Janet E. Kraemer, Ph.D. has been practicing in the fields of clinical and health psychology for over 16 years. Marcela Molina-Uribes, LMFT, is the bilingual (Spanish/English) psychotherapist at SpineOne working under the leadership and supervision of Dr. Kraemer.
Patient Care and Social Media
Last month we touched on the influence of social media on healthcare. With the growing popularity of social media and technology information, an important issue for us to ponder, involves possible issues with patients having online access to healthcare information.
In the “internet age,” patients have easy access to on-line medical information and also receive a barrage of advertising from pharmaceutical and healthcare-related businesses. This can create several challenges that may undermine the patient-physician relationship if the patient becomes the facilitator, promoter, and director of their treatment based on misinformation provided by family, friends, the media and the internet.
Social Media in Healthcare?
Social Media has become an integral way of life for the general population with the rising popularity of Facebook, Twitter, personal web pages, blogs and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. As healthcare providers, we are pressured to “get with the times.”
Nutrition and Chronic Pain
Today, most Americans consume more calories than they actually need. Many of the foods they choose are also high in unfavorable ingredients, such as saturated fats, sugar and salt. A diet high in calories and concentrated fats not only makes us more prone to obesity, but may actually increase the intensity of chronic pain.
Improving Sleep for Clients with Pain
Sleep disturbance is one of the most common complaints for people living with chronic pain. A national Sleep Foundation study found that two thirds of respondents living with chronic pain reported difficulty sleeping. In the case of severe, unremitting chronic pain that has a sustained and negative impact on function and lifestyle, those numbers are likely even higher.