Book a Smart Lipo Procedure during the month of July and receive up to $500 off
Book a laser hair removal procedure and get your first treatment for free.
All Saltzer Med Spa services are provided by board certified physicians.
For more information go to www.saltzermedspa.com, or call 884-2950
Saltzer is proud to sponsor the Melba 4th of July parade. Come out at watch the parade this Saturday, July 3rd at 10:30 AM. We will be throwing candy and frisbees. It will be a lot of fun, and should be beautiful weather.
Last night I dreamed I forgot about my injury and starting walking without thinking about it. After a while I said “hey I am walking”, and everyone in the room said a cheer and then went about their business. Next Daranee, my PT rang my door bell and said a little cheer. But alas, I eventually awoke and realized I have a lot more work to do.
Yesterday was productive. I truly feel like I am making some progress. I increased my bike ride to ten minutes which not only made my foot hurt, but gave my deteriorated calf a workout too. Shuttle, stairs, and then we did a couple new exercises, one was curling my toes and making my arch flex, and the other one was stepping backward from ball to heel of my foot and flexing my ankle. Daranee also worked on my calf a little to help it relax. I had a nice visit with the lady next to me while that was going on. I am glad I had a distraction. After that my flexibility seemed to increase some which was encouraging. Today we switched to cold from the heat. With it being 100* out I didn’t mind. The machine not only provided cold air, but also pressure. The combination took most of the swelling out of my foot in just a few minutes.
On the Shuttle
I may look like a foot massage, but ouch!
It is Friday, June 25th
So, I have discovered my challenge is to find the balance between under and over doing my exercise. Too much and I am completely miserable and can hardly participate in therapy, but too little and I am not making the progress I would like.
I worked with someone new at therapy today. Candy put me through my usual paces and gave me a few extra tips. I do feel like on the shuttle I made a little more progress, but it doesn’t seem like much and I am feeling a little discouraged. Some times I am satisfied with making a small amount of improvement, other times I want to be 100% right now, which, of course, is not realistic. Candy massaged my foot and scar a little stronger than I’ve had in the past. It is kind of like getting a deep tissue massage you don’t know if you should say “ouch”, or “that feels good” But, in the end she put on that awesome heat!
I took some pictures today that I will post Monday.
March 14, 2010 is a day that changed my life forever. Okay that sounds a little dramatic, but it was a traumatic day in my life that has put me on a journey that has been full of highs, lows, tears and triumphs.
On that afternoon I had an accident that shattered by calcaneus (heel bone) and broke and displaced my fibula. Ten days later I had surgery to repair the damage. Fortunately I was blessed with an amazing surgeon that with some hardware and many screws was able to put my foot back together again.
Eleven weeks later, on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 I was able to start bearing weight on a foot that my brain had nearly forgotten existed. That was one week ago today. This is the story of my Rehab journey. Over the next nine weeks I will be sharing my joys and struggles in my road to recovery.
I had waited for the day I could bear weight for weeks. I was constantly saying “I am ready to actively participate in my recovery”. Well, the day came and I was both excited and apprehensive.
My first appointment with Saltzer rehab was the afternoon after I began bearing weight on my foot. I did not know what to expect, but my PT, Daranee quickly put me at ease explaining the basics of what we would be doing. This first session was fairly simple. It included some measurements, some massaging of my scar and basic exercises on getting my ankle moving. Then she applied heat to my ankle. It felt so good.
I know Daranee has much loftier goals than I do, but for now my goals are to have better flexion in my ankle, and to walk without crutches or other assistance in four weeks or less.
My second session was the following day. We started the day on the bike. This assisted on the flexion of my ankle as well as strengthening the calf muscle that has been sedentary for over three months. Next I worked on shifting my weight onto my ankle when I put my foot on a step. I then completed the exercises. Daranee massaged my scar and foot and ahh, that heat!
Friday I did not have therapy, but for some reason it was very emotional day for me. I am not sure if I expected too much from myself too soon, but I was emotional, but felt better once I let myself deal with those emotions.
Monday was session three. This was a big day for me in breaking through some emotional barriers. We again started on the bike, but then went to the shuttle that required me to lift myself with my feet. I suddenly realized I had not been putting any weight on my heel. The little bit I had been walking I had putting the majority of my weight on the ball of my foot. I then realized how my mind was holding me back. Once I put weight on my heel it was such a huge relief. Also at this session Daranee measured my percentage of weight I was putting on my injured foot. Her expectation at that point was to be 30% – 50%, where I was closer to 20%. It was a disappointment, but something to work on. After Daranee massaged my foot and scar… ahh that heat!
