Dr. Baxter's Blog

Handling Pain for the Student Athlete

An alternative option for pain care management and sport injuries Injuries are inevitable. While few are life or participation-ending, any injury can take your student athlete temporarily out of the game. From a minor bruise to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, what does the student athlete do? While times are changing, some “old-school” schools used to have opioids in a desk to keep valuable players in the game. We know more now about dangerous pain relief, as well as new technology to help heal healthily. Why Student-athletes Need Opioid Alternatives Losing play time or appearing to be less-than-tough can be devastating to any student athlete. When a coach is urging play despite an injury, student athletes are in a bad situation. First, they need to know that no matter how valuable they are to the team, taking an opioid – theirs or anyone else’s- to keep them in the game is not healthy or fair to them. Second, while opioids may be prescribed when an injury is severe, the risk of opioid use disorder increases after three days so make sure the prescription is small. Explore Opioid Free Options Along those lines, most recreational opioid use starts in parents’

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May 3, 2022
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Get in Shape with Running!

  Get in shape and learn what works for pain relief   Exercise is an effective way to get in shape on the outside, and lower blood pressure and improve heart vitality on the inside! Exercise comes in many shapes and forms. Running is one form that will challenge you. If you have never run before, you may want to start with a progressive walking program, 15 minutes 3x week. When this is an easy task, you’re ready to run. To run efficiently and achieve results, you need a plan. First, you need a nice pair of running shoes. Spend the time with a running store to understand how your feet need the proper support and to get the right kind of shoes for the level of exercise you plan on doing. Days Hours Minutes Seconds Hurry and Sign-Up for a Free Webinar Once you get your sneakers, begin with 5-10 minutes of running at an easy pace. Practice getting your whole body involved, swinging your arms and moving your upper torso as you go. Next, increase your time and distance. Start with running one time a week, then increase to two or three.  Jeff Galloway endorses a program that

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April 15, 2022

Staying Active & Pain Free As a Senior – Free Webinar

Get in Shape with Exercise and without the Pain! Baby boomers are living longer. Why? Because Baby boomers are acquiring knowledge, asking questions, eating better, attending physical therapy and finally, are exercising in some form or another. However, in my 21-year career as both a physical therapist and personal trainer, most seniors don’t know where to begin when it comes to starting an exercise program. Reserve your spot for our “How to Stay Active When Older” with Physical Therapist Chris Gellert. So where do you begin? First, a reasonable starting goal is vital. Exercise is an effective way to get in shape, deal with an injury, lower blood pressure and improve heart vitality!  Take advantage of free resources like this webinar to learn about additional strategies to stay active and pain free.  Like any new resolution, though, there is a tendency to aim too high and quit too soon. Exercise comes in many shapes and forms. With a good pair of sneakers, you can’t go wrong starting with a walking program:  15 Minutes 1 to 3 times per week Walk at your pace Second, make the goal fit your needs. Research has shown that women over the age of 50 are

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April 1, 2022

Pain Management Using M-stim vs. E-stim

Pain Management Using M-Stim vs. E-Stim To understand how to engage in natural pain management to treat aches and pains, you need to understand a bit of biology and how the human body perceives pain.   The body has specialized nerve endings that sense touch. These include: The Meissner corpuscles, which perceive low-frequency vibrations, such as an object moved across the skin The Pacinian corpuscles, which are a lot like Meissner in that they tell about the dynamic qualities of stimuli Merkel disks help us sense pressure and texture Ruffini corpuscles, which are located in the tendons and ligaments and can help with the sensation of stretch These are triggered by specific frequencies of movement or mechanical pressure, and are transmitted on large, fast groups of A and B nerves that overpower small, fast, free Ad nerve endings that transmit pain. The Role of Nerve Endings in Pain Management To put it in physical terms, think about the body’s pain management system this way: Putting icy menthol (like Tiger Balm) on a hurt shoulder makes the fast pain signal less intense (Meissner). Pressing your hip when you bang it on a table or using acupressure to relieve pain (Merckel) Stretching

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March 26, 2022
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Spring into the Season with Cryovibration, an opioid-free pain management alternative

Spring is inviting everyone to get outside! Spring is in the air, which means many of us will get outside to garden, play golf, tennis or even go for a hike. Watch overdoing it! It is easy to get immersed in the garden for a few hours or play golf and forget to stretch. When we overdo an activity using a muscle or area that doesn’t typically get a lot of use, this can lead to the appropriately named “overuse injury”. Learn More about VibraCool Watch overdoing it! What is an overuse injury? An overuse injury is a term used to describe an injury that occurs from tissue damage resulting from repetitive demand over a period of time.  Rowing a boat, squatting and pulling weeds, or trying to keep up with a friend who plays golf or tennis all the time are frequent scenarios. When you hear people talking about golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, IT band issues, or even plantar fasciitis, all are types of overuse injuries. Most treatments call for isolating the muscle with slow stretching and returning to use, or changing the way the joint moves. Those elastic bands you see people wearing on their arms? It’s an attempt to change

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March 22, 2022

Don’t Like Needles? Here Are Facts & Solutions

Addressing needle fear is critical to the public health plan for the rollout of the COVID vaccine. Dr. Baxter has researched vaccine refusal for 15 years. Her recent data indicates that identifying anxiety and reducing pain with the first injection could dramatically improve the second #COVID19 vaccine uptake by as much as 35% and help save lives.

