FELINE FRIENDS OR CANINE COMRADE
How Pets Improve Our Health and Happiness
lower blood pressure and cholesterol than their petless counterparts. You’re also more likely to maintain a daily exercise routine.
As people grow older, they’re more likely to find themselves at home with less company. If your family members live far away or you have physical limitations that make it difficult to leave the house, you may be at an increased risk of experiencing loneliness. This is why adopting an animal can be so helpful. Pets offer comfort and love, and many encourage physical activity. Integrating a pet into your life as you grow older can be just what you need to lift your spirit and keep you healthy. The Benefits of Pet Ownership A lack of purpose can take a significant toll, but the sense of duty pet owners have around caring for their animals helps them avoid this. The daily tasks of feeding, playing with, and walking your animal can help provide structure and bring meaning to your life. They also give you something to look forward to each day. What’s better than waking up or coming home to a wagging tail or loud meow? This is how pets help improve their owners’ mental and physical health. Studies also show that those who care for pets have less stress and
Humans have an innate need to be social, and without someone to talk to regularly, our mental well-being can start to deteriorate. Pets may not be the best conversation partners, but they may increase your social activity. Walking a dog to a local park every day, for example, can provide an opportunity for you to interact with other people. If you live alone, this simple activity can increase your social circle and improve your mental health. Find the Right Pet Before taking advantage of the many benefits pets offer, it’s crucial to consider which pet is right for you. Doing research can help answer important questions about which animals might be a good fit for you and your lifestyle and which aren’t. Finding a perfect match may take some time, but once that connection is made, there is nothing that will bring more joy into both of your lives.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a list of questions that will help guide you to the perfect pet. Take a look at CDC.gov/healthypets .
TRUE RELIEF MAY BE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK CONSIDER PT BEFORE OPIOID MEDICATION
No matter where you live in the United States, you cannot escape the opioid crisis. It’s a startling thing to say, but it’s true — opioid medication use of drugs like codeine, oxycodone, and fentanyl is at an all-time high. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms this. Over the last several years, prescription opioid sales have quadrupled. The CDC only recommends using opioid medications to address certain types of pain management, when other traditional forms of pain management aren’t enough. This includes cancer treatment and end-of-life care as well as specific acute situations when extreme pain needs to be managed quickly and efficiently. For a vast majority of pain cases, opioids are not recommended, and yet they still end up prescribed as a primary pain management tool. There are many alternatives to opioids, several of which are more effective and come with significantly less risk. Physical therapy is one of those options.
pain” because the risks often outweigh the benefits, especially when it comes to long-term treatment.
The Pain Source Like many medications, opioid-based medications do not treat the underlying issue or source of the pain. They simply block certain pain receptors in the brain so you don’t feel pain or feel pain as strongly. Without treating the source of the pain, there’s a potential for it to get worse. The Pain Timeline There are some instances when pain is temporary and an over-the-counter medication will do the trick. But if pain lasts 90 days or more and becomes a chronic issue, something else is going on and needs to be identified and adequately treated by a PT. The Treatment Options The source of your pain can be identified and treated. In many cases, a skilled PT can pinpoint the true source of your pain and treat it by recommending specific exercises. Why run away from the pain when you can eliminate it? If your doctor or primary care physician recommends an opioid medication, and you have not yet consulted with your PT, get that second opinion. Opioids may not be necessary. See what your PT has to say firs t!
But how do you know when to choose PT over opioids? Consider the following:
The Risk Factor Opioid usage comes with a number of side effects, including addiction, depression, and overdose. As the CDC states, “Opioids should not be considered first-line or routine therapy for chronic
2
(480) 550-9100 • missionptaz.com
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online