Tuesday I was determined to bear more weight on my foot, and I pushed myself to do more, more and more.
That brings us to today, Wednesday, June 23. I was sore when I woke up from my hard work from yesterday. I took some Ibuprofen to get me by. My therapy session was midmorning and my ankle was already starting to swell. On the bike, we lowered the seat and adjusted my foot position to increase flexion. The shuttle was next, Stairs, then some knee bends, which also make the ankle bend (ouch). She also put me on some blocks where I had to pull my self forward and flex my ankle. I then did some “prancing”, okay that is probably not the official name, but that is what is seems like to me. Pick up my knee, flex my toes up as much as possible and put it down heel to toe. Felt funny, but I am sure it will help my gait when I start walking again without crutches. Oh yeah, then that awesome heat!
Although it is coming in small increments I am seeing improvement. One small step a at time.
My next session is Friday, so talk to you then.
I had been going to a chiropractor for 20 years for an injury I received in a car accident, but upon meeting Dr. Kristyn Schelhaas I was inspired to try something different, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT).
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but was hopeful for positive results, and was thrilled to find, unlike chiropractic care, it was covered by my insurance.
The first thing Dr. Schelhaas did was pull my feet to be sure my body was straight. She then felt my neck and spine to feel where I was carrying my tension. It only took her a moment to discover all of my tension was in my shoulders. This was followed by lying on my stomach so that she could work on my upper back. Then I rolled over and this is when I realized this treatment was very different from any chiropractic treatment I had ever received. She stretched my muscles and used resistance from the muscles in my neck and shoulders to “straighten me out” My neck and spine aligned naturally because of the work she had done on my muscles. When she was finished I felt better than I had felt in years. She sent me home with daily stretches that were appropriate for my condition, and when I do them regularly I feel great!
When talking to Dr. Schelhaas she explained that every patient’s treatment is different, she says that depending on their pain, prior injuries and where they carry their tension she can personalize their plan to maximize each individuals relief.
Just like chiropractic, this is not a one time fix. There is a need to make return visits for on-going relief. Those time frames are different for each individual. I normally go between six and eight weeks between sessions.
Kristyn Schelhaas, D.O. is a Family Practice physician. She practices primary care from pediatrics to geriatrics, including Obstetrics. As a D.O. she is a licensed physician that is able to provide a full spectrum of medical services. So, you may ask, what is the difference between a D.O. and an M.D.? So here is the answer, in some ways very little, in other ways there is an obvious difference.
Both M.D.s and D.O.s complete four years of basic medical education and after medical school complete internships and residencies. This training typically lasts three to six years and prepares D.O.s and M.D.s to practice a specific specialty such as family practice, OB/GYN, surgery or pediatrics. Of the 67,000 D.O.s currently practicing in the United States, 64% practice as primary care physicians.
Licensing examinations for both M.D. and D.O. are comparable and both practice in fully accredited and licensed health care facilities.
So, there are the similarities, what about the differences?
D.O.s are trained to treat “the whole person”. They learn that all systems interact and influence each other with emphasis on the musculoskeletal system.
They also believe that the body is often capable of healing itself and often look for the underlying cause of injury or disease. OMT is one way of assisting our bodies to heal themselves but there are often conversations regarding lifestyle, stress, nutrition and other possible causes.
Of course D.O.s utilize the most current medical diagnostic equipment available, such as lab and imaging services to diagnose a disease or injury, however when there is no explanation for pain or illness, OMT can often offer relief. It has been known to relieve asthma, sinus conditions, migraines and many other physical ailments.
When searching for a physician that best fits your needs consider what a D.O. has to offer. If you have ongoing chronic pain that cannot be explained consider visiting a D.O. for an OMT (Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment). Most D.O.s will allow you to make an appointment for OMT even if you have a different primary care physician. Trust me, if you have ongoing pain this treatment may provide you with the relief you have been looking for.
Kristyn Schelhaas, D.O. is a family practice physician at Saltzer Medical Group in Nampa. To schedule an appointment please call 468-5910.
CENTER FOR SPINE WELLNESS
OPEN HOUSE
Thursday, June 17th
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
(Ribbon Cutting at 3:30 PM)
4400 E. Flamingo Drive, Nampa
Mercy North Health Center (Corner of I-84 and Garrity)
Come check out the latest in spine injury prevention and treatment
Refreshments will be served
Questions? Contact Janet Miller – 463-3067 or jjmiller@saltzermed.com
*CSW Services Provided by Saltzer Medical Group and St. Luke’s
