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Thomas Perez enjoyed good dis-tance vision for much of his life. But after he turned 60, his eyesight became blurry,

his eyeglass prescriptions became stron-ger and his optometrist warned him that cataract surgery was inevitable.

� omas couldn’t see trees and road signs as clearly as he once did, especially when he drove at night.

“Night driving was tough,” he recalls. Street lights appeared to have halos around them, and the glare was so distracting that his wife did most of the night driving.

Watching te lev i s ion became “a nuisance.”

“It was always a question of whether to leave my glasses on or o� and to decide how far to sit from the TV,” � omas relates.

Playing golf was a trial, too. He needed glasses to improve his close-up vision when he teed off, but then he couldn’t see where his ball landed.

“I’d have to rely on somebody telling me where my ball went,” � omas complains.

� e game he regularly enjoyed play-ing became so aggravating that he stayed away from the links for a few years.

His deteriorating vision also led to challenges on the job. � omas worked for General Mills in his native Bu� alo, NY and in Lodi, CA before retiring and moving to St. George, UT. He started working again as a parts specialist in the municipal � eet division before retiring a second time.

“I was having a little di� culty the last few years working for the city,” � omas says. “I was getting irritated with my eyes for not being able to see far.”

His symptoms were typical of those who struggle with cataracts, which are a cloudy or opaque area in the normally clear lens of the eye. Everyone develops a cataract eventually, typically by their mid 60s. � omas had nuclear cataracts, which formed deep in the nucleus of his lenses as a result of normal aging.

Eventually, his optometrist in his home state of Utah told � omas that updating his trifocals would no longer su� ce.

“My doctor told me that was the best he could do,” � omas recounts. “He couldn’t get it crystal clear and perfect

like I was used to. He got it as clear as he could, which wasn’t really acceptable.”

It was time for surgery.� omas and his wife spend their win-

ters in Indian Rocks Beach enjoying the sun, sand, restaurants, shopping, golf, spring training baseball and visits with family in Fort Myers. During their stay in early 2017, � omas underwent a back operation and decided that while he recu-perated, he would take care of his eyes, too.

His optometrist in Utah recommended � e Eye Institute of West Florida, the go-to place for ophthalmic care for more than 40 years, and � omas made an appoint-ment with Robert J. Weinstock, MD. � e board-certified, fellowship-trained oph-thalmologist and his sta� then began the extensive process of helping � omas deter-mine the best type of intraocular lens (IOL) implant for his needs.

“We ask each patient questions about their lifestyle, what they enjoy doing, whether they work and what their visual goals are,’’ Dr. Weinstock explains. “We talk about whether they’ve worn contacts or glasses, how often they wear those and for what activities.

“We also perform a number of maps and tests of the eye. We check the health of the retina and the cornea and check for astigmatism,” he continues. “It’s important for us to get to know each patient so I can then re� ne and determine what to recom-mend as the best option for the patient.”

“Safest Surgical Procedure”Though cataract surgery is the most fre-quently performed operation in this country, many people “have a sub-conscious fear and anxiety about it,”Dr. Weinstock acknowledges. “� ey’ve heard

(see Crystal Clear, page 4)

CRYSTAL CLEAR Crystalens® AO restores 20/20 vision

“It was like watching a black-and-white TV and then switching to a high-de� nition TV. ” -Thomas

STEPHEN M. WEINSTOCK, MD, FACSJEFFREY S. SCHWARTZ, MD

LEONARD S. KIRSCH, MD, FRCS (C)RICHARD J. HAIRSTON, MD, FACS

ROBERT J. WEINSTOCK, MDKEVIN C. GREENIDGE, MD, MPH, FACS

NEEL R. DESAI, MDJASMINE MOHADJER, MD

STEVEN E. KAINE, MD

Spring 2018TAKE ME HOME!North and Central Pinellas County Edition

www.ifoundMYdoctor.comFor additional information and to read our blog, visit us at

Providing Health Care Information for 30 Years

Infinity Medical Institute

Travel Back in Time6

Regenerative Orthopedic Institute

Sports Again – at 81!9

Knoblach Hearing Care

Continuous Synchronization

12

Spinal Correction Centers

All Gain with No Pain2Minimally Invasive Spine Care

West Florida Pain Management, P.A.Triple Threat3

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers

Medically Based Fitness

10

Coastal Jaw SurgerySame Day Teeth5

HemReliefEasy and Effective8

FHCN Special Report

Baffled by Back Pain?

