Category: News

Can losing weight improve my heart health? Yes, yes, and yes is the answer. Hearing mantras about keeping a healthy weight tell you immediately that your weight affects your health in general and that of your heart both positively and negatively. In fact, how you lose weight and how fast you lose it can affect your heart health as well.

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Just like the fountain of youth, a quick fix weight loss solution has long been sought. Until recently neither of these two have come to fruition, but sometimes a drug is approved by the FDA for one medical issue, and they discover it offers another benefit. Semaglutide is one of those drugs. Originally approved for Type 2 diabetes, it was quickly seen that patients lost weight as an extra benefit. Although it’s not for everyone, it can help many patients who have struggled with their weight for years even if they don’t have diabetes. Let’s pursue more information and a guide to semaglutide for weight loss.

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If you are someone who has tried in vain to lose weight, maybe it’s time you sought help from Carolina Pain and Weight Loss. Yo-yo dieting and fads are typically unhealthy and you tend to put the weight back on.  If you truly want to drop the pounds, here are some important reasons why you may need a doctor’s help with weight loss.

You’ve Tried It All With No Success

This is a common complaint when patients ask their doctors about weight loss. If you have cut calories, reduce your portions, and are doing regular exercise and it is not working, it’s easy to get frustrated. So why can’t I lose the weight?

This is exactly why you need a doctor to help. There may be an underlying condition keeping you from reaching your goal. There could be a hormonal imbalance preventing you from losing weight. For example, a thyroid issue can greatly affect your ability to lose weight. Carolina Pain and Weight Loss will run some tests to determine if any of these problems could be subverting your attempts. They can make suggestions and give possible solutions to your problem.

BMI Is High

No one likes to talk about their BMI, but we have to. The body mass index is determined by measuring your weight and dividing by your height squared. You can calculate your own here.

If the number is 30 or above, you are considered obese. This puts you at a higher risk of developing many chronic diseases and heart issues. Even if you are within the “overweight” level, it is still important to get to a healthy weight. Your primary doctor can help to get you there.

You Have Other Chronic Conditions

This one is important. If you have a condition that affects your metabolism, it is essential that you work with your doctor to develop a plan specifically for you. If you have type 2 diabetes or a heart condition, you need a medical doctor to guide you through the right nutritional program.

Your Medications Could Be Part Of The Problem

Certain prescription medications can lead to weight gain or the inability to lose weight. This is especially true for medications for depression, diabetes, and hypertension which can cause weight gain. Carolina Pain and Weight Loss can suggest weight neutral alternatives.

If You Are Considering Weight Loss Surgery

If you are within the obese category and have thought about surgery to lose weight, your primary care physician is the best place to start. They already are familiar with your health and chronic conditions. They can recommend the best bariatric specialists who will determine if you are a good candidate for surgery.

When you are serious about weight loss, start at the beginning and see Carolina Pain and Weight Loss for the most thorough evaluation, and to get you on the way to a healthier life.

If you experience on and off back pain, you are not alone. Many adults have pain in their back while doing certain chores, moving in awkward positions, or even putting on their shoes. In some cases the pain is not serious and will go away, however, there are instances where the pain is serious and you should seek care from a spine specialist like Carolina Pain and Weight Loss in Mooresville and Salisbury.

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Remember a time when you broke a bone or found yourself in pain for several weeks after a surgery. Remember how it affected your life, your ability to concentrate, or to accomplish minimal activities. Imagine if that pain didn’t go away in a few days or weeks. Imagine if it were chronic lasting for months or longer. How would you cope? Let’s focus on the question: how does chronic pain affect mental health?

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Carolina Pain and Weight Loss is excited to announce the opening of a new office location in Conover, NC. We will begin seeing patients at the new Conover clinic on Monday, April 17th.

The address for the Conover office is:

​1224 Commerce Street SW
Suite A
Conover, NC 28613

More Information

Note for former Pain Relief Centers Patients

Carolina Pain and Weight Loss will honor any appointments scheduled with the Pain Relief Centers. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

Many of us have family or friends who drink too much alcohol or have become addicted to some illegal substance. We wonder how this happened and was there something we could have done to prevent it. Was this person prone to this addiction, just weak, or was it something else? Is addiction genetic?

On the other hand, genetics plays a part as well. Similar to having a family history of diabetes, about 40 to 60% of addiction comes from genetics. We inherit the hormone dopamine which is the reward center in your brain. It makes us “feel good,” and if we have high levels, it can act as a trigger to addictive behaviors. This does not mean we are going to become addicted to everything that comes our way, it just makes us more predisposed.

What About The Environment?

Look around those family members or friends who are addicted to something. Who do they hang out with? If their friends smoke or do drugs, that makes them more susceptible due to the availability and, of course, peer pressure.

Life experiences play a big role here. Trauma, abuse, or neglect at an early age can play a part. Researchers tell us that stressful situations like a death, a lost job, or other stress can trigger the release of a steroid hormone called glucocorticoids that affects the reward circuitry in the brain. This can initiate a drug addiction or a relapse.

Other Factors

When we talk about addiction, it’s essential to understand that it’s not just about the substance or behavior itself. Several factors can influence the risk of addiction, and some of these factors can increase the likelihood of someone becoming addicted.

Here are some factors that can increase the risk of addiction:

• Mental health issues like bipolar disorder
• PTSD
• Depression

What’s The Answer?

Yes, if parents used drugs in the home, children may develop substance abuse issues later in life.

Yes, if parents or grandparents had an addiction to alcohol, you are more likely to develop those tendencies.

Yes, if you live in an area with illegal substances at the “ready” you may give in to the addiction.

Why are some people more vulnerable than others? No one has all the answers and none of this is written in stone. There is no guarantee that you will develop an addiction, just predispositions.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with an addiction, get help.

Contact Carolina Pain and Weight if you know you have some of these genetic, hereditary, or environmental predilections and get help and guidance.

If you suffer with nagging and debilitating chronic pain, have already tried medications and physical therapy with no relief, but want to avoid surgery, injections are an option for managing that chronic or even acute pain. Before you make that decision, here is what you need to know about managing pain with injections.

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How does weight loss help with pain management? For most of us, we already know we have put on too many pounds and the truth is that being overweight affects most everything in our body, including pain. That’s why we hear so much about weight loss. Rather than beating yourself up about what the scale says, let’s look at how losing just a little weight might help with pain management.

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