Chronic Illness

Sprains, strains, and fractures top the list of musculoskeletal injuries. A few of the most common include:
● Sprained ankles● Knee injuries● Rotator cuff injuries● Tendon and ligament tears● Herniated discs● Neuropathy
You can also develop many musculoskeletal diseases, with the most common being:
● Osteoarthritis● Rheumatoid arthritis● Osteoporosis● Fibromyalgia● Tendonitis
Musculoskeletal disorders often involve the nearby blood vessels and nerves, causing additional symptoms and complications.

Musculoskeletal disorders cause symptoms such as:
● Pain
● Swelling
● Bruising
● Muscle weakness
● Joint instability
● Tingling, burning, or numbness
● Limited movement
In most musculoskeletal conditions, your symptoms are localized, affecting only the injured or diseased area. But there are some exceptions. For example, fibromyalgia causes muscle and joint pain throughout your body. If you have a damaged nerve, you can feel pain, tingling, and numbness along the nerve. This usually happens when a pinched spinal nerve sends pain down your arms or legs.

The team at Rapha Health and Wellness begins with a thorough physical exam and orders diagnostic tests like ultrasound, CT scans, and X-rays when needed to evaluate your bones and soft tissues. After determining the cause of your symptoms, they create an individualized treatment plan that may include any of the following:
● Rest or immobilization● Changing your activities● Physical therapy● Pain management● Anti-inflammatory medications● Muscle relaxants● Knee injections● Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) joint injections
To make PRP treatments, your provider draws a sample of your blood and processes it in a centrifuge. The centrifuge separates the platelets and plasma from other blood cells. Your provider injects the platelets and plasma (PRP) into your joint. The platelets release proteins that naturally accelerate healing, reduce inflammation, and promote new cell growth. If you struggle with musculoskeletal pain, call Rapha Health and Wellness or book an appointment online today.

Diabetes has some telltale symptoms, such as:
● Frequent urination
● Excessive thirst and hunger
● Blurred vision
● Numbness in your toes, feet, fingers, or hands
● Extreme fatigue
You may also notice that you’re prone to fall ill frequently, or you can’t clear an infection. These, too, are signs of diabetes.

Depending on whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, the causes vary. Type 1 is genetic while the causes of Type 2 are largely associated with lifestyle factors, such as:
● Excess weight
● Lack of exercise or activity
● Poor diet
Other factors like age, race, genetics, and certain medical conditions increase your risk as well.

When the liver, fat, and muscle cells can’t properly sweep away extra sugar in your blood, you develop insulin resistance. Your pancreas makes more and more insulin to meet the need, but eventually can’t keep up with the constant demand. In addition to an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, insulin resistance can be triggered by polycystic ovary syndrome, certain medications, hypertension, hormonal disorders, or sleep apnea.

In addition to lifestyle counseling and nutritional coaching, Dr. Edokpayi works with you to minimize your risk factors and help reverse and manage your diabetes with:
● Exercise● Customized diet● Stress-management programs● Smoking cessation● Insulin pumps or injections● Oral medications
Your team at Rapha Health and Wellness consistently monitors your blood sugar to help you stay proactive and head off any problems before they progress. For a health partner who cares about your diabetes and helps you manage all aspects of it, call to book a consultation or use the online scheduler.

Cholesterol attaches to protein as it travels through your bloodstream. Together, the protein and cholesterol are called lipoproteins. Depending on its characteristics, a lipoprotein can be:
● LDL, or low-density lipoprotein: also called bad cholesterol, transports cholesterol through your body and sticks to vessel walls● HDL, or high-density lipoprotein: also called good cholesterol because it recycles sweeps away excess cholesterol and returns it to your liver.
Exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a healthy diet help you influence your good cholesterol.

If you have high cholesterol, fat can accumulate in your blood vessels. Over time, the fat builds up and makes it difficult or impossible for blood to flow easily. Pieces of the fatty deposits can detach from the walls of your veins and form deadly blood clots that trigger a heart attack or stroke.

Research shows that there are several key factors that put you at higher risk for high cholesterol:
● Family history
● Lack of exercise
● Poor diet
● Medication
Unfortunately, high cholesterol has no symptoms. It’s important to get regular checkups with Dr. Edokpayi, so she can run blood tests and monitor your cholesterol levels. This is something she and her team do as a matter of course with each patient.

Dr. Edokpayi customizes a treatment plan according to the cause of your high cholesterol. If you’ve inherited the problem, she’ll likely treat you with medication. If, however, your high cholesterol is associated with lifestyle factors, she writes a plan to help you adjust your diet, exercise more, lower your stress levels, and get more sleep. She keeps a close watch on your cholesterol levels as you work through the treatment program and adjusts the plan when necessary. For your cholesterol screening, call Rapha Health and Wellness or go online today.
Learn more about your cholesterol by reading our blog.