy allays back pain and moreconditions. VAX-D � erapy is the newly created and highly sophisticated develop-ment of the disc distraction technique I used all those years ago.

“Dr. Aderholdt is the only chiropractor in the state of Florida who utilizes VAX-D � erapy as far as I know. We became friends, and he started treating me.”

Maximum Benefi tVAX-D � erapy may be a medical decom-pression technique, but it is not a traction device, Dr. Aderholdt emphasizes. It is di� erent because it works di� erently and achieves signi� cantly better results, the doctor asserts.

“Chiropractic adjustments alone can actually relieve the pain for many patients,” notes Dr. Aderholdt, who is one of the few doctors in the country, not just the state, who o� er the unique VAX-D treatment.

proper orientation, pulling nutrient-rich spinal fluid into the disc and stimulating repair cells that effectively mend the disc.

“Nothing else can create such a powerful vacuum,” Dr. Aderholdt observes. “That is what makes VAX-D such a valu-able tool for pain relief. There are imitators, but the vacuum effect is the most powerful one known.

“ VA X - D d o e s n’t a l l ow the muscles to cont rac t , l ike o ther machines can. In fact, it is the only nonsurgical

treatment that has been clinically p r o v e n t o

reduce disc pressure to nega t i ve levels.”

“When I get a VAX-D treatment, I lie on a table with a belt around my pelvis, strapped to the lower portion of the table,” Dr. Rowell describes. “My upper body is immobilized by a harness, which � ts snugly, but comfortably, around my shoulders and underarms.

“Guided by the sophis t icated computer, the lower portion of the VAX-D table moves toward my feet while the upper portion stabilizes me. As the table spreads apart, it gently stretches my spine to rehabilitate and rehydrate my old, injured discs and joints. VAX-D � erapy also uses a cervical mechanism in a similar fashion to treat neck injuries and pain.

“Because the treatment is computerized, I receive the maximum bene� t from each visit.”

Secondary ConditionBarbara Owens, 62, was born in Waterford, a small industrial city ten miles south of Erie in the northwest corner of Pennsylvania. After high school, Barbara left Pennsylvania for Indianapolis, Indiana to attend Butler University. Upon graduation, Barbara moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she got a job with an import-export business.

“� at’s where I met my future husband,” Barbara recalls. “When he was transferred to Long Beach, California, we moved to Los Angeles, where I lived for twenty-� ve years. In LA, I worked for a medical software company with clients across the United States. I traveled all over the country training doctors on new software for patient billing.”

Following a divorce from her husband, Barbara moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to be closer to her sister, who lived in Indianapolis,

and her parents, who lived in Kentucky. She later moved to Kentucky to take care of her ailing mother and then moved along with her sister to Florida in October 2018.

Like Dr. Rowell, Barbara brought with her to the Sunshine State an existing back injury that required ongoing chiropractic care. But she soon learned that she also had a silent cervical condi-tion that could lead to severe pain and instability in the future if not treated.

“When I was in high school, I slipped on some stairs in the school and pulled the ligaments in my low back,” Barbara relates. “I’ve been going to a chiropractor for that injury for quite a few years, so when I moved to Florida, I knew I needed to � nd one here. I heard about Dr. Aderholdt and his VAX-D � erapy, so I decided to check him out.

“Dr. Aderholdt took x-rays and told me my back was good, but he noticed that my

neck had a curvature to the left. I didn’t have any pain in my neck at the time,

but he said that if I didn’t take care of that curvature, I would have trouble with pain down the road. He suggested we take care of it with VAX-D � erapy.”

Barbara agreed, so Dr. Aderholdt used the therapy’s cervical modality to address Barbara’s neck condition. She was delighted to discover that the treatment was not uncomfortable. In fact, she often found it relaxing.

“With the VAX-D system, they put a collar around my neck while I lie on a bed,” Barbara says. “� e collar attaches to something on the back of the VAX-D machine so that when they turn it on, it gently pulls my neck. It doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, I tend to fall asleep while I’m having VAX-D � erapy.”

Complications AvoidedEach VAX-D treatment lasts about half an hour, and the treatments have a long track record of leaving patients such as Barbara and Dr. Rowell satisfied, Dr. Aderholdt points out. Long-term studies show that

VAX-D is e� ective in more than 88 percent of patients who go through the treatment.

“I consider VAX-D one of the most e� ective nonsurgical medical treatments for low back pain, neck pain and sciatica today,” Dr. Aderholdt asserts. “� is revolutionary technology is one more tool I can o� er my patients as we work toward relieving pain and maintaining the health of the lumbar and cervical spine.”

Many patients report a significant reduction in back or neck pain within only a few treatments, although the total healing process takes longer, Dr. Aderholdt stresses. � e reason it takes a longer period of time, the doctor says, is that bulging or herniated discs require a series of VAX-D sessions to fully reposi-tion themselves.

“Some patients think they will get relief after a handful of sessions and they can just quit, but that’s not the case,” he observes. “Patients must follow through with all of the required treatments to get the full bene� t.”

Dr. Aderho ld t notes that VAX-D � erapy has the added bene� t of eliminating the need for surgery in many cases.

“Many patients with severe back or neck pain want to avoid surgery, and that is some-thing that VAX-D allows,” he states. “With surgery, there is the potential for serious complications. Because VAX-D is noninva-sive, those complications are avoided.”

Full Function RegainedDr. Rowell is among those who began to feel relief early on in the VAX-D � erapy process. But he followed Dr. Aderholdt’s recommendation and completed the entire course of treatment. And he’s glad he did.

“Within a couple of weeks of begin-ning VAX-D Therapy, I began to feel some improvement in my condition, and it gradually got better and better,” Dr. Rowell enthuses. “I started treatment daily for a couple of months, then as I

improved, we stretched it out to three times a week and then once a week.

“Now, I’m getting regular adjustments from Dr. Aderholdt to sustain the pain relief I achieved. I periodically get a VAX-D treatment, maybe once a month, to maintain my newfound health and the improved condition I’ve developed.