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January 13, 2021
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Podcast: Opioid-Free Pain Reduction

In this podcast, Dr. Baxter speaks with Zach of Landmark Recovery Radio. Dr. Baxter explains how the high opioid prescription rates contributed to the opioid epidemic. Many ways to manage pain so that you can reduce or eliminate the need for opioids are discussed.

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July 15, 2020

Power Over Pain: Shoulder & Neck Pain? Free PT! BYOC for community pools? Hamsters Wearing Masks?

Filmed live at the Hive, Atlanta, Georgia, on May 20, 2020. Dr. Baxter discusses opening community pools this summer; how much more we’ll know by the end of the summer about who is at risk & how to predict who will be impacted; new CDC guidelines for Emergency Department exams & discharge; and hamsters wearing masks! Special guest Keith J Cronin, Doctor of Physical Therapy, schools us in avoiding neck & shoulder pain (posture!) and how to make it feel better. A few more details about nasal irrigation and a recipe! BYOC? Dr. Baxter reviewed guidelines for opening community pools and proposed reducing the number of surfaces that require regular cleaning. Bring your own chair may be the theme of this pool season! Dr. Baxter is helping to shape CDC guidelines about Emergency Department behaviors – marching in place as part of the new clincal exam?!! She explains why marching in place is such a telling indicator of illness. About those hamsters. Wearing masks. There is no magic bullet right now for avoiding COVID-19. Social distancing, hand-washing, staying at home are all important. A small study where infected hamsters had masks shielding their cages may support that wearing a mask

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May 20, 2020

Power Over Pain: Mental Health & Addiction During COVID-19, National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

Filmed live at the Hive, Atlanta, Georgia, on May 18, 2020. Dr. Baxter discusses mental health challenges during COVID-19, as well as the challenges of access to addiction treatment. Need help? Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – SAMHSA’s National Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (4357) – this is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. Stress levels are high. Kids, teens, adolescents, and adults may be self-medicating from whatever can be found at home. Dr. Baxter shares a bright outlook on treatments. Immunosuppressants/biologics we are already using for other conditions are likely to be effective at decreasing the severity of COVID-19. Ready to try something easy for treating pain at home? Dr Baxter says if you haven’t tried something new for pain while quarantining, consider meditation and magnesium. Easy! More details at #WhatWorksForPain and on our resources page. Buzzy and VibraCool are FDA registered 510(k) cleared to Control pain associated with injections, venipuncture, IV starts, cosmetic injections and the temporary relief of minor injuries (muscle or tendon aches, splinters and bee stings). Also intended to treat myofascial pain caused by trigger points, restricted

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May 18, 2020

Power Over Pain: Back To Our Roots – Drug-Free Pain Relief; Dr. Keith DPT On Chronic Low Back Pain

Filmed live at the Hive, Atlanta, Georgia, on May 13, 2020. Dr. Baxter discusses past health crises that have reduced life expectancy: the HIV crisis of the early 1980s and the opioid crisis of 2015-17. The opioid crisis is far from over, and progress may be interrupted or reversed by the current COVID-19 crisis. Our own Doctor of Physical Therapy, Dr. Keith J Cronin, shows us how to move to heal, even when in pain. Chronic low back pain is especially challenging when we’re under stress. Wear VibraCool to help with your home exercises – bridges, supermans, planks. Spinal stabilization exercises hurt less with VibraCool. Buzzy and VibraCool are FDA registered 510(k) cleared to Control pain associated with injections, venipuncture, IV starts, cosmetic injections and the temporary relief of minor injuries (muscle or tendon aches, splinters and bee stings). Also intended to treat myofascial pain caused by trigger points, restricted motion and muscle tension. Dr. Amy Baxter, MD, bio & more pain relief options here: https://paincarelabs.com/resources/power-over-pain/ Dr. Amy Baxter directs innovation, invention, and strategy for Pain Care Labs. Accomplishments include international thought leadership on pain management and acute opioid reduction, multiple NIH SBIR Fast-Tracks, eight issued patents, multiple first author textbook

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May 13, 2020

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