Fit As A Fiddle

You might think that a concussion is just a hit to the head. But it is so much more than that. Doug King, an Emergency Department Clinical Nurse Specialist in New Zealand, has actively studied concussions for years. He discusses what a concussion is and how you don’t need to be hit in the head to have a concussion. He emphasizes how concussions impact athletes in games like rugby and American football and the need for more research on how concussions impact female athletes as well. Doug reveals some of the most common symptoms he sees, some of which start 2-3 days later. Often, athletes are put back on the field and the concussions go under-diagnosed. However, this is extremely detrimental to the athlete’s health as there are several long lasting effects that can even lead to death.

Having served in the Royal New Zealand Navy and the New Zealand Army Nursing corps, Doug retired as a Captain and was awarded the NZOSM, NZGSM(IO) and NZDSM(R) for his service time. Since leaving the military, Doug has dedicated towards advancing himself academically having completed Post Graduate studies in resuscitation and sports medicine as well as two Doctor of Philosophy degrees on Sports Injury Epidemiology and Head impact Biomechanics and Sports Related Concussion. Doug has just submitted his third PhD on women’s rugby union sports injuries and concussion management in women. Doug utilises this research within his primary employment in the Emergency Department enabling this to be implemented on a variety of patients presenting from sports injuries through to domestic violence, child abuse and falls. Doug has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers and is consulted from a variety of agencies on concussion related aspects.

On this week’s episode, I had a lively conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Kavaler, a urologist and urogynecologist, on the bladder! This was one of the most fun chats I’ve had regarding pelvic health. She talks about the similarities and differences between urology, gynecology, and urogynecology. Then she goes on to bust myths on bladder health, explaining why each of the points below are NOT true!

1. Drink a lot of water to maintain bladder and kidney health
2. Incontinence is an inevitable part of aging
3. Water helps you lose weight
4. Urine should be clear, not yellow. 
5. Vaginal deliveries are bad for the pelvic floor. C sections are safer.
6. UTIs come from toilet seats and swimming pools.
7. Cranberry juice and pills prevent  urinary tract infections
8. You have to urinate as soon as you get the urge or you will get a uti
9. Hormone replacement therapy is good for bladder and vaginal problems in menopausal women.
10. Women loose interest in sex as they get older.
11. We all wish that we were men because they don’t have these issues. 

Dr. Kavaler is the Medical Director of Total Urology Care of NY and is double board certified in both Urology (men and women) and Uro-Gynecology. Arguably the most recognized and consulted female urologist in New York City, she modestly accepts several Top Doctor awards each year. She is the author of, A Seat on the Aisle, Please! The essential guide to urinary tract problems including urinary tract infections, incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, interstitial cystitis, and menopause. 

Connect with her practice at www.totalurologycare.com

Whether you are a weekend warrior or a professional athlete, there are some basic considerations that will help you optimize your performance on the field or court. This involves more than just training and practicing. In this episode, we have a very special guest, Basu Shanker, the former strength and conditioning coach for the national cricket team of India. He has worked with elite athletes like Virat Kohli to help them take a full-body approach to enhancing performance and wellbeing. Basu talks about how competing in sports helps you learn how to lose in life and still get up to try again. He explains the role of a strength and conditioning coach and how appropriately balancing sleep, nutrition, and supplements can propel someone beyond their current physical limits.

Basu is the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of Royal challengers, the Founder of Primal Patterns, and Former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach of Team India. Check his work out at www.primalpatterns.com and follow him @basushanker.

You think of “physical therapy” and the words itself indicate that PTs must “physically” treat patients. When it isn’t safe to make direct contact due to COVID-19, what happens then? Dr. Rami Said, the Director of the Columbia University Physical Therapy Faculty Practice & Instructor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine at Columbia University, joins us today to discuss the shift that took place within PT academics and his clinical practice.

When New York City shut down in March 2020, PT graduate schools like Columbia University were deeply affected. Students and faculty had to reshape their entire curriculum to optimize learning in the safest way possible. Clinics still needed to treat their patients without compromising their care. Dr. Said dives into the steps his clinical facility and academic department took to overcome these challenges. He emphasizes that telehealth and virtual platforms surprisingly work very well and have given rise to a whole new future within academics and healthcare.