“� e VAX-D treatments have helped me to avoid aggravating my low back, which feels pretty good. My pain level is now zero to one on a scale of one to ten. Occasionally, I have a little soreness in the old injured area, but it’s not debilitating or keeping me from functioning.”

Far from it, in fact. Dr. Rowell says that since receiving VAX-D � erapy, he

has resumed his favorite activities, which he had to forsake when his low back pain was so intense.

“ N o w, I e n j o y walking and bike riding,” he shares. “I also enjoy shopping. I like to go to the � ea market and places like that. I like fishing and go whenever I can. And when I’m � shing, I stand a lot and twist my body quite a bit. I can do

those things again that I wasn’t able to do in the past.”

Dr. Aderholdt’s goal with Barbara was to use VAX-D � erapy to gradually straighten out the unhealthy, leftward curvature in her neck and prevent any painful condition from developing in the future. � e treatment is succeeding.

“I’ve been receiving VAX-D � erapy since last year, and Dr. Aderholdt has taken several x-rays,” Barbara relates. “We’ve noticed that my neck is almost upright like it should be. � e curvature in my neck is almost gone, and the vertebrae, which were nearly touching each other, are now separating, and that’s a good thing. VAX-D � erapy is working for me.

“Sometimes, I get pain in my lower shoulder on my right side, but Dr. Aderholdt treats that with an adjustment, and the pain goes away. Other than that, I

have no problems. I’m actually doing quite well. I lost � fty pounds, so I feel very � t.”

Barbara is thrilled to be feeling so well. She now has plenty of energy for the activi-ties she enjoys most.

“I love bowling, and I like biking and swimming,” she says. “I also enjoy walking my dog. He’s a Dachshund named Rolf.”

VAX-D Therapy was successful for Barbara and Dr. Rowell, and both patients are complimentary of Dr. Aderholdt, his sta� and his unique treatment.

“When I met Dr. Aderholdt, I really liked him,” Barbara raves. “He’s a very nice gentleman, very caring. He wanted to make me well, so I felt very comfortable being there. � e people in the o� ce were also very nice. I’m glad I decided to go to Back Pain Institute of West Florida.”

“When I first started going to Dr. Aderholdt, I talked to some of the other patients in the office’s waiting room,” Dr. Rowell reports. “Invariably, they told me about their improvements using

VAX-D Therapy. Almost everybody was getting better, and they were happy to tell me about it.

“Dr. Aderholdt is a very � ne doctor of chiropractic, well-grounded in the healing principles of chiropractic care. He’s a grad-uate of Life Chiropractic College, which I’m proud to say some of my donation dollars helped to found many years ago.

“I’m glad I found Dr. Aderholdt. He’s very dedicated to helping as many people as he can regain better health and have a happier, healthier life with chiropractic care and the use of VAX-D � erapy.

“I wish I could have had this modern advantage when I was in practice. I could have helped thousands instead of hundreds of people relieve their pain and stress with it, so I highly recommend VAX-D Therapy and Back Pain Institute of West Florida. I’ve spoken to several people already about Dr. Aderholdt, and I recommend him highly as well.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photos by Jordan Pysz. mkbNew Treatment,

Back Pain Institute of West Florida is proud to announce the addition of a new line of noninvasive procedures from Cryoskin that use warm to cold temperatures for toning, slimming and facial rejuvenation.

Cryoskin’s CryoSlimming™ treatment reduces fat; its CryoToning™ therapy decreases stubborn cellulite, and the CryoFacial diminishes the appearance of � ne lines and wrinkles while boosting collagen and improving skin.

Cryoskin works through a process called apoptosis, which is the death by freezing of the localized fat cells under the skin that are di� cult to target with diet and exercise. Once fat cells die, they are eliminated from the body through the blood and lymphatic system. Cryoskin treatments are all-natural, painless and e� ective. Results are visible immediately. Call Back Pain Institute of West Florida at (941) 756-5528

to make a Cryoskin appointment.

Barbara Owens

“But for select people who su� er with conditions such as sciatica or herniated, bulging or degenerated discs, VAX-D Therapy has proven extremely effective. Dr. Rowell was a good candidate because the treatment is e� ective at alleviating low back pain. It also helps with neck pain, numbness, tingling and pain radiating down the arms and legs.”

� e treatment is straightforward. During VAX-D � erapy, the patient relaxes on a

comfortable, computer-controlled table, secured by a pelvic belt or patented cervical collar, depending on the area to be treated. Carefully specified tension and pressure changes guide the use of VAX-D, allowing the therapist to focus decompression at the exact level of spinal dysfunction.

The VAX-D system is computerized, which enables the table to make subtle but targeted movements. These movements create a powerful vacuum within the disc space. This vacuum gently draws the disc back to its

Page 6 | Florida Health Care News | Spring 2020 | Manatee County Edition Manatee County Edition | Spring 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 7cHiropractic

J. Terry Alford, DMD, practices general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry in Bradenton. He received his undergraduate degree from Rollins College, Winter Park, and his dental degree from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, with additional training in anesthesia. Dr. Alford has also received additional training in implant dentistry. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, American Academy of Implant Dentistry, American Dental Association, Florida Dental Association and Manatee County Dental Society. He spent six years in the US Air Force as a jet pilot instructor and was decorated for his service in Vietnam.

ADVANCED DENTAL COSMETIC CENTER, P.A.

J. TERRY ALFORD, DMD

LEARN MORE …Everyone at Advanced Dental Cosmetic

Center looks forward to meeting the readers of Florida Health Care News.

Their offi ce is located in Bradenton in the:

Everybody has something about their smile that they would like to change. It might be some-thing simple or it might be

something very complex. Today, it is pos-sible to change a patient’s smile in a single day with CEREC® CAD/CAM technology.

J. Terry Alford, DMD, who practices general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry at Advanced Dental Cosmetic Center in Bradenton, has been a CEREC dentist for more than 29 years. He was one of the � rst dentists in America to embrace this exciting and challenging innovation that enhances the patient experience.