8

OsteoStrongReversing

Osteoporosis – Without Drugs

11

OphthalmOlOgy

Page 2 | Pinellas Health Care News | Spring 2018 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition Stretching Under SedatiOn

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Spring 2018 | Pinellas Health Care News | Page 3minimally invaSive Spine care

For more information, please visit www.eyespecialist.com

See For Yourself

The caring sta� members of The Eye Institute of

West Florida welcome your questions. To schedule

an appointment, please contact The Eye Institute

of West Florida:

Largo1225 West Bay Drive

Clearwater3165 McMullen

Booth Rd., Building A, Suite 1

St. Petersburg6133 Central Ave.

Tampa 501 N. Howard Ave.,

Suite 100

Tampa 11925 Sheldon Road

For all locations, call(727) 914-5064.

Stephen M. Weinstock, MD, FACS, is a board-certi-� ed, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist, specializing in refractive cataract surgery. He founded The Eye Institute of West Florida in 1974, pioneering subspecialty eye care in Pinellas County. Today, as President and Medical Director, Dr. Weinstock is recognized as a world-renowned cataract and LASIK surgeon. He is one of the few surgeons in the country certi� ed by the American Board of Eye Surgery in both cataract and LASIK surgery. Dr. Weinstock is also an

associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida.

Robert J. Weinstock, MD, is a board-certi� ed, fellow-ship-trained ophthalmologist, specializing in cataract, LASIK and refractive surgery. Dr. Weinstock joined the practice in 2001. He is the Director of Cataract and Refractive Services at The Eye Institute of West Florida and The Weinstock Laser Eye Center. He also serves as the Surgical Director of the Largo Ambulatory Surgery Center. He is the Chief Medical Editor of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today. In addition to performing thousands of vision-correcting cataract and

LASIK procedures each year, Dr. Weinstock speaks and teaches nationally and interna-tionally on customized cataract surgery and surgical innovations. He is continuously engaged in clinical research to evaluate new technology. He has authored multiple book chapters on cataract surgery and continues to write many journal articles on cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Weinstock is also an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida.

Neel R. Desai, MD, is a fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in corneal disease, LASIK and refractive sur-gery. Dr. Desai completed his fellowship in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins. He is recognized throughout the country as one of only 100 surgeons able to perform advanced corneal transplants. Dr. Desai is the Co-Medical Director of Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research and is on the editorial board of EyeWorld Magazine. He has authored numerous

book chapters. Additionally, he holds pending patents on new surgical products and advanced corneal surgical procedures of his own design.

CRYSTAL CLEAR (continued from page 1)

HOW CATARACTS DEVELOP

Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss in people older than 40 and the principal cause of blindness in the world. More than 30 million Americans are expected to have cataracts by 2020.

� e lens of the eye works similar to a camera lens, focusing light onto the retina to achieve clear vision. � e lens also adjusts the eye’s focus to allow people to see up close and at a distance.

Lying behind the iris and the pupil, the lens is made up primarily of water and protein. � e protein is arranged in such a way that the lens stays clear and allows light to pass through it. But as part of the natural aging process, the protein begins to clump together and cloud a portion of the lens, resulting in a cataract.

Cataracts start out small and at � rst have little e� ect on vision. Because cataracts progress slowly, patients sometimes don’t notice they’re having di� culty seeing until it greatly impacts their normal activities. � eir vision may become blurred, akin to looking through a cloudy piece of glass or viewing an impressionist painting. Colors may appear less bright. Light from the sun, a lamp or oncoming headlights may cause more glare than before.

Over time, the cataract may obscure more of the lens, reducing the sharpness of the image reaching the retina.

Thomas’ refreshed vision allows him to read comfortably again.

stories from parents or grandpar-ents from back in the day when the surgery was more invasive, you had to stay in the hospital and it wasn’t as quick and painless.”

Dr. Weinstock a l lays patient’s concerns by reassuring them it’s the “safest surgical pro-cedure in medicine right now.”

