Medical

The City of Santa Clarita is proud to announce the creation of the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, set to begin play the summer of 2010.  A United Soccer Leagues W-League team, the Blue Heat will serve as Santa Clarita’s first ever elite women’s soccer team.
“It is a privilege and an honor for the City of Santa Clarita to be home to the Santa Clarita Blue Heat,” said City of Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste.  “Sports tourism is an important focus for the City of Santa Clarita, and being home to an elite women’s soccer team is a tremendous opportunity for the local community.”

Dr. Fellows, a native of Illinois, studied in both the Midwest and Southern California. He graduated magna cum laude with a psychobiology major from the University of Southern California. He then earned his medical degree from the prestigious Northwestern University in Chicago. After a five-year general surgery residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, he returned to the University of California Los Angeles’s renowned program to complete his plastic and reconstructive surgery residency.

According to Valencia foot and ankle surgeons Leslie G. Levy, DPM and Dana Lavian, DPM, FACFAS the most common types of dance-related foot and ankle problems are overuse injuries, which occur due to the repetitive movements in dance.  “Over 50 percent of dance injuries occur in the foot and ankle.  The severity of the damage is determined by a patient’s age, strength and flexibility and the type of shoes worn when dancing,” said Dr. Levy and Dr. Lavian.

As the New Year begins, people make resolutions to alter their lives.  Most don’t follow through on these resolutions.  How can we motivate ourselves to make these adjustments permanent?
The first problem is focusing on denying ourselves something.  We do things to meet our needs. 

Most of us will be setting goals in this New Year.  How many of you reached the goals that you set for yourselves last year?  Maybe you’re still working on it?  Maybe you keep falling back into your old behaviors?  Maybe it’s time to entertain the possibility of a different approach?  It has been proven that hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for helping people reach their goals.  Millions of Americans have used hypnosis as a safe and natural alternative to help them quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, sleep better, overcome fears, break bad habits and improve their golf game just to name a few. 

Last time we said that key to losing weight is appetite control.  This time, I want to talk about eating habits.  First, you should eat less, but without changing eating habits it is difficult to lose weight.  Oftentimes those who are overweight have slow metabolism and this may have been caused by thyroid problems or low body temperature. 

For decades, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended that patients with certain heart conditions take antibiotics shortly before dental treatment. This was done with the belief that antibiotics would prevent infective endocarditis (IE), previously referred to as bacterial endocarditis. IE is an infection of the heart’s inner lining or valves, which results when bacteria enter the bloodstream and travel to the heart. Bacteria normally are found in various sites of the body including on the skin and in the mouth.

How come every house isn’t a dull, square functional structure?  Isn’t the purpose of a house to shelter a family?  How come every high rise doesn’t look alike?  Shouldn’t a high rise simply provide office space?  Who cares what it looks like?  Isn’t it vain to care about the physical beauty of a building?  Why do you care what your car looks like?  Isn’t it supposed to simply get you safely from point A to point B?   Why would someone care what their jacket or sweater look like? 

In past articles, I have pointed out the connection between your oral health and your overall health.  Scientific research is showing how periodontal disease increases the probability and complications of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and premature and low birth weight babies.  With the mounting evidence of the correlation between oral hygiene and systemic diseases, it makes perfect sense that the Veterinary medicine community has started to highlight the connection as well.

Happy New Year everyone!  Did last year seem to just fly by again?  Where does time go?  As a new year begins, most people get motivated to change or pick up a healthy habit, such as exercising or eating better.  So what happens by the time April comes along?  Where does that motivation go?

Over 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease; an autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue.  Autoimmune disorders include Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, thyroid disease, Addison’s disease, pernicious anemia, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and Guillain–Barré syndrome.  Due to the complexity of treating autoimmune disorders, integrative medicine solutions including acupuncture and Oriental medicine have received much attention as successful therapies in their treatment.  Acupuncture is specifically noted for its use in pain relief, regulating the immune system, managing symptoms and improving quality of life.

Preparation is knowledge, and knowledge is power!  In the quest to help people to be empowered, informed and prepared when faced with decisions of caring for an aging loved one, or as we are confronted with decisions regarding our own path, I will be taking the opportunity to host a new radio show on our local station AM 1220 KHTS called Aging with Power, Tuesdays at 11 a.m. 

Each month I highlight a workshop that weSPARK offers to enhance the lives of cancer patients, their friends and families.  Michael Watson of Valencia Martial Arts teaches Tai Chi on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m.  Using the flowing and graceful movements of Tai Chi is very beneficial for your mind and body.  It reduces stress, improves balance and coordination, enhances memory and concentration, improves circulation, relieves joint stiffness and increases flexibility.  One weSPARK guest Candi Sisk says, “doing tai chi forces me to be in the present moment.  I find it peaceful and meditative.  Thanks so much to Michael for his continued dedication to weSPARK.”

The Mobile Solutions Van from the Braille Institute will be available for the visually impaired at the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5 as well as Tuesday, February 9, 2010.

I would like to thank you for all that you have done for me.  As you know, when I first came to you a few weeks ago, I was on the verge of tears while explaining to you my frustration with my state of being.  I was deeply depressed, something I was certainly not used to, and my weight issues mostly caused it.  I had literally tried everything, and acupuncture was pretty much my last hope although I never thought of treating weight problems with acupuncture.  My cravings for sweets were way out of control. 

What’s your New Year’s resolution?  This year make the decision to take charge of your health for the future.  The foods you eat, the amount of water you drink, and your activity level today will impact your life in later decades.
Eating the right foods and the right amount can help you live a longer, healthier life.  Many illnesses and conditions such as heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes can be prevented or controlled by eating right.  A healthy diet also provides the vitamins, minerals, and anti oxidants that slow down the aging process and help you feel younger.

To Reach Out to Those Suffering from Obesity

Dr. Marc Lussier, the medical director of Town Center Surgery, a practice offering plastic surgery and weight loss surgery in Valencia, is launching a brand new website geared toward educating the community on new surgical solutions that can combat obesity.  Dr. Lussier says the new site is equipped with state-of-the-art tools of the internet that help reflect his philosophy of care and the treatments available to help people lose weight and start living healthier lifestyles.

Helm Vision Group is pleased to announce the arrival of the latest technology in laser vision correction here in the Santa Clarita Valley.  We now have the Alcon Wavelight Allegretto laser system here at the Laser Vision Center of Santa Clarita.  The German designed and engineered ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ is the first vision correction system in the world specifically built to preserve the natural shape of the cornea, resulting in clearer vision, in both daylight and low light conditions.  Studies have found the ALLEGRETTO WAVE™ to be one of the first lasers in which patients reported a reduction in postoperative glare compared to their preoperative vision.