NEPA Vascular Institute — Chronic Venous Insufficiency

More than 190 million people have Chronic Venous Insufficiency or varicose veins globally. More than 30 million Americans suffer from varicose veins, or the more serious form of venous disease called Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI), yet the majority remains undiagnosed and untreated.

Venous reflux disease, also known as Chronic Venous Insufficiency, develops when the valves that keep blood flowing out of the legs and back to the heart become damaged or diseased. If left untreated, symptoms may worsen over time.

Once the valves in the leg stop working properly, they cannot be repaired. Treatment options available include closing or removing the damaged vein and then redirecting blood flow to healthy veins.

Traditionally, surgical stripping or heat-based treatment options are used. However, the VenaSeal closure system treats the diseased saphenous veins, without traditional heating or stripping the vein out of the leg. The VenaSeal closure system is a comfortable procedure that is a non-thermal, non-tumescent, non-sclerosant procedure that uses an advanced medical adhesive to close the diseased vein. This unique approach eliminates the risk of nerve injury that is sometimes associated with certain thermal-based procedures, which offers freedom from tumescent anesthesia, multiple needs sticks, thermal nerve injury and post-procedure pain.

The VenaSeal closure system uses medical adhesive to coapt and close the vein, with high closure rates across three clinical trials. Additionally, patients treated with the VenaSeal closure system often have minimal to no bruising and can return quickly to normal activities same day.

Patients can enjoy same day appointments with Venous Ultrasound offered by a registered vascular technologist for the highest quality. Patients no longer have to suffer long term. Call NEPA Vascular Institute today to schedule your personal appointment at 570-616-8589. We want to help you get back to living your best life.

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Many people tend to believe that you need to spend hours in the gym each week to experience results and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I have people that workout even just three days per week for about an hour or less and they have achieved great results. Furthermore, the gym is but a very small part of making improvements in your overall health and our results are influenced more by our life outside of the gym (walking, improving what/how we eat, sleeping well, etc). Consider this…we can either make time for our health or we can make time for our illness. Having worked as a nurse in the hospital, I have never had a patient report that their hospital stay came at a good time for them. It was more than likely quite the opposite. A solution I highly recommend for people that might have time challenges is investing in gym equipment for home. It doesn’t have to be big or pricey and can be as simple as a few dumbbells. Personally speaking, when I was going through graduate school and advancing in my career, my home gym was a lifesaver. (Little did I know COVID would come along and it would prove to be even more valuable). It was far more convenient for me to be able to go home, go in the garage, do my workout and then head into the house to work on whatever project was due versus spending additional time going to a commercial gym.

Another reason many folks cite for why they are putting off pursuing a health or fitness regimen is costs/finances. Many, if not all gyms, have a variety of program offerings to fit almost anyone’s budget. The best investment we can ever make is the one we make in ourselves. Our spending tells a story about what we prioritize in our lives. I encourage you to review how you are spending your money. Sometimes, it means we need to trim from somewhere else to be able to afford the investment in ourselves. For example, can we perhaps make coffee or breakfast at home versus purchased meals during the week? Or, maybe there is an opportunity to cut back on meals that we eat out and use that money instead to do something for ourselves that will provide long-term benefits. Please note, I am not suggesting you “eliminate all fun” to be able to afford the gym or more nutritious food. I am instead encouraging you to consider exploring all avenues before you utilize a financial reason for not taking steps to improve your health. At the end of the day, it is free to get out and go for a walk! Some people spend excessive time researching the best option and end up making no decision at all. As the saying goes, “there is nothing to it but to do it!” You can think about it and debate about it forever and that is not going to get you anywhere. Just start with something, no matter how small, and work on developing better habits. Improving yourself by even just 1% everyday has a tremendous compounding effect. Think of yourself like a savings account. You can put a dollar in everyday and start earning interest, or I can keep it in my wallet and it earns nothing. Doesn’t mean you can’t change banks (or gyms) later on, but at least you have started moving forward towards selfimprovement.

Lastly, a big reason I hear from people about why they don’t pursue a fitness routine is that they don’t know what to do at the gym. I can totally understand. Early on in my fitness journey, I remember walking into the gym and having no idea what to do. I also remember having some home equipment and not being sure what to do with that either. Thankfully, I found a gym that I enjoyed and where I received guidance until I felt comfortable enough to workout more independently. I have also enjoyed working out on my own, while still being guided by a remote coach. A coach is a great resource and a great example of investing in yourself.

In conclusion, failure to accomplish our goals, regardless if they are health or fitness related, often comes down to our failure to plan, prepare, or prioritize. We need to plan time in our schedules to work on ourselves. We need to prepare appropriately to best set ourselves up for success. We need to make efforts to prioritize ourselves because we deserve to be a priority.

I will close with one of my favorite quotes from one of my coaches, “we can have excuses, or we can have results, but we can’t have both.”

Dr. Candice Dutko, DNP is a Registered Nurse and a Fitness & Nutrition Coach specializing in an individualized approach to wellness and fitness. Through her coaching service, Achieve Wellness & Fitness, her mission is to help people build confidence through wellness and fitness to live their lives to the fullest. She prioritizes a small caseload of clients to help ensure delivery of a comprehensive and supportive service. Her gym is located on Route 309 in Mountain Top. You can contact her at 570.704.6794 or check out her website at www.achievewellnessandfitness.com

Don't Be Afraid

by John Degenhart, DC

An 84-year-old woman came to my office. She said that 40 years ago a chiropractor adjusted her spine very physically and she felt worse afterwards. The incident so traumatized her that for decades she would never go to see a chiropractor again.

But as the years went by, her aches and pains grew almost debilitating and her friends said that my adjustments were gentle, so she decided to try us out. She was in the other day, and she exclaimed, “It’s a miracle! I was afraid to see a new chiropractor. Your technique is safe and gentle, and I feel so much better. I would be in a nursing home by now if it weren’t for your care!”

As you read this, maybe you had an experience like that in your past. But don’t assume that all chiropractors are the same. I think each person has a unique story. A good chiropractor is a good listener. To listen to where the pain is, how long it is there, what helps or hurts it, and to finally come to the conclusion of what type of an adjustment can the patient tolerate to get optimal results.

To me, it is magical. To listen to their story, to make a gentle adjustment, and as their pain goes away, a transformation occurs. Where a painful, fearful, patient becomes a healthy, confident patient and they refer their family and friends to you. I love every day at the office seeing this process with so many people.

I was afraid the first time I went to a chiropractor. So I put myself in my patient’s shoes. If you or a loved one is hurting, and the pills just temporarily cover up the pain, I ask you humbly, give us a call. Life is short. It is a joy to meet each day with health and vitality. I await your call.