“I let them know that we can now use a laser to do a lot of the surgery and that we don’t need stitches or patches to cover the eye,” he notes. “And I tell them that I’ve done the surgery on my mother and my father and that if there was anything I thought was dangerous or would hurt somebody, I wouldn’t be doing it on my own family.”

Sharp Sight RestoredUsing eye-drop anesthesia, Dr. Weinstock performed sepa-rate procedures on � omas’ eyes two weeks apart in February 2017. His cataracts were removed and replaced with Crystalens AO. As an accommodating IOL,

front surface of his eye, so it’s more rounded rather than oval.

Thomas marvels that he instantly noticed improvement after each surgery. Now, he enjoys 20/20 vision in both eyes and needs only cheaters to read. Best of all, he’s rid himself of pre-scription eyewear.

“I’m not an eyeglass-wearing kind of person,” � omas admits. “I don’t like them. You always have to clean them.”

He rates Dr. Weinstock as “excellent” and “one of the best.” � omas grades the o� ce at � e Eye Institute of West Florida as “A-one, superior.”

As for his restored vision, “I tell people it was like watch-ing a black-and-white TV and then switching to a high-de� nition TV,” � omas enthuses. “� at pretty much sums it up.”FHCN article by Annette Mardis. Photos by

Jordan Pysz. Graphics from Pixbay.com. nj.

it delivers an improved range of vision over lenses that only enhance distance vision.

Other implant options include monofocal lenses, which o� er a � xed focus for one distance; multifocal lenses, which provide distance and near focus and toric lenses to correct astigmatism.

“There is no one-size-fits-all treatment because everyone sees di� erently,” Dr. Weinstock stresses. “For � omas, one of the things he experienced was a lot of glare at night, and it was import-ant for him to restore sharp, crisp distance vision. At the same time, he wanted to be able to see his computer clearly. He wasn’t dead set against wearing glasses for reading, but his distance and middle vision were a priority. For people with that set of priorities, we use the Crystalens.

“ The advan t ag e s o f Crystalens IOLs are that they provide high-contrast, high-quality distance vision and non-glare nighttime vision. � ey also perform very well for com-puter and intermediate vision,” Dr. Weinstock adds. “� ey free people up from wearing glasses, except for a light pair of reading glasses pur-chased over the counter.”

D u r i n g s u r g e r y ,Dr. Weinstock also corrected � omas’ astigmatism by using a laser to reshape his cornea, the

CATARACT Risk Factors

Advancing age

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight and other sources

Diabetes

Hypertension

Obesity

Smoking

Nutritional de� ciency

Prolonged use of corticosteroid medications

Statin medicines used to reduce cholesterol

Previous eye injury, in� ammation or surgery

Hormone replacement therapy

Signi� cant alcohol consumption

High myopia

Family history

SIGN UP FOR OUR COMPLIMENTARY

CATARACT SEMINARS

Monday, January 29 at 3:30pm

Monday, February 12 at 3:30pm

Monday, March 19 at 3:30pm

To sign up or for more information please call

(727) 914-5064.

Page 4 | Pinellas Health Care News | Spring 2018 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition

Spring 2018

Contributing Editors

Barry P. LevineExecutive Publisher

Gina L. d’AngeloCFO/HR

Roy CummingsEditorial Supervisor

Michelle BrooksCreative Director

Brian LevineProject Coordinator

Patti DiPanfiloAnnette Mardis

Editorial Staff

Laura EngelProduction Assistant

Nerissa JohnsonGraphic Designer

Nerissa JohnsonJordan PyszFred BelletPhotography

Steve TurkMario Hill

Kent BoothArthur Andrews

Rick BowserRobert Mize Distribution

The Eye Institute of West FloridaOphthalmology

Spinal Correction CentersStretching Under Sedation

Minimally Invasive Spine CareWest Florida Pain Management, P.A.Minimally Invasive Spine Care

Coastal Jaw SurgeryOral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Infinity Medical InstituteBio-Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

HemReliefHemorrhoid Treatment

Regenerative Orthopedic InstituteStem Cell Therapy/ Pain Management

FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers

Physical Therapy and Balance

OsteoStrongOsteoporosis Treatment

Knoblach Hearing CareHearing Health Care

215 Bullard ParkwayTemple Terrace, FL 33617

(813) 989-1330

Pinellas Health Care News

Pinellas Health Care News is published by Florida Health Care News, Inc.