CEREC and CAD/CAM for den-tistry were introduced 30 years ago. Unfortunately, in the late 1980s and

early 1990s, the CAD/CAM process was complex, and the materials used were still being developed. But the bene� ts of CAD/CAM dentistry progressed rapidly because of CEREC technology.

“Do you remember on the television series Star Trek when Doctor Leonard McCoy, portrayed by actor DeForest Kelley, would scan a sick crewmember or alien being with the Tricorder scanner and immediately deter-mine their sickness?” asks Dr. Alford. “� en he would turn a button on the scan-ner and � x the illness? We cannot quite do that yet in dentistry, but we have certainly come a long way.”

Dentistry EnergizedDr. Alford, clinical director of Advanced Dental Cosmetic Center, uses his CEREC camera and computer to scan a patient’s mouth and create a beautiful smile in a day. It takes a few more sophisticated tools, such as a three-dimensional printer and very complex design software, along with an excellent dental team, but the process is amazing.

It takes two to three weeks to fashion a new smile using standard dental procedures, but CEREC makes it possible in a single day. Dr. Alford works closely with Eddie Corrales, a CEREC lab and smile design specialist, to create the awesome results.

Eddie points out that although the lab process is speeded up with CEREC, the end product is superior due to the development of biocompatible and natural-looking ceramic materials that can be 3-D printer-milled in a matter of 15 to 20 minutes per tooth. But Dr. Alford

still does a few things the old-fashioned way.“We take pictures and molds of the

mouth before we start,” says the dentist. “� en we begin the smile design process before we actually sit down to do the work in the clinic. We create and design the smile in the lab using modern cos-metic principles, then present the new smile to the patient. � e patient takes an active role in the design.”

� en, just as the physician in Star Trek scans his patient, Dr. Alford scans his patient’s mouth, and the computer

designs a smile to match what was created in the proposal. � e design of the teeth is then sent to the 3-D printer and milled.

Eddie then adds his incredible artistic touch to make the teeth naturally vibrant and beautiful and, oftentimes, whiter. It only takes a day at the dentist to build the smile the patient has always wanted.

“Not everyone needs this kind of treatment,” Dr. Alford stresses. “Most often, simple bonding or whitening can give the patient a pretty smile.”

He also urges all patients to always get a second or even third opinion about their oral needs. “It is the only way you can become a smart dental consumer.” � is article was provided by Advanced Dental Cosmetic Center. Photo courtesy of Advanced Dental Cosmetic Center, P.A. mkb

Dentistry for the Final Frontier21st century technology creates new smiles at “warp speed”

CEREC technology can be used to fabricate veneers, crowns,

inlays and onlays.

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Dawn Chiu, DPM, AACFAS, is a board-qualifi ed podiatric surgeon and Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in zoology and received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco. Dr. Chiu completed her podiatric surgical residency at Frankford Hospital in Philadelphia.

Arthur D. Clode, DPM, AACFAS, is a board-qualifi ed podiatric surgeon and Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. He earned a degree in biological sciences from Florida International University and a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco. He completed his podiatric surgical residency at Golden Glades Regional Medical Center in Miami.

Dawn Chiu, DPM, AACFAS, is a board-qualifi ed podiatric surgeon and Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in zoology and received her Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco. Dr. Chiu completed her podiatric surgical residency at Frankford Hospital in Philadelphia.

Arthur D. Clode, DPM, AACFAS, is a board-qualifi ed podiatric surgeon and Associate of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. He earned a degree in biological sciences from Florida International University and a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree from the California College of Podiatric Medicine in San Francisco. He completed his podiatric surgical residency at Golden Glades Regional Medical Center in Miami.

SARASOTA FOOT AND ANKLE CENTER

DAWN CHIU, DPM, AACFASARTHUR D. CLODE, DPM, AACFAS

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DAWN CHIU, DPM, AACFASARTHUR D. CLODE, DPM, AACFAS

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Tim Lowe

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Painless, in-o� ce laser treatment corrects toenail fungus

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The dream of one day becoming his own boss and owning his own business became a reality for Tim Lowe about 19 years

ago, when he left the storage company he was working for and opened up a package and shipping store in Sarasota.

“We do the same thing that a UPS® store does, but we provide more services, including UPS, FedEx® and postal for ship-ping packages,” Tim explains. “We also sell stamps, rent mailboxes, that sort of thing.”

� e shop keeps Tim on his toes all day, every day, but being on his toes became a painful experience for him after he stubbed the third toe on his left foot against a bedpost one night last year.

“It was all black and blue and sore, but that part eventually went away,” Tim says. “At least, it did until I did the same thing again – same toe and everything – a few weeks later. After that, the toe healed up just � ne, but the nail didn’t.

“It started to grow up instead of out, and it became a bit of a problem because you couldn’t clip it right. It was

The dream of one day becoming his own boss and owning his own business became a reality for Tim Lowe about 19 years

ago, when he left the storage company he was working for and opened up a package and shipping store in Sarasota.

“We do the same thing that a UPS® store does, but we provide more services, including UPS, FedEx® and postal for ship-ping packages,” Tim explains. “We also sell stamps, rent mailboxes, that sort of thing.”

� e shop keeps Tim on his toes all day, every day, but being on his toes became a painful experience for him after he stubbed the third toe on his left foot against a bedpost one night last year.

“It was all black and blue and sore, but that part eventually went away,” Tim says. “At least, it did until I did the same thing again – same toe and everything – a few weeks later. After that, the toe healed up just � ne, but the nail didn’t.

“It started to grow up instead of out, and it became a bit of a problem because you couldn’t clip it right. It was

all discolored and became kind of hideous-looking. It didn’t look healthy to me, so I decided to have a foot doctor check it out.”

No Tests, No Side Eff ects� e foot doctor Tim chose is Dawn Chiu, DPM, of Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center. Dr. Chiu diagnosed Tim’s problem as toenail fungus and prescribed PinPointe™ FootLaser® therapy, which is her preferred weapon of choice in the battle against toenail fungus.