As a Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Dr. Said specializes in delivering individualized physical therapy treatment to patients of all ages with a wide range of musculoskeletal, sports, and spine injuries in order to maximize function, improve quality of life, and restore the participation of recreational, functional, or professional activities. As an Instructor of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine for the Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy, he participates in the instruction of Gross Anatomy, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Orthopedics, and Sports Rehabilitation. His areas of interests include creating a movement-based injury risk profile for athletes of different sports, the utilization of technology to assess biomechanical forces and stress applied to the body during therapeutic exercise, and the delivery of physical therapy education.

Book an appointment with Dr. Said at Columbia University’s Faculty Practice Website.

Right from a physician’s mouth to your ears, join us today to learn more about our bodies and how we can optimize the quality of our lives. Dr. Edward Goldberg, a NYC-based concierge physician with a speciality in internal medicine and gastroenterology, chats with us on a variety of topics regarding overall wellness and preventing morbidity & mortality from some of the most common conditions. 

After working with a wide variety of people in the diverse city of New York, Dr. Goldberg provides us insights on why so many people complain to him about low energy and fatigue. He discusses complications one might experience from self-medicating with over-the-counter medications regularly, what to expect in a good doctor’s visit, the importance of a primary care provider, and more. He breaks down the reversible risk factors for heart disease and what everyone should know about cancer screening to detect and treat early on. He rounds off the show with his experience working during the COVID-19 pandemic in NYC and some of his top tips that everyone can follow. 

Connect with him at www.conciergemdny.com

What does your mouth have to do with your anxiety, sleep quality, food cravings, and cardiovascular disease? Everything! When you tune in to this episode, you will begin to think about your overall health in a way you have never thought before. Dr. Michael Gelb, DDS, MS joins us today with a vibrant evidence-based conversation on airway management and how dysfunctional breathing during sleep can lead to various other issues in our bodies.

He explains how expanding our airways does more than just rid us of pesky headaches, but also improves our mental health, our micro-biome, cardiopulmonary system, and more. He discusses the importance of breastfeeding and introducing solid foods at an early age to help infants naturally improve the width of their airways. This directly improves oxygen saturation and prefrontal cortex development in their brains. Dr. Gelb dives deep into the various types of airway disorders and treatments that he offers through The Gelb Center for children and adults, where he helps hundreds of patients every year.

Dr. Gelb is a world-renowned TMJ and Sleep Specialist with practices in both New York City and White Plains. Dr. Gelb is the co-author of GASP: Airway Health- The Hidden Path to Wellness, and the co-founder of both The Foundation for Airway Health and The American Academy of Physiological Medicine and Dentistry. The Gelb Center was founded over 30 years ago by Dr. Michael Gelb’s father, Dr. Harold Gelb. Since then, Dr. Michael has taken his father’s findings to the next level through his Airway Centric® integrated therapy. He invented the ACG™ Airway Centric® System with the help of ProSomnus Sleep Technologies. The ACG System is the first day and night dental appliance solution that offers an integrated approach to addressing airway issues.

Visit www.gelbcenter.com to book an appointment with Dr. Gelb and start your journey to better health today!

Books referenced in the show:

“Gasp: Airway Health: The Hidden Path to Wellness” : by Howard Hindin and Michael Gelb

“Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” : by James Nestor

 We go to the doctor for our physical health and our mental health, but what about our BRAIN health? The brain regulates everything in our bodies and the way our mind functions. Dr. Teralyn Sell is a Psychotherapist & Brain Health Expert who chats with us today on the problem in our world with over-medication and negative beliefs that don’t help us thrive.

She discusses how amino acids affect serotonin and dopamine, how exercise and mindset can tackle our stress, and how women tend to be affected disproportionately more than men. She speaks of the controversy in saying that 2020 was not so terrible and encourages everyone to take the good from even the worst of situations. She talks about how medication changes the architecture of our brains and overmedicating women with postpartum depression or children with ADHD needs to be taken seriously.  

Dr. Sell is the co-creator of the world’s first and only mental health and addiction recovery supplement line, Pro Recovery Rx. For over 20 years, Dr. Teralyn has helped career-driven women overwhelmed by anxiety and panic attacks eliminate their symptoms and get off of medication completely using natural approaches that balances brain chemistry while permanently changing behavior. Dr. Teralyn is NOT a believer in throwing a prescription at the problem – which seems to be the blanket “solution” to stress, anxiety and depression in our current society. She encourages a holistic approach to overall wellness, which results in lasting change, a healthier state of being, and a happier you.