Florida Health Care News, Inc., reserves the right to decline any advertising/marketing article.

Pinellas Health Care News is provided for information only and should not be construed as health care advice or instruction. If you have questions concerning articles in this edition, feel free to call our contributing editors.

Pinellas Health Care News provides a paid forum for health care professionals to present their ideas about various aspects of health care treatment and proce-dures. Florida Health Care News, Inc. is not responsible for the health care delivered by the contributing editors presented in this edition.

Articles reflect the opinion of the sponsoring profes-sional or organization and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other contributing editors. Contributing editors have approved all text contained within their respective articles.

© 2018 Florida Health Care News, Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication, including articles, may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

FOR ALL HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS HAVING ARTICLES IN THIS PUBLICATION:

THE PATIENT AND ANY OTHER PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO

REFUSE TO PAY, CANCEL PAYMENT OR BE REIMBURSED FOR PAYMENT FOR ANY OTHER

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OF RESPONDING TO, THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR A FREE, DISCOUNTED OR REDUCED FEE

SERVICE, EXAMINATION OR TREATMENT.

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courtesy of istockphoto.com.

OphthalmOlOgy

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Spring 2018 | Pinellas Health Care News | Page 5Oral and maxillOfacial SUrgery

Page 6 | Pinellas Health Care News | Spring 2018 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition BiO-natUral hOrmOne replacement therapy

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Spring 2018 | Pinellas Health Care News | Page 7BiO-natUral hOrmOne replacement therapy

It is estimated that 80 percent of Americans will experience low back pain in their lifetimes. It is the most common cause of job-related

disability and one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor.

The spine, or backbone, is built for strength and � exibility. It is strong enough to hold the weight of the head and torso and � exible enough to allow for a signi� cant range of motion. It is made up of 24 moving vertebrae and the naturally fused and immobile sacrum and coccyx. Attached to the vertebrae are muscles, tendons and ligaments, as well as intervertebral discs that help absorb the shock of movement.

Back pain can occur with an injury or condition a� ecting any part of the spine. It can come on suddenly and last for a short time, called acute back pain, or it can worsen over time and last for weeks or months or longer, called chronic back pain.

Customary ConsiderationsThere are many possible causes of back pain.

Excess activity or an improper lift-ing technique can cause the muscles or ligaments to overstretch or tear. This is a strain, and it can lead to back stiff-ness and soreness.

� e discs between the vertebrae can also be injured. A common injury is a herniation, or rupture, which occurs when the material in the discs leaks out of its normal position and pushes on the spinal cord or nerve roots, causing acute pain.

There are a number of structural problems that can also lead to back pain, such as scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine; spondylolisthesis, a condition

Ba� ed by Back Pain?Consider these causes for this common ailment.

in which one vertebra slips forward over the one below it; and spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal. Some additional conditions that can cause pain include arthritis, osteoporosis, infections, � bromyalgia, kidney stones and pregnancy. � ese causes can lead to acute or chronic pain.

Unexpected ExplanationsIn a 2016 article, writer Ted Spiker examines � ve additional, less-diagnosed reasons for acute and chronic back pain. � e � rst, he suggests, is the presence of a mood disorder such as depression. It’s known that emotional pain can trans-late into physical pain. In fact, research found that people with symptoms of depression had a 60 percent greater incidence of back pain compared with non-depressed individuals.

Symptoms of depression include sad or “empty” mood, feelings of hopeless-ness or pessimism, loss of interest in daily activities, sleep changes, decreased energy, loss of appetite or weight changes, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Another reason is tight hips, which result when a lifetime of sitting decreases hip mobility by thickening the � brous tissue encasing the joints. � is puts extra strain on the lower back, leading to discomfort.

Most people would not be surprised to learn that being overweight can con-tribute to back pain, but they might be surprised to know that where the extra pounds are located makes a di� erence.

Excess weight in the belly tilts the pel-vis and increases the curve of the spine, putting the spine’s joints under stress and compressing the discs.

Spiker’s fourth reason for low back pain is too much time on a cell phone. People on the phone tend to bend their necks to talk or text, and that can put up to an extra 60 pounds of force on the spine. Combine this poor posture with the normal wear and tear arthritic changes that are naturally occurring, and the spine’s discs take a beating.

