Updates and Changes

AMF Updates

• We are excited to announce that we have added new medical equipment in our Clearwater office! We now have a large C-Arm to allow us to do procedures in our office such as epidural steroid injections (ESIs) in the neck and back. We also have the capability to perform radiofrequency ablations (RFAs) in-office to help decrease nerve-related pain and chronic pain. We have other minimally invasive, non-surgical treatments like these available in our office; ask today to speak with our interventional pain team!

Dr Nate and new baby

Dr Nate and new baby

• Per new CDC guidelines, masks are now optional in our offices. We will continue to practice all of our strict disinfectant and hygiene protocols. We will also continue offering private treatment areas for patients with concern for social distancing and masking.

• Please welcome Alisha Koch to our team! She is our full-time physical therapist assistant located primarily in our Seminole office. We recently have been adding even more team members to help provide better care for you and your loved ones, so stay tuned!

We are excited to share, for those of you who don’t already know, we have a new AMF baby!

Dr. Nate and his wife, Mia, welcomed their daughter, Briar James, on February 13th, 2022 at 7:16pm.

Mom and baby Briar are officially happy and healthy! They are now a family of four with their 18-month-old son, Finn, who loves being a big brother!

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Poor Posture

A lot of people have poor posture. We