“I prefer it because unlike oral medications, which can upset a person’s stomach, the laser treat-ment kills the underlying fungus without causing side effects, and there’s no need for the patient to take a blood test beforehand,” Dr. Chiu informs.

The in-office laser treatment lasts only a few minutes, during which time the laser is passed over the nail in a crisscross pattern to ensure full coverage. Patients usually feel a warm sensation on their toe while the laser treatment is in progress, but no pain.

Afterward, patients can resume normal activities. When combined with

all discolored and became kind of hideous-looking. It didn’t look healthy to me, so I decided to have a foot doctor check it out.”

No Tests, No Side Eff ects� e foot doctor Tim chose is Dawn Chiu, DPM, of Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center. Dr. Chiu diagnosed Tim’s problem as toenail fungus and prescribed PinPointe™ FootLaser® therapy, which is her preferred weapon of choice in the battle against toenail fungus.

“I prefer it because unlike oral medications, which can upset a person’s stomach, the laser treat-ment kills the underlying fungus without causing side effects, and there’s no need for the patient to take a blood test beforehand,” Dr. Chiu informs.

The in-office laser treatment lasts only a few minutes, during which time the laser is passed over the nail in a crisscross pattern to ensure full coverage. Patients usually feel a warm sensation on their toe while the laser treatment is in progress, but no pain.

Afterward, patients can resume normal activities. When combined with

topical ointments, the laser treatment has an 80 percent success rate. Tim, who had the treatment performed twice during a six-month period, is factored into that success rate.

“Dr. Chiu did the laser treatment and prescribed a topical ointment, and together, they made a big difference,” Tim exudes. “� e nail started to get better really fast after the � rst treatment, and after a second, it was looking good and growing normally again.”

Tim says he now has five healthy-looking toes on each foot. He doubts that

would be the case had he not gone to Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center and received the PinPointe FootLaser treatment from Dr. Chiu.

“She’s really good,” he enthuses. “She’s so good that I’ve already referred a couple of

friends to her. I can tell you this: If I ever have a problem like that again, Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center is the place I’m going to. I won’t go anywhere else.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Jordan Pysz.

Before and after images courtesy of Sarasota Foot and Ankle

Center. mkb

topical ointments, the laser treatment has an 80 percent success rate. Tim, who had the treatment performed twice during a six-month period, is factored into that success rate.

“Dr. Chiu did the laser treatment and prescribed a topical ointment, and together, they made a big difference,” Tim exudes. “� e nail started to get better really fast after the � rst treatment, and after a second, it was looking good and growing normally again.”

Tim says he now has five healthy-looking toes on each foot. He doubts that

would be the case had he not gone to Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center and received the PinPointe FootLaser treatment from Dr. Chiu.

“She’s really good,” he enthuses. “She’s so good that I’ve already referred a couple of

friends to her. I can tell you this: If I ever have a problem like that again, Sarasota Foot and Ankle Center is the place I’m going to. I won’t go anywhere else.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Photo by Jordan Pysz.

Before and after images courtesy of Sarasota Foot and Ankle

Center. mkb

L arry Solie grew up on a ranch, so he’s no stranger to responsibility and hard work out-doors. Every day, he toiled in the garden and cared for the horses. It was a natural transition

when he became executive director of a wilderness pro-gram for troubled teens.

“Minimally invasive laser laminotomy is per-formed through a half-inch incision in the back,” Dr. St. Louis explains. “The incision is carefully placed with the help of a special x-ray called C-arm fluoroscopy. Laminotomy is carried out using a scope with a camera, and the surgeon operates while visual-izing images from the camera on a computer screen.

“Once the incision is made, we insert a series of tubes to dilate the muscles that sit on top of the bone and create an opening in the lamina using a laser, small drill and a kerasin. We use rongeurs to remove the pieces of bone that were in the lamina.”

To relieve pressure on spinal nerves, Dr. St. Louis uses the kerasin to remove some of the bone sur-rounding the foramen where the nerves exit the spinal cord. This is a foraminotomy. Because laminotomy and foraminotomy are performed minimally inva-sively, recovery is short and complications are rare.

“I typically instruct patients to walk for an hour the day after surgery in three twenty-minute intervals,” Dr. St. Louis informs. “Total recovery time depends on the patient’s degree of activity. If they’re return-ing to a desk job, they can go back within a week. If they do manual labor, they must wait anywhere from two weeks to a month.”

Dr. St. Louis makes a point of noting that Physician Partners of America accepts Medicare, so

patients with Medicare don’t have to pay large out-of-pocket sums for their laser surgery. This is important because many of the conditions that require procedures such as laminotomy and foraminotomy are common in older adults.

“As people age, they often develop bone spurs that can pinch the spinal cord or spinal nerves and cause pain,” the doctor observes. “In addi-tion, every nerve travels through a tunnel, and over time, that tunnel shrinks and puts pressure on the nerve. Laminotomy and foraminotomy remove the bone spurs and open up the tunnels, freeing the nerves and relieving pain.”

“Immediate Relief”Dr. St. Louis thoroughly explained what was caus-ing Larry’s back and leg pain, and detailed how laser laminotomy and foraminotomy would repair the problem. Larry agreed to undergo the proce-dures and was amazed by how quickly he noticed a difference in his condition.

“I felt immediate relief,” Larry enthuses. “And my recovery was very quick. I walked out of sur-gery with no pain in my back or down my legs. At first, I attributed most of the relief to the anesthe-sia, but the pain hasn’t returned. There’s zero pain now, when before it was a ten.”Larry no longer suffers with discomfort in his

back or legs, so he’s able to perform his favorite activ-ities. Those include working in the garden, shades of his days on the ranch.

