Here at Houston Physicians’ Hospital (HPH) we have always been committed to providing the highest quality health care to our patients at an affordable price.
HPH has continuously provided top-quality care and the highest value to our patients and will continue to do so in the future. We are also one of only three hospitals in the entire Houston area with a 5-Star Rating in Patient Experience from CMS.
To maintain the level of high-quality services patients have come to expect from HPH and to give BCBS-TX patients continued access to our services, we have been negotiating a new contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS-TX) over the past year. During these negotiations, BCBS-TX temporarily suspended our contractual arrangement with them.
We are sending this letter to inform our patients that we will once again consider patients with BCBS-TX health insurance in-network and will resume billing as such starting November 1, 2021.
Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to continuing to serve you and your family’s healthcare needs.
Back pain and neck pain are common problems for a lot of people, but several studies have shown that millennials are more prone to back and neck pain than individuals of previous generations. Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are the first generation to grow up with technology such as cellphones and tablet devices and their associated constant connectivity.
It’s no surprise that technology has become a vital part of everyday life for millennials. However, while the long-term effects of intensive technology usage are unknown, some signs are starting to show. Back and neck pain are becoming increasingly common among this well-connected always-online generation.
As the COVID-19 pandemic reemerges, parents have been struggling to keep their mental and emotional health on track. With schools across Southeast Texas out for the summer, keeping children active, motivated, and encouraged has proven to be more challenging than expected.
According to Time, parents of middle schoolers are especially struggling during the ongoing period of uncertainty and chaos. Create another subset of parents with disabilities and chronic conditions, and the stress increases twofold.
If you’ve been finding it hard to navigate the COVID-19 landscape while tending to your children and suffering from a joint pain condition, you’re not alone.
With over 54 million Americans suffering from chronic joint pain, the likelihood that you’re one of them is pretty high.
We’ve rounded up five tips for relieving joint pain to help you power through the turbulent period and regain your mobility.
1. Distribute Chores Among Your Partner and Children
It’s commons sense that if you experience pain, stop doing what you’re doing. Performing certain tasks that put excessive strain on your joints can exacerbate joint pain, stiffness, and soreness. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Distribute chores among your partner and your children so that you don’t overwork your joint capsule, ligaments, subchondral bone, and synovium.
If you feel pain, take a break or do the lighter chores to reduce stress on your joints i and keep pain at a minimal.
2. Take a Break
Isn’t it obvious? If you can’t remember the last time you took a breather, it may be time to indulge in one. Breaks help you take the stress off your joints so that they can heal—even for just a few minutes.
Sleep is the ultimate break allowing delicate joint structures to heal overnight.
Be sure to allocate a certain amount of time for rest each day. Whether you take a warm bath to relax stiff joints or take a relaxing yoga class, give yourself some time to relieve stress and joint pain.
3. Incorporate Strengthening Exercises into Your Daily Routine
Strengthening the muscles through exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce joint pain and enhance mobility.
If you’ve been noticing that your range of motion has been restricted lately, do some strength training exercises to improve your mobility.
You can engage your musculoskeletal system by incorporating hamstring curls, calf raises, wall squats, side leg raises, and leg extensions into your routine. Make sure you use good posture to minimize knee strain.
4. Try Physical Therapy
Physical therapy can play a big role in strengthening joints that have been weakened by excessive wear-and-tear, damage, and inflammation.
If you’re suffering from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, see your doctor to see if you should work with a board-certified physical therapist to help ease stiffness, swelling, and discomfort. As you follow proper body mechanics, you’ll notice your overall mobility and balance will improve.
Based on the severity of your symptoms, your physical therapy plan may include one or more of the following treatments:
Stretches and Exercises
Electrical Stimulation or Muscle Stimulation
Iontophoresis
Ice and Heat Therapy
Ultrasound Massage
Manual Therapy
Vestibular Rehabilitation
5. Consider Joint Surgery
Home remedies, over-the-counter medications, cutting down on stress, and following a strict exercise plan can go a long way in alleviating symptoms. But for more severe conditions joint surgery could be the best way to find long-term relief.