Connect with her:
https://twitter.com/DrTeralyn
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoBrFG9gmF6Ghm38bYdq_PA?
https://www.facebook.com/DrTeralyn/
https://www.instagram.com/dr_teralyn/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-teralyn-sell-752a2060/

It's almost Valentine's Day! Keeping with the theme, we're talking about sexual health today - which focuses primarily on the time between a woman’s first period and menopause. Many women keep this topic “hush hush” due to embarrassment or lack of knowledge on the subject. Today, we have Jackie Giannelli, an ANCC board certified family nurse practitioner, talk to us about two important topics around female sexual health: libido and menopause. Jackie has worked in the fields of urology, women’s health, and sexual health since 2015 and is a certified menopause practitioner by the North American Menopause Society.

On the show, she discusses the hormonal considerations to low libido and how libido presents cyclically for women, whereas for men it might be more linear. She highlights how many healthcare professionals, including OBGYNs don’t have a lot of training specifically in sexual health and why it’s important to know signs and symptoms of issues to get the proper treatments. She also presents tangible advice on menopause that applies to women of all ages. Jackie dives into tips for keeping your entire system healthy before you even hit menopause to make it a smoother ride for you.

Connect with her & Maze Women’s Sexual Health at www.mazewomenshealth.com.

This week’s episode on Fit As A Fiddle is a little unusual. Today Dr. Maria Muto and myself, Dr. Sneha Gazi chat with our Instagram followers about our journeys becoming physical therapists, our experiences in physical therapy school, and why we chose to work in our respective sub-specialities. We explain why we began our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Physical Therapy International Service Foundation (PTIS) and our current projects and efforts! Learn about how we bring physical therapy services and health education to underserved communities in an effort to make healthcare a little more diverse and equally accessible. We have a wonderful team of over a hundred volunteers and an amazing pre-PT social media committee. We thank you for your support! If you would like to volunteer with us or make a donation, please visit www.ptisfoundation.org.

A little bit about us:

Dr. Maria Muto is a physical therapist based in Manhattan who specializes in orthopedics and pediatrics. Maria received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Columbia University with a focus in Adult Orthopedics. With a strong passion and history of working with athletes, Maria currently works for the Sports Therapy Department at Columbia Doctors. Besides working within the athletic population, Maria works as a pediatric physical therapist that specializes in early intervention.  Maria's desire to work with various age groups, populations and cultures, drove her to join PTIS for the hopes of treating people of all backgrounds. Maria has already treated within Italy and Spain and hopes to reach more through the workings of PTIS. Maria also believes that physical health cannot be accomplished without a practice of mental health thus mindfulness is embedded within her treatments.

Dr. Sneha Gazi is a physical therapist and practice owner based in Manhattan who specializes in orthopedics and pelvic health. She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Columbia University where she completed a Pediatrics Advanced Track. She believes that physical therapy is not a luxury treatment and is essential for optimizing movement. Sneha’s desire to bring her skills beyond her immediate reach drove her to start PTIS in the hopes of bringing PT services to underserved populations. She also has a strong love for teaching and instilling a mindset of service in new clinicians. She is the owner of Sneha Physical Therapy, a concierge and telehealth physical therapy practice in NY, NJ, and MD. Sneha is also a certified yoga instructor and a professional Indian classical dancer and incorporates mindfulness and breathwork into her treatment.

What are emotions? We don’t usually think about what they are or where they come from. We usually either express or suppress emotions. Dana Wang, MD, is a board certified adult psychiatrist and one of the founders of RIVIA Medical, a mental health clinic in New York City. She chats with us today on how emotions manifest from our “templates'' - formed from our previous experiences, preconceived notions, and belief systems. Because we are usually not aware of these templates, we are unable to reflect on our emotions and manage them in a way that serves us better. Dr. Wang discusses how and why certain emotions like guilt and fear surface in the unique transition to motherhood. She explains how our parenting strategies may be influenced by our own childhood, external and internal expectations, and innate instincts to keep our baby alive. 

Dr. Wang is devoted to delivering the best care for her patients and advocating for emotional wellness as preventative care. Dr. Wang completed her psychiatry residency training at Harvard Medical School, during which she also completed a fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. She has presented her work at local, national, and international conferences, and co-authored book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. She is a passionate advocate for addressing stigma and mental health service disparities in Asian Americans. She is currently affiliated with the cross-cultural student emotional wellness center as an executive committee member at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Connect with her at www.riviawellness.com

Read Emily Perl Kingsley’s piece "Welcome to Holland"