“My wife doesn’t call me a gardener,” Larry relates. “She calls me a landscaper because what I do requires a lot of physical activity. We walk daily as well. And I recently picked up an airbrush. I’ve been an artist all my life, so I’m moving into a different level of art.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to boating and traveling. I had to cancel a couple of trips due to my back pain, but that’s all behind me now. I highly recommend Dr. St. Louis and his team at Physician Partners of America. They provided me with pain relief and in turn gave me my life back.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Jordan Pysz. ke

JAMES ST. LOUIS, DOKEITH GIRTON, MD

James St. Louis, DO, earned his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. He received his osteopathic medicine degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, and completed

his surgical training in the US Army and at Kennedy Medical Center in Cherry Hill, NJ. Dr. St. Louis is a member of many medical organizations including the American Osteopathic Association, American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, American Medical Association and American Association of Physician Specialists.

Larry already had an idea where he’d go for help with his bad back. His daughter worked for Physician Partners of America, and Larry knew their surgeons performed minimally invasive laser spine surgery. Larry made an appointment and met with Dr. James St. Louis, director of the practice’s Minimally Invasive Spine Group.

Attachment Point “Upon evaluating Larry, I discovered that a dam-aged disc in his lower spine was pinching the nerves exiting through the openings in the spinal column, which are called foramen,” Dr. St. Louis explains. “Pressure on the nerves caused the pain in his back and numbness down his legs.

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Physician Partners of America is committed to providing the highest levels of compassionate, patient-centered care possible. They have locations across Florida to serve you. To schedule a consultation with one of their pain management or minimally invasive laser spine specialists, call or visit one of their offi ces:

Keith Girton, MD, is board certifi ed by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a native of Columbus, Ohio and earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Girton completed a residency in family medicine at Miami Valley Hospital in Ohio and a residency in orthopedics at Fort Worth Affi liated Hospitals in Texas. During his second residency, he joined the US Air Force and was stationed at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville, Illinois. He was honorably discharged.

To learn more, visit them online at PPOASpine.com

“� e program operated over a � fty-thousand-acre spread in Central Oregon,” Larry describes. “We worked with three hundred teens a year. � ey learned tracking and navigation skills, how to build � res with-out matches and many Native American-style ways of living in the wilderness.

“Before I took over that program, I was head-master at a school for troubled boys. During that time, I met the founder of the wilderness program – an ex-ranger who wanted help with his business. We formed an alliance to cross-train our kids, and I eventually bought his program.”

Larry expanded the program, which was featured on a television series in 2003. � e show garnered national recognition for Larry’s program as well as the attention of larger organizations doing residential and wilderness-based programming. Larry left his program in the capable hands of one of those organizations and retired in 2006.

Unfortunately, all those years of working on the ranch and hiking and sleeping on the hard ground in the wilderness took a toll on Larry’s back. � at distress was compounded by damage done to his back during his military career.

“I served during the Six-Day War, and we got banged around on my ship quite a bit,” Larry recalls. “When my ship was torpedoed, I su� ered an injury to my spine that didn’t show up until later. Couple that with the walking and lifting I did, and the strain on my back really got bad.

“� e � rst symptom I noticed was weakness in my right leg, followed by numbness and cramping in both legs. I also experienced pretty intense pain in my back and down my left leg. � ere were stabbing, sharp pains, then there were dull pains. It ran the gamut, but the pain was a ten on a scale of one to ten. If I lifted something, I could guarantee I’d be in pain for days. I’m a very active person. It was di� cult for me to just sit still.

“My wife and I like to go boating and travel, and I draw and paint outside, but with a bad back, I didn’t do much but sit on ice and take pain pills. It got to the point that my wife said, Look, I want to travel, but if you want to sit here in pain, I’ll get you a subscription to the newspaper. � at prompted me to seek treatment.”

The affected nerve is identified after evaluating the patient’s symptoms and using MRI to pinpoint the specific nerve.

“To address Larry’s condition, I chose to per-form two minimally invasive laser spine procedures, a laminotomy and a foraminotomy,” Dr. St. Louis continues. “The goal of performing those procedures was to ease the pressure on Larry’s nerves and relieve his painful symptoms.”

A lamina is a part of the vertebral arch. A pair of laminae join with the bony projections that jut from the middle of the vertebrae, called spinous processes, to provide a point of attachment for the spine’s mus-cles and ligaments. A laminotomy is the removal of some of the lamina to relieve pressure from the bone pressing on the spinal cord.

Lakewood Ranch(pain management)

6310 Health Parkway, Suite 320

St. Petersburg (pain/spine)

5767 49TH Street N.

Tampa (pain/spine)

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1736 33RD Street

Page 8 | Florida Health Care News | Spring 2020 | Manatee County Edition Manatee County Edition | Spring 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 9General, coSMetic & reStorative DentiStry

poDiatry

laSer Spine SurGery

T here’s no debating it. Internet and video games are popular in this country. A recent Pew survey found that 97 percent

of teen boys and 83 percent of teen girls play games on some type of device. But it’s not just kids who are playing. Research shows that about 160 million American adults play some kind of video game as well.

� e question is, are kids and adults playing too many video and internet games and has this pastime become a disease or an addiction?

One answer comes from the World Health Organization (WHO). � e WHO o� cially recognized gaming addiction as a disease in 2019, when it agreed to include gaming disorder, which includes internet and video gaming, as a condition in its International Classi� cation of Diseases (ICD) 11th Edition.

MEDICAL DISORDER

to change the behavior of a habit. � ese specialists also argue that labeling someone an addict and saying they have a chronic disease can have lasting consequences on that person’s life and self-esteem. � is is especially true for teens who are in the process of forming their identities.

Whatever you call it, overdoing it on the games to the point of ignoring everything else is not okay. If that’s you and you can’t stop, seek a qualified professional’s help to reduce your urge to play and modify your behavior. Don’t be afraid and don’t wait. After all, life is not a game. FHCN staff article. mkb

3⁄4 of all Americans

have at least one gamer

in their household

� e ICD serves as the international standard for diagnosing and treating health conditions. It’s used by health care professionals across the globe. � e WHO based its decision to include gaming disorder in the ICD on available research and a consensus among a group of international experts in the � eld.

The ICD describes people with gaming disorder as having a “pattern of gaming behavior characterized by impaired control” that also involves prioritizing gaming over other daily responsibilities, including school, work and social appointments.