While your condition may vary, in many cases, patients sometimes expect that joint surgery is the best solution, but their doctor will recommend an alternate noninvasive or minimally invasive treatment plan instead.
If you’re suffering from joint pain in Houston, Webster, Galveston, Clear Lake, or League City, visit Houston Physicians’ Hospital, where you’ll find a wide range of custom treatment plans to address chronic joint pain. Browse through our Orthopedic Center of Excellence to learn about our approach or find a doctor on our website where you can schedule an appointment directly with his or her office.
For some Clear Lake, Texas, patients, the onset of
osteoarthritis is inevitable. However, an orthopedic doctor
can help manage pain, relieve symptoms, and help you get back to your normal
routine. At Houston Physicians’ Hospital, we know the importance of managing
bone conditions like osteoarthritis, so we’ve listed some signs that mean it’s
time to visit a medical professional for a treatment plan:
You Experience Joint Pain
Pain is the most common symptom of osteoarthritis, and it is
typically the primary reason that prompts patients to seek medical attention
[1]. Joint pain that is severe enough to restrict daily activities and movement
indicate that an orthopedic specialist is needed. Ignoring the problem without
a treatment plan can cause more pain over time, as the cartilage wears down and
causes bones to rub together.
You Have
Trouble with Movement
As osteoarthritis progresses, movement becomes more difficult.
In fact, the strong association of pain intensity and severity of functional
limitation has been well-documented [3] in patients with osteoarthritis. When
daily tasks as simple as climbing stairs and bending the knees become extremely
painful, it is best to seek the help of an orthopedic specialist.
Re-occurring
Joint Problems
Joint pain, stiffness, instability and
joint space narrowing are major clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis [2]. However,
there are symptoms that, when frequent, specifically indicate worsening
osteoarthritis. These signs include:
Bumps or bony spurs in the joint
Locking or buckling of joint
Hearing the joint pop or crack while moving
If the associated symptoms last for more than three days and
joint problems occur several times during the month, it’s a good sign that you
need to schedule an appointment with a medical professional.
Joint pain caused by osteoarthrosis can cause difficulty for
many patients. However, with the help of an orthopedic doctor, we can help get
you back to a pain-free life. Don’t let osteoarthritis hold you back. Call us
at (281) 557-5620 or visit us at https://www.houstonphysicianshospital.com/contact-us/.
Many Clear Lake, Texas, residents experience issues with
their feet from time to time. A simple pain in the foot can be an indicator of
an underlying podiatry issue, and it can be difficult to determine whether a
foot problem is severe enough to see a podiatrist. At Houston Physicians’
Hospital, we understand that patients want to take care of their feet, so we’ve
listed a few conditions that may require you to consult a Clear Lake foot
specialist.
Ingrown Toenails
An ingrown toenail occurs when the corners of your nail (often
the nail on your big toe) grow into the skin of the toe. It is the most
commonly encountered toenail problem in general practice [1]. Some early
symptoms a patient may notice include:
Pain when exerting pressure on the toe
Build up of fluid around the toe
Tender, hard, swollen skin around the nail
If left untreated, an ingrown toenail can become infected.
Some signs that an ingrown toenail has become infected include a red, swollen,
tender toenail that oozes blood.
If you experience any of these symptoms, especially the
symptoms of infection, you should see a podiatrist immediately for proper
treatment.
Flat Feet
Pes Planus, fallen arches, or flat feet are all terms used to
describe a foot that doesn’t have an arch on its medial aspect. Typically, this
condition is seen in toddlers around 2 or 3 years of age but dissipates as
muscles and ligaments tighten. However, some patients find that this condition
develops during adulthood.
Flat feet rarely lead to a serious medical issue, but they
may create problems with walking, running, or prolonged standing. Genetic predisposition and increased physical
activity are some factors that can increase your susceptibility to develop the
condition in adulthood.
For many patients with flat feet, the main question is when
to see a podiatrist. You should consult a Clear Lake foot
doctor as soon as you notice even slight pain when walking, because
research has proved that early detection and management tend to minimize
complications of flat feet [2]. Some of these complications can include:
Injuries
Poor postural stability
Discomfort
After investigating and diagnosing the exact type of
condition, your podiatrist will suggest an appropriate treatment plan.