Fina l l y, Sp ik e r points to the kinetic chain theory, which looks at the body as made up of moving parts linked together in a chain. A problem with any link in that chain can affect another link somewhere else in the chain.

Following this theory, it’s not hard to see how a condition a� ecting the feet, such as plantar fasciitis or heel pain, can lead to a problem with the back. Either of those foot conditions can change the way a person walks, and that can cause back pain.

People who suffer with foot problems or any con-dition that affects walking, such as arthritis in the knee

or a twisted ankle, should have these conditions addressed. � is will not only

correct the problem, but also prevent any accompa-

nying back issues that may result.FHCN staff article. Photo

from istockphoto.com.

Page 8 | Pinellas Health Care News | Spring 2018 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition hemOrrhOid treatment

Special tO fhcn

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Spring 2018 | Pinellas Health Care News | Page 9Stem cell therapy/pain management

Danica Michel, PT, DPT, ATC, CMPT, received her Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI and her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Oakland University in Rochester, MI. She was also trained as a certi� ed manual physical therapist at Florida Institute of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy. Dr. Michel is clinical director for FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in Bonita Springs, FL and a clinical instructor for � rst-, second- and third-year physical therapy students. She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and Florida Physical Therapy Association.

For more information, visit FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers on the web at fyzicalpt.com and fyzical.com/st-petersburg

DANICA MICHEL, PT, DPT, ATC, CMPTTARA SCHWARTZ, PT, MPT TRICIA TRINQUE, MHE, PT

STEPHANIE VAUGHAN, PT, DPT, MTC

“Spelled diff erent because

we are diff erent”FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers

has three locations to serve you:

13830 58th St. North, Suite 409,

in Clearwater, phone

(727) 532-1900,

14280 Walsingham Road

in Largo, phone (727) 596-2101,

419 Pasadena Ave. South,

in St. Petersburg, phone

(727) 384-4600.

Medically Based FitnessRock Steady Boxing � ghts back against

Parkinson’s disease.

I n 2010, retired chemical engineer Ray Comingore was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is a movement disorder that

can lead to deterioration of a person’s motor skills, balance, speech and sensory functions. As Ray’s PD progressed, he began to experience some setbacks.

“I started having issues with my gait,” notes the Southern Indiana native. “My left leg was not working properly, so my balance was o� . My posture was often very sti� and rigid as I fought to keep from being stooped and bent over. I was a runner, and although I could still run, it wasn’t quite the same.

“I tried all the physical therapy rou-tines I knew about to help people with Parkinson’s cope with their issues and take over their lives again.”

� ese approaches were only slightly e� ective. � en, a family friend told Ray about an exercise program designed spe-cifically to help people with PD fight back against their disease. It’s called Rock Steady Boxing. Ray did an internet search for gyms in the area that pro-vided the program. � ere was only one, FYZICAL � erapy & Balance Centers.

“Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact, boxing type of training,” relates Ray. “I glove up and beat on the heavy bag and speed bags. It helps me work out my frustration with Parkinson’s and � ght back against it. It also helps my balance and strength. � ere’s research showing a remarkable improvement in these areas with vigorous, high-intensity interval training.”

At FYZICAL, Ray worked with coach Jordan Brannon, Rock Steady Boxing program director.

“Science has proven that high-intensity exercise like we do with Rock Steady Boxing has a neuroprotective bene� t for people with Parkinson’s dis-ease,” asserts Jordan. “By pushing these patients to their limits and out of their comfort zones, new pathways are cre-ated in the brain.”

People with PD often have di� culty doing two or more tasks at the same time. Ray was no exception. However, Rock Steady Boxing workouts improve participants’ thought processing and multitasking capabilities.

“It helps because when I’m boxing, I’m hitting the bag and trying to punch the proper way,” states Ray. “I’m also trying to do the right set of punches the coach wants me to do. I have to remember the pattern, so it helps my mind.

“� e coach at FYZICAL devises a new workout every day. I never get bored. I do brain games sometimes. Other times, I work on building my core for better balance or use weights to improve my strength. Or, I might walk or jog in the alley behind the building. She always has exercises aimed toward some aspect of Parkinson’s disease.”