Another comes from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Considered the bible for American mental health prac-titioners, the DSM-5 doesn’t recognize gaming disorder as a condition, but in 2013 it did list internet gaming disorder in a section recommending conditions for further research.

The DSM-5 notes that internet gaming must cause

“significant impairment or distress” in several aspects of a person’s life and proposed a set of

symptoms that includes preoccupation with gaming, withdrawal symptoms when gaming

is taken away or not available, the need to spend more time gaming to satisfy the urge, giving up other activities, loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, having jeopardized or lost a job or relationship due to gaming, inability to reduce gaming or unsuccessful attempts to quit, deceiving others about the amount of time spent gaming, using gaming to relieve negative moods, such as guilt or hopelessness.

According to the DSM-5, a person must have � ve or more of these symptoms within a year to be diagnosed with internet gaming disorder. But not all experts agree that gaming, internet or otherwise, should be considered a disorder. Some argue that gaming can’t be separated from general screen overuse, which includes social media use as well. Others suggest that intense gaming is a symptom of another disorder such as anxiety, depression or ADHD.

And there’s research to back that up. One study found that children who had problems with video games were more likely to also have a diagnosis of ADHD or autism spectrum. � ose who struggled with social media use often also struggled with depression or anxiety.

Another group of specialists recom-mends referring to gaming as a habit rather than a disorder or addiction. � ey explain that people feel more empowered

SOUTH FLORIDA EYE CLINICSCOTT L. GELLER, MD

For Eye Floater Solutions

South Florida Eye Clinic is located in Fort Myers at:

4755 Summerlin Rd. Call Dr. Geller at:

(239) 275-8222or toll-free at:

(877) 371-3937

Scott L. Geller, MD, is board certifi ed by the American Board of Ophthalmology. He is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and Rush Medical College. While in med-ical school, he was awarded a student fellowship to study tropical medicine at a missionary hospital in India, and pursued additional studies at the famous Brompton Hospital in London, England. He interned at Presbyterian Hospital, Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, and completed his residency in ophthalmology at Sinai Hospital of Detroit, which was affi liated with Wayne State Medical School and Kresge Eye Institute. Dr. Geller was fellowship-trained in anterior segment and refractive surgery with Dr. William Myers of the Michigan Eye Institute. Dr. Geller is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and has presented papers on eye fl oater laser treatment at the International Congress of Ophthalmology, European Congress o f C a t a r a c t & Refractive Surgery, European Congress of Ophthalmology and the Florida S o c i e t y o f Ophthalmology.

SCAN THIS TO YOUR SMARTPHONE

TO SEE ACTUAL PATIENTS

Dr. Geller has performed more than 20,000 documented eye � oater laser sessions.

See what Dr. Geller’s patients say about the Eye Floater Laser at www.vimeo.com/eye� oaters and on the Scott Geller MD YouTube channel.

Eye Floater LaserScott Geller, MD, teaches the technique worldwide

W ith more than 20,000 documented eye � oater laser sessions com-pleted, Dr. Scott Geller,

a board-certi� ed ophthalmologist, has the largest and longest clinical series of eye � oater laser sessions in the United States, and probably worldwide.

“I became interested in this niche ophthalmic specialty after I was trained by the professors in Switzerland who were using lasers to cut membranes in diabetic patients,” Dr. Geller explains. “� ey never thought of applying it to eye � oaters.”

Some doctors and patients creditDr. Geller with inventing the technique.

“I just applied the training and tech-niques I learned to eye � oaters, and have had amazing success,” Dr. Geller says. “I have presented my results and technique at major scienti� c meetings worldwide starting with the International Congress

of Ophthalmology in Singapore over twenty-� ve years and thousands of cases ago.”

Dr. Geller’s last presentations were at the prestigious Florida Society of Ophthalmology and the Orione Ophthalmic Congress in Italy, where he performed eye � oater laser sessions on selected patients.

“Almost all ophthalmologists use lasers in their practice, but they can’t treat eye � oaters with the precision and predict-ability required to do the best job possible, because most YAG lasers are not con� g-ured to work in the vitreous gel, where � oaters are created,” Dr. Geller states.

Recently, a major oph-thalmic laser manufacturer has devised a laser for � oaters.

“� e problem is, there have been no training courses for ophthalmologists who might be interested in this area,” Dr. Geller notes. “And that can lead to complications.”

Dr. Geller was the prin-cipal author of the only presentation on this subject at the American Academy of Ophthalmology in 2012.

“I have tried the other lasers, and if they were supe-rior, I would purchase one immediately,” Dr. Geller says. “I use the Swiss made LASAG laser. It is definitely,

in my hands, superior to the others out there. And I have two of them.”

Dr. Geller has a worldwide patient base. He has treated patients from Europe, Russia, China, Japan and most recently, an anesthesiologist from Brazil.

Dr. Gel ler a lways welcomes colleagues to observe or just call if they need to re� ne their own technique.

“Laser treatment of eye � oaters is fascinating,” Dr. Geller says. “I look for-ward to doing this every day.”Article submitted by Scott L. Geller, MD. Photo by

Jordan Pysz. mkb

Hawthorne Village of Brandon

To learn more, please visit www.Hawthornevillageofbrandon.com

Mail to:Hawthorne Village of BrandonAttn: Administration W. Lumsden Rd.Brandon, FL () -

YES! Please send me additional FREE information about:

Name: __________________________________________

Address: _______________________

_______________________________

Phone: ________________________

City: _________ State: ___ Zip: _____

The Estates (senior living) The Inn (assisted living)

Bounce Back Rehab (inpatient/outpatient)

Come By or Call For a Tour

Hawthorne Village of Brandon is a full-service retirement community

located at:

851 W. Lumsden Road

(813) 661-8998

Wedding Bells RingCouple nds forever love in retirement community

For the first three years that he l ived there , Hawthorne Village of Brandon resident Chuck Ruby sat with friends in

the back of the dining room at meal time and watched impassively as the rest of the residents came and went.

Then, in May 2018, Betty Sims walked in and turned his world around.

