Gaston Rehab Associates, Inc.

Car Seat Checks and Safe Kids Gaston County Gastonia, NC

My wife and I are expecting our first child at any moment. She is due in 3 weeks however anyone with children knows that babies can come at any time and now that she is past the 37 week mark the baby will be born at full term from this point on.  So with all of the anticipation we decided it would be a good idea to be as prepared as possible. We already had the car seat, so we thought we might as well put it in the car and get it set up so we are not trying to do it in a half asleep state while leaving the hospital.

Jim Landis, the fire safety educator and fire inspector for the Gastonia, NC Fire Department and the chair for Safe Kids Gaston County was very helpful in assisting us in making sure the car seat was secured correctly. Through the work with Safe Kids Gaston County, he and other trained technicians provide car seat checks for free and are always available by appointment to lend a helping hand. Even though the car seat came with instructions and we had properly placed the seat in the car, Jim was able to provide us with some reassurance and also with some helpful tips to make sure everyone, including the baby, are safe while in the car. Unfortunately an unsecured car seat is worse than no car seat at all because it provides a false sense of security.

For more information about car seat checks and to find out where they will be done next, please contact Jim at 704-866-6987. Thanks Jim for your professionalism and your assistance!

Dietition to speak at Physical Performance Center, Statesville NC

The Physical Performance Center at Gaston Rehab Associates, Inc. in Statesville, NC is excited to announce that Kate Ruley, MEd, RD, LDN of Wake Forest University will be presenting at the PPC Athletic Index Evaluation on Saturday May 23, 2009

Kate Ruley is the Campus Nutritionist at Wake Forest University. She is a registered and licensed Dietitian specializing in sports nutrition. Kate has over 6 years experience working with professional, collegiate, amateur and youth athletes on sport specific performance fueling and hydration strategies, weight loss/gain, proper supplement use, eating disorders, and food allergies related to sports nutrition.

To register for this event you can either call 704-768-1013 or go online to our web site.

Evidence Based treatments for Low Back Pain underutilized in Gastonia and Statesville, NC

People with back pain use many types of medical interventions, but often not those with the strongest evidence of effectiveness, such as therapeutic exercise, according to a Newswise article based on a study in the April 1 issue of Spine.

In a random telephone survey, researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, identified 732 adults with chronic low back pain. The respondents were asked in detail about the types of back pain treatments that they used. The respondents saw a wide range of physicians and other health professionals -- averaging 21 visits to nearly three different health care providers per year. Medications were widely used, with narcotics used by 61% of patients and muscle relaxants by 31%. Over the past year, more than one-third of patients had undergone advanced imaging procedures, such as CT and MRI scans. Respondents also reported using treatments for which there is little or no research evidence of effectiveness, such as traction, corsets or braces, or electrical nerve stimulators, the article says.

At the same time, the use of research-proven treatments was relatively low. Fewer than half of patients had a prescription for exercise, and only 30% had seen a physical therapist in the past year. Just 3% of patients had gone through a structured rehabilitation program—one of the few treatments with moderately strong evidence of effectiveness.

As in previous studies of back pain, many patients had symptoms of depression. However, few of these patients were taking antidepressant medications or seeing a mental health professional. The authors voiced concern about the overuse of narcotics and other medications and the underuse of exercise, antidepressants, and other proven treatments, says the article.

If you or a family member is having back pain and you are not satisfied with your current treatment or are not receiving any treatment at all, call our office today at 704-864-4424 (Gastonia) or 704-768-1013 (Statesville).