Bunions
A bunion is a bony, painful hump composed of extra tissue
that appears at the base of the big toe over a period of time. It is one of the
most common reasons for pain while walking. Bunions tend to form at the joints
gradually, causing pain when walking due to the amount of body weight placed on
the area with each step.
While bunions often have a genetic link, poor foot structure
may contribute to their formation as well. Additionally, weak muscles may also be
one of the factors responsible for its formation [3]. Females are more likely
to develop this condition, with 35% of women above 65 years of age affected [3].
An obvious change in shape of the big toe and pain while
walking should prompt one to see a podiatrist. Depending on the cause of the
bunion, a podiatrist will formulate a proper treatment plan. While surgery is
commonly done to alleviate the discomfort associated with a bunion, more
conservative options include:
Over-the-counter medications
Shoe inserts
Heating pads
Soaking the foot in warm water
If you believe your feet are suffering from any of the
above-mentioned conditions, it is a good idea to schedule an appointment with a
podiatrist. The specialized podiatrists at Houston Physicians’ Hospital, will
help you identify, as well as correct, the problem in no time. Give us a call
at (281) 557-5620 or visit us at https://www.houstonphysicianshospital.com/podiatry/.
Every year, 1.5 million individuals suffer a fracture due to bone disease [1]. Unfortunately, this is one of the biggest problems associated with bone disease, and it often becomes a chronic burden on residents in the Clear Lake, Texas, area. At Houston Physicians’ Hospital, we know that bone diseases can seriously limit the ability of a patient to stick to their daily routine, so we’ve laid out a few tips to help improve the health of your bones:
Practice Healthy Nutritional Habits
Healthy nutritional habits should be encouraged in order to maintain bone health [2]. Nutrients essential for bone health that patients should add to their diet include vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C. Without all these nutrients, bones can become brittle, weak, and vulnerable to diseases.
If a patient’s diet lacks calcium, the body begins removing it from bones in a process called bone resorption. This, in turn, drastically weakens the bones. In fact, low calcium levels correlate with increased risk of hip fracture [3].
Similarly, vitamin D is important to absorb the calcium from your diet. Foods that can be added to improve bone health include:
Milk and other dairy products
Salmon
Almonds
Green, leafy vegetables
If you are unable to maintain an adequate supply of these nutrients through your diet, it is good to consult a Clear Lake orthopedic doctor for additional supplements that can protect your bones.
Exercise Regularly
Modest exercise is vital for those wanting to keep their bones healthy. Just 20 minutes of modest-impact activity and resistance training three times per week can improve bone mineral density [4].
Exercises that work your bones and muscles against gravity, also called “weight-bearing exercises,” stimulate the cells that are responsible for forming bone and increasing bone strength. A regular exercise routine can greatly reduce the risk of falls and fall-related fractures by improving body’s balance, coordination, and muscle tone [5].
Change Certain Lifestyle Factors
While you cannot control every lifestyle factor, there are some that you can change to improve the health of your bones. A good place to start is by examining your posture. Do you slouch or sit up straight? Proper posture distributes your weight evenly, keeping your back straight and pulling the shoulders back.
Additionally, you should check your mattress. Is it lumpy and uncomfortable? Choosing a proper mattress that complements the natural curvature of your spine helps keep your bones supported, thus keeping them in better shape.
Finally, one of the most important lifestyle factors you can change for your bone health is to stop smoking. This is especially important because smoking results in a reduction in bone mass, and nicotine tends to cause inflammation of chondrocytes (cells of cartilage) [6]. To avoid the negative effects of smoking on your bones, it’s best to kick the habit.
Our bone health is determined by hormonal, genetic, and nutritional factors. While not much can be done when it comes to genes, you can certainly zero-in on the modifiable factors to help keep your bones healthy. For the leading orthopedic doctors in the Clear Lake, Texas, area, give Houston Physicians’ Hospital a call at (281) 557-5620 or visit us at https://www.houstonphysicianshospital.com/orthopedics/.