“I thought I recognized her,” Chuck remembers. “I thought she was someone I’d known before or was acquainted with. � en, later that day, a friend of hers intro-duced me to her. It turns out, we had no prior connection. But there was a connection.”

Oh, was there ever. Like a schoolboy, 93-year-old Chuck was smitten. So much so that a couple days after � rst meeting her, he asked Betty, 87, for a date. She accepted and while the two dined together at a nearby restaurant, Betty developed an a� ection for Chuck.

“I liked his demeanor, the way he acted,” says Betty, a widow of ten years who soon learned that Chuck had been a widower for eight years, that they were both Christians and that Hawthorne Village was their � rst experience living in a retirement community.

With all that in common, Chuck and Betty’s � rst date soon led to a second, then a third and a fourth. Before long, they were spending long parts of the day with one another, including taking daily strolls through the Hawthorne Village community.

When they started visiting respective family members together, it was obvious a special bond was growing between them. Chuck and Betty sancti� ed that bond and were married in front of an entire congre-gation at a church in Brandon last January.

Later that same day, their wedding reception was held at Hawthorne Village of Brandon, a not-for-pro� t, full-service retirement community composed of

are trained in activity-based programs designed to minimize the negative e� ects of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Hawthorne Village of Brandon also o� ers skilled nursing and rehabilitation therapies on an inpatient and outpa-tient basis through its Bounce Back® Rehabilitation Program, which is designed to help seniors recovering from major illness

or trauma regain function and mobility.

“It took me two years to fall in love with my � rst husband, but it only took me two months to fall in love with Chuck,” she says. “Now Chuck, on the other hand, he moved a lot slower than me, so for a while, I wasn’t sure how he really felt.

“So one night, I said a prayer and said, Lord, I love Chuck, but he’s not saying much. If we’re supposed to be together, when he comes to see me tonight or tomorrow, let me know that he really is interested. And then that night, he told me he loved me.

“Now, we’re together and we’re very happy. We’re also very fortu-

nate because we don’t have to do any cooking or laundry. � ere’s no yard or house to take care of. It’s a very relaxing envi-ronment here, and it’s even better when you share it with someone you love.”

Chuck, who planned the reception with some help

from his daughter, says he was very happy living the life of a

bachelor and that, like Betty, he had no intentions of ever getting

married again when he � rst arrived at Hawthorne Village.

“But that all changed when I saw Betty and got to know her,” he says. “After that, the attraction to her was too great. It was so signi� cant that I knew we had to be together, and we agreed that the only way to do that the right way was to be married.

“Before that, I was living a good life as a bachelor. But now I’m living a fabulous life. My friends always ask me how I’m feeling, and I used to tell them, Oh, about seventy-� ve percent. Now, when they ask me how I feel, I tell them I feel one hundred eighty percent.”

Betty feels just as good.“Life is super, and it just gets better

every day,” she exudes. “And one of the best parts about it is, Chuck and I don’t just love each other, we really like each other. � at’s important, and that’s why I feel so blessed to be with him.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Center photo by Jordan

Pysz. Wedding photo courtesy of Hawthorne Village of

Brandon. mkb

three separate facilities, each of which specializes in its own aspect of carefree retirement living and wellness.

More Than Meets the EyeFor seniors such as Chuck and Betty who are looking for maximum independence and privacy, � e Estates o� ers the opportunity to live an active and independent lifestyle in an exquisite apartment home nestled inside a carefree, amenity-� lled setting.

For seniors who want to live inde-pendently but need assistance during the day or night, Hawthorne Inn provides highly trained professionals who can o� er medication assistance as well as aid with basic daily activities such as bathing, dressing and grooming.

And for seniors who require special-ized memory care, Hawthorne Village o� ers Garden Court, where sta� members

Chuck, who had p rev iou s l y

been l i v ing a lone in Palm Bay, came to

Hawthorne Village in 2015, largely to be closer to his daughter,

who lives in the area. Betty arrived three years later, ful� lling a promise she had made to herself several years earlier.

“I had a friend who lived here, and another friend and I came to see her one day,” Betty explains. “We both fell in love with the place and decided that if the time came when we couldn’t live by ourselves any more, we’d come here.”

Happy TogetherLike Chuck, Betty came to Hawthorne Village simply hoping to make a few friends. Finding a husband was the last thing on her mind as she began to settle in, but she learned quickly that fate can play tricks on you sometimes.

Chuck and Betty said “I do” last year.

Page 10 | Florida Health Care News | Spring 2020 | Manatee County Edition Manatee County Edition | Spring 2020 | Florida Health Care News | Page 11

Mental HealtH

eye Floater treatMent retireMent CoMMunity/al 9949

L ike a lot of young college stu-dents, Davis* spent his early 20s burning the candle at both ends. He didn’t have much of a

choice. Forced to pay for school himself, Davis chose to work his way through col-lege instead of leaning on student loans.

“I had a part-time job working about thirty hours a week at a shoe store, and I was taking a full load of classes,” Davis explains. “As you might guess, I didn’t get much sleep back then. But when you’re young, you don’t necessarily need a lot of sleep. Or so I thought.”

Davis maintained his hectic pace without issue for about two years. � en, about midway through his junior year, he began to feel sluggish. When the prob-lem persisted, he visited a doctor who told him the cause of his fatigue wasn’t his schedule, it was low testosterone.

“� e doctor told me to exercise more and eat better and that would probably take care of it,” Davis says. “And it did – for a while. A couple years later, I had the same problem again. � is time, the doctor put me on a testosterone booster.

“I’ve been taking that ever since, and for twenty-� ve years, all through my marriage, I never had another problem. � en about a year or two after my divorce, another problem developed. It wasn’t fatigue. It was erectile dysfunction.”

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to develop and maintain an erection, which is a condition far more common than many realize. In fact, studies show that some form of erectile dysfunc-tion affects more than half of all men during their lifetime.

The likelihood of a dysfunctional episode is even greater among men suf-fering from hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Smoking and the heavy consumption of alcohol and/or drugs (either illicit or prescription) can also cause erectile dysfunction.