Conquering DisabilitiesThe Parkinson’s Disease Foundation estimates there are more than one mil-lion people in the US with PD. Each year, more than 60,000 people are diagnosed with the disease. Many of these people become physically dis-abled by the condition.

� e founder of Rock Steady Boxing began intense, one-on-one boxing training after he was diagnosed with PD. He noticed signi� cant improvement in his physical health, agility and daily function-ing after beginning the workouts.

� e exercise routines used in Rock Steady Boxing, founded in 2006, are pri-marily adapted from boxing drills. Boxers train for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, hand-eye coordination, foot-work and overall strength. Studies support that rigorous exercise emphasizing these factors could favorably impact range of motion, � exibility, posture, gait and activ-ities of daily living for people with PD.

“Rock Steady Boxing is good for people with Parkinson’s disease, like Ray, because it includes big motions and repet-itive motions,” explains Danica Michel, DPT, of FYZICAL � erapy & Balance Centers, which has coaches certi� ed in the program. “Improvements made here carry on into their daily activities, such as walking and preventing falls, as well as increase their balance and strength.

“It is also an excellent program for them mentally because it focuses their concentration. Emotionally, they feel right at home when they are surrounded by other people with similar disabilities.”

People with any disability, not just those with PD, are often uncomfort-able in traditional gym settings, points out Dr. Michel.

“� ey may feel out of place among the fitter members of the gym or be intimidated by the equipment,” she adds.

“FYZICAL recognized this and developed medically based therapy programs such as Rock Steady Boxing to help people with disabilities gain strength and wellness in a calming environment.

“First, we utilize a tool called BODYQ™, which is a total-body assessment that analyzes patients’ bal-ance, strength and flexibility. It also screens for hearing and visual di� culties. � e information we gather allows us to develop a speci� c program to address their limitations.”

� e program starts with formation of a class made up of patients with common

limitations. � e group is run by a team of personal trainers, physical therapists and physical therapy assistants. � e class meets regularly for exercise geared toward their particular needs.

“FYZICAL’s skilled providers help patients on the path to learning what they need to do to address their speci� c weaknesses,” states Dr. Michel. “It’s a team e� ort, and at FYZICAL, we strive to help these individuals reach their goals and maintain good health. Ray is a perfect example of that.

“Our medically based therapy program is superior to exercising at a traditional gym because our team is knowledgeable about the body and experi-enced in using exercise for rehabilitation,” she continues. “� at is not the case with the sta� members at most gyms. Also, our program is not about looking good. It is about achieving total body wellness.”

Unexpected RewardRock Steady Boxing is e� ective for peo-ple with PD because of its big, repetitive motions. Perfecting these movements at FYZICAL aided Ray in his daily life as well, helping him increase his activities and improve his balance. He also got an

unexpected reward from the program – new friends to lean on.

“I started running more,” reports Ray. “Instead of nine-minute miles, I’m running � fteen-minute miles, but I’m still running. I’ve been able to reduce my med-ication by about a third, so I’m feeling much better. I’ve also got more energy and more range of motion.

“My exercise group has become quite a support group now because we all have the same issues to � ght. We share stories about our own journeys and talk about what medications we take, what doctors we see and what we’ve read in the news about breakthroughs.”

Ray is extremely pleased with Rock Steady Boxing and his experience at FYZICAL � erapy & Balance Centers. He’s told both his primary care physician and his neurologist about the program and how they should refer other patients with PD to FYZICAL.

“FYZICAL Therapy and Balance Centers is great,” he says. “� ey’re really focused on balance and con� dence. Part of having disabilities is not having the con� dence to try something and step out. FYZICAL is an environment where I can do that.”FHCN article by Patti DiPanfilo. Photo by Jordan Pysz.

mkb

Rock Steady Boxing helps Ray � ght back against Parkinson’s disease.

I’ve been able to reduce my medication by about a third, so I’m feeling much better.

– Ray“ ”

Page 10 | Pinellas Health Care News | Spring 2018 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition phySical therapy and Balance

North and Central Pinellas County Edition | Spring 2018 | Pinellas Health Care News | Page 11OSteOpOrOSiS treatment

Page 12 | Pinellas Health Care News | Spring 2018 | North and Central Pinellas County Edition hearing health care