Author: Impact Medical Group

Why Exercising and Eating Well May Not Be Enough for Weight Loss

Weight loss journeys can be complicated, emotional, and sometimes frustrating. If you feel like you’re doing everything right but not losing weight, it may be time to consider other factors affecting the undesired outcome. Don’t shoot daggers at the scale just yet! Impact Medical Group of Tampa shares why exercising and eating well may not be enough for weight loss.

It’s important to remember that everyone is different when it comes to weight loss. What works for one individual may not work for another. However, there are a few practices that everyone may benefit from.

Drinking enough water is critical at any time but especially when on a weight loss journey. Recently, the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics cited several links between weight loss and water consumption. Staying hydrated can also look like adding IV vitamin fusions into your routine to achieve maximum results. Sedentary lifestyles are another area that does not bode well when you want weight loss results. For this, we recommend frequent breaks to stretch, exercise or simply move your body throughout the day.

Unbalanced hormones can also disrupt weight loss. In addition to managing the body’s fight-or-flight (stress) response, hormones also play a critical role in regulating hunger and mood. Because hormones are produced in small amounts within our cells, even low-dose replacement can have dramatic results. Generally, men tend to lose weight faster than women but total weight loss over time should not be that different. If you think hormonal issues might be a culprit, check out Impact Medical Group of Tampa’s hormone optimization services.

It’s important to have the right tools that can help you reach your weight loss goals. With our experienced team and proven methods, your next chapter can begin with gusto! Call Impact Medical Group of Tampa today at (813) 283-1910 or visit us online to schedule an appointment.

Yes, You Can Combat Muscle Loss After 40. Here’s How

If you have ever thought to yourself, “wow, I’m not as strong as I used to be,” you are not alone. Age-related muscle loss or sarcopenia affects just about everyone. According to Harvard Health Publishing, people begin to lose as much as five percent of their muscle mass per decade after they reach 30 years old. Don’t lose hope though – there are several ways to combat muscle loss. Impact Medical Group of Clearwater shares three ways below.

Pay attention to any hormonal changes you experience. Testosterone plays a vital role in determining muscle mass in the body and can decline with age. Usually, this starts around 40 years old and may decrease up to one percent annually. Introducing hormone optimization therapy can help restore hormonal balance while slowing down the aging process. Working with an experienced health professional can help you determine where an imbalance is and how to rectify it.

Movement may seem like an obvious recommendation, but it doesn’t hurt to remind the masses. A sedentary lifestyle can speed up the muscle-loss process so the best way to avoid that is by staying active. Prioritize activities that increase blood flow and oxygen to the muscles, strengthen brain-to-muscle coordination and promote a wide range of motion to the hips and shoulder area. Swimming, walking, and yoga are all great options.

Load up on vitamins, particularly Vitamin D. Older adults often experience Vitamin D deficiency that can lead to decreased muscle strength. If you are deficient, check with a doctor who may recommend supplements or additional IV vitamin infusions to help restore this critical element.

Our team at Impact Medical Group Clearwater is a progressive, multi-disciplinary medical practice dedicated to improving the overall health, happiness, and well-being of our community. Call us at (727) 292-0200 to make an appointment today!

How To Pay for Chiropractic Care

If you don’t have insurance or your insurance plan doesn’t cover your chiropractic care, you will likely have to pay out of pocket. But generally, this is better than using insurance anyway because insurance can be quite expensive!

Many chiropractors, like ours at Impact Medical Sun City Center, choose to use a cash-based model in their practice to keep everyone’s costs down.

Keep reading to learn why paying for your chiropractic treatment with cash is the best option!

The Benefits of Cash Pay Chiropractic Care

There are several great benefits to visiting a cash-pay chiropractic clinic, but one of the best ones is that you don’t have to pay for health insurance that isn’t right for you—especially one where your deductible is high, or chiropractic care isn’t covered! Not only that, but also cash-pay chiropractic services are often much more affordable than those offered through insurance.

Even if you do have health insurance, a visit to a cash-pay chiropractor can often be cheaper than your in-network providers where you may have a high co-pay or be on the hook for a big bill. Cash pay chiropractors set their own rates, and don’t have to go through insurance companies.