Another cause of erectile dysfunc-tion is low testosterone. When Davis � rst experienced it, he naturally thought that was the cause of his struggle. He soon learned the problem was not a lack of tes-tosterone but a lack of su� cient blood � ow to the penis.

DAVID S. ZAMIKOFF, DC

Find them on the web at myo� ceinfo.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/Natural Healing Arts Medical Center

“For the past several years, I’ve been seeing a different doctor, and when I went to see him for this, he told me the blood vessels in my penis were clogged,” Davis recalls. “That was the bad news. The good news was, he had something that could fix it.”

The cause of Davis’ erectile dys-function is one that doctors have treated most often with oral medications such as VIAGRA®, CIALIS® and LEVITRA®, all of which can deliver the desired results. So, too, can some surgical procedures.

But there is now a far more prom-ising, nonsurgical, drug-free treatment for erectile dysfunction that many doc-tors, including Davis’ doctor, David S. Zamiko� , DC, of Natural Healing Arts Medical Center in Bradenton, prefer.

Root CauseThe treatment is called GAINSWave® therapy, and it has become the choice of many doctors instead of medica-tions because unlike medications, it addresses the root cause of erectile dysfunction, or ED, which is often a lack of proper blood flow to the penis.

“Of the millions of men who struggle to achieve a natural erectile response, approximately eighty per-cent do so because of poor circulatory issues in which the tiny capillaries in the penis and urogenital area are impaired,” Dr. Za m i k o f f educates.

“The likeli-hood of that kind of impairment inc rea se s d ra -matically as men age and plaque builds up in the blood vessels, but oral medications cannot remove the p laque or open those com-promised blood vessels to allow for a more regular � ow of blood to the penis.

“� e one treatment that can do all that and much more is GAINSWave therapy, which is based on the same tech-nology that’s used to break up kidney stones, meaning it uses sound wave tech-nology to do the job.”

Referred to clinically as extracor-poreal shock wave therapy, or ESWT, GAINSWave uses rapid pulses of high-

frequency acoustic sound waves to break up the plaque and calcium that have built up inside old or damaged blood vessels.

� e result is an increase in blood � ow through the existing, rejuvenated blood vessels, the creation of new blood vessels and the creation of new nerve tissue that improves sensitivity in the penis, which then improves the quality of the erection.

“It’s the newest and most promising treatment yet for ED,” Dr. Zamiko� says of the FDA-approved GAINSWave proce-dure, which has been used as a treatment option in Europe for more than 15 years and was approved for use in the United States in 2015.

GAINSWave can also be used to treat Peyronie’s disease, which is what occurs when scar tissue builds up in the penis and causes an abnormal bend or curvature to the penis that can impede urination and/or ejaculation.

“ By m a k i n g certain adjustments to the machine’s settings, we can treat fibrous tis-sue the same way we t re a t b lood vessels and break down the scar tissue that may be causing the irregular shape,” Dr. Zamiko� states. “The result is a straighter, pain-free erection.”

Using a hand-h e l d d e v i c e , GAINSWave treat-ments are performed in th e doc to r ’s o� ce, where a single

treatment lasts about 30 minutes. A full course of therapy generally consists of six sessions performed twice a week over the course of three weeks.

“� e response in many cases is almost immediate,” Dr. Zamiko� enthuses. “In fact, most patients begin to experience a noticeable di� erence in the quality of their erections as well as an improvement in sex-ual performance after just one treatment.

“Another advantage we’ve found is that there are no side e� ects associ-ated with this treatment. Nor is there any downtime for the patient. Once the procedure is over, the patient can walk out of the office and return to normal activities.”

Remarkable ResultsThe success rate associated with the GAINSWave technology is exceptional as well. One study performed in Europe discovered that the benefits of a single, 12-treatment course of GAINSWave therapy can last for as long as two years.

Dr. Zamiko� says that more than a year of continuous bene� ts is the norm for most patients. He also notes that while it’s not necessary, some patients choose to return for once-a-month “maintenance treatments” to ensure sustained bene� ts.

“� is really is the wave of the future for ED treatment because for someone who is young without any medical problems, the success rate is nearly one hundred percent,” Dr. Zamikoff adds. “And overall, the success rate is about seventy-� ve percent.”

Davis is among those who reported positive results. He says that after just four treatments, he and his girlfriend of about a year both noticed a significant difference in the strength and length of his erections as well as his ability to maintain them.

“Now, I have no trouble getting an erection at all,” Davis reports. “I’m even waking up with an erection every morning. It had been a while since that happened, so I’m doing really well for a sixty-nine-year-old guy.

“And that’s all thanks to Dr. Zamiko� . I’ve been with him now for almost ten years, and I pretty much go to him for all my med-ical problems because he stays current on all the latest technology.

“� at is why I so highly recommend him. He’s on top of everything, he has a great sta� that helps him and everyone there is very nice and professional. You won’t go wrong with Dr. Zamiko� and the sta� at Natural Healing Arts. I can promise you that.”FHCN article by Roy Cummings. Graphic courtesy of

GAINSWave. mkb *Patient’s name withheld at his request.

The Art of HealingNatural Healing Arts Medical Center is a multidisciplinary offi ce that takes a multi-doctor approach to healing and off ers chiropractic care, massage, physical therapy, acupuncture and medical services provided by an emergency medicine doctor and nurse practitioner. For more information call or visit their offi ce in Bradenton at:

2215 59th Street West

(941) 761-4994

David S. Zamikoff, DC, is a board-certified chiropractor with more than years of experience. He graduated from the Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles, California in and is currently licensed both nationally and at the state level. Dr. Zamikoff holds certification in operating room protocols and Manipulation Under Anesthesia by the American Academy of Manual and Physical Medicine. Dr. Zamikoff also holds a diplomate degree from the American Academy of Trauma Professionals and is the director of the Florida Chiropractic Association for Southwest Florida.

Page 12 | Florida Health Care News | Spring 2020 | Manatee County Edition ereCtile DysFunCtion