Hood Healthcare LLC specializes in rehabilitation of individuals with chronic conditions not typically addressed in the field of rehabilitaiton. Our focus is on helping those with conditions that limit, or have reduced ones ability to participate in typical activities of daily living. Our success is measured by an individuals ability to return to their normal livestyle which may include such basic activities as shopping and going to work, or those that may desire to even participate in sports or specific exercising.
Specialties //
RENAL REHABILITATION
Advancements in medicine and our ability to preserve life has never been more innovative than in today’s medical society. Our medical ethic is to preserve life for the individual, even though preserving life may come at a cost to the patients ability to live the lifestyle they are accustomed to living. Nowhere in medicine is this more evident than in the treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). While tremendous technological advances in the management of ESRD have done great things to preserve an individuals actual life, these advances do little by themselves to help patients regain pre-dialysis lifestyles, and in reality produce some of the effects that decrease an individuals ability to return to their normal level of function.
One of the most significant barriers to regaining pre-dialysis lifestyles is the loss of physical strength and mobility. Many patients cannot climb stairs, walk down the street, carry a bag of groceries, or go to work at
their job.
Unfortunately, many healthcare providers and patients make the assumption that loss of these physical abilities are unavoidable and should be accepted. This does not need to be true. There is a proven prescription for increasing strength, endurance, functional abilities, and improving cardiovascular health.
The remedy is exercise!
Exercise training can bring significant benefits to dialysis and ESRD patients – the same benefits it
brings to individuals in the general population, including increased physical work capacity, decreased risk factors for cardiovascular disease, better control of diabetes, and improved psychological status.
Our physical therapists are trained to provide medically supervised exercise programs specifically designed to treat individuals with renal disease and the issues that come with it.
Ask your doctor today about Renal RehabTM, and then give us a call.
DIABETES
With diabetes, the small blood vessels in the body are injured. When the blood vessels in the kidneys are injured, your kidneys cannot clean your blood properly. Your body will retain more water and salt than it should, which can result in weight gain and ankle swelling. You may have protein in your urine. Also, waste materials will build up in your blood.
Diabetes also may cause damage to nerves in your body. This can cause difficulty in emptying your bladder. The pressure resulting from your full bladder can back up and injure the kidneys. Also, if urine remains in your bladder for a long time, you can develop an infection from the rapid growth of bacteria in urine that has a high sugar level.
There are a few ways that exercise lowers blood glucose:
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Insulin sensitivity is increased, so your cells are better able to use any available insulin during and after activity.
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When your muscles contract during activity, it stimulates another mechanism that is completely separate of insulin. This mechanism allows your cells to take up glucose and use it for energy whether insulin is available or not.
These are just a few of the ways that exercise can help lower blood glucose in the short term. And when you are active on a regular basis, it can also lower your A1C.
HYPERTENSION
High blood pressure can damage blood vessels in the kidneys, reducing their ability to work properly. When the force of blood flow is high, blood vessels stretch so blood flows more easily. Eventually, this stretching scars and weakens blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the kidneys.
If the kidneys’ blood vessels are damaged, they may stop removing wastes and extra fluid from the body. Extra fluid in the blood vessels may then raise blood pressure even more, creating a dangerous cycle.
High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure in the United States after diabetes.
The best way to slow or prevent kidney disease from high blood pressure is to take steps to lower blood pressure. These steps include a combination of medication and lifestyle changes, such as:
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healthy eating
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physical activity
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maintaining a healthy weight
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quitting smoking
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managing stress
No matter what the cause of the kidney disease, high blood pressure can increase damage to the kidneys
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Do you or your company provide care or services to those with kidney disease? Promote your business here. Contact us to find how together we can help those who need help.
HOOD
HEALTHCARE
LLC