Another amazing benefit is that you generally get more time with your chiropractor at a cash-pay clinic since they don’t have to spend so much time creating records for insurance companies. They get to focus on you, their patient, instead.

Other benefits include:

Lower Costs

The best part of paying with cash for chiropractic care is that it keeps everyone’s costs down. Depending on the insurance carrier, fees can be quite high. And medical insurance companies have strict guidelines that also often result in higher fees for chiropractors and their patients. Paying with cash eliminates the middleman and the prices for care reflect that. 

Better Care

An unfortunate truth about our healthcare system is that chiropractors don’t always have the freedom to treat their patients as they would like to.

Cash-only chiropractors have the freedom to treat their patient’s health concerns as they see fit and develop a comprehensive treatment plan instead of just treating one symptom.

More Flexible Appointments

Cash-only chiropractors have fewer patients, which means that they can spend more time talking with and listening to their patient’s concerns. Our chiropractors can also have more flexibility when scheduling appointments with same-day or next-day scheduling often available.

Price Transparency

A cash pay system allows you to see the costs of each chiropractic service, with no wait on billing the insurance company. Transparency is the key at cash-pay chiropractic clinics.

Services Savings

With a cash-pay chiropractic clinic, you can look at saving money on diagnostic procedures such as X-rays and you can also get a better deal on certain kinds of other therapeutic services like physical therapy and manual.

Choose Better Health with Impact Medical

Take your health care into your own hands and visit Impact Medical Sun City Center for comprehensive chiropractic and physical therapy services. We offer cash-pay and accept most insurance providers.

Choose better health and choose how you want to pay at Impact Medical Sun City Center. Call today to schedule an appointment today—(813) 938-5195!

What to Expect During Manual Soft Tissue Therapy

Has a healthcare provider told you that you may benefit from manual soft tissue therapy? This physical therapy treatment involves a wide range of hands-on techniques that can ease pain and improve mobility. It helps patients recover from a wide range of problems, from injuries to conditions related to the natural aging process. Read on to learn what you can expect during manual soft tissue therapy, as well as some of the benefits you can achieve from this treatment option.

What Is Manual Soft Tissue Therapy?

If you’re currently in a physical therapy program, the overall goal is to help you return to your active lifestyle as soon as possible, and manual soft tissue therapy is just one part of your physical therapy journey. It’s a technique that involves gentle manipulation of soft tissue and joints by a trained and experienced physical therapist. Using specific hands-on techniques, your physical therapist improves your joints’ range of motion and flexibility; relaxes stiff muscles; and enhances circulation to injured tissue to speed the healing process.

What Does a Typical Manual Soft Tissue Therapy Session Include?

Manual soft tissue therapy is an ideal treatment for stiff joints and tight muscles, and the type of therapy techniques your physical therapist performs depends on your primary areas of concern. Your physical therapy team will develop a personalized program based on your functional needs, diagnosis, and overall health. A typical manual soft tissue therapy session can include:

• Manual therapy to relax tight muscles
• Manual traction for spinal decompression
• Gentle mobilization of joints
• Manipulation therapy to enhance range of motion
• Passive range of motion therapy to aid joint and body movement

Benefits of Manual Soft Tissue Therapy

Many physical therapy programs include manual soft tissue therapy since it’s so effective at improving health and function. And since treatment plans are customized to each patient’s individual concerns, it’s a personalized form of treatment that gets results. Manual therapy is highly beneficial for patients suffering from chronic pain and those who have musculoskeletal conditions, including:

• Arthritis
• Back pain
• Hip pain
• Knee pain
• Osteoporosis

Others who may benefit from manual therapy include patients experiencing muscle spasms or tension or stiff joints. Manual therapy can also boost your tolerance to therapeutic exercise programs, accelerating your recovery after an injury. Overall, you can expect less pain, swelling, and inflammation, as well as improvements in fitness and wellness when you follow a manual therapy program.

Manual Soft Tissue Therapy at Impact Medical Group of Sarasota

Manual soft tissue therapy can relieve your pain and improve your mobility, but only if you seek treatment from highly trained and certified physical therapists. The team at Impact Medical Group of Sarasota is ready to get you on the road to recovery so that you can live a better life. Call us today at (941) 222-1157 for more information about our treatment options and to schedule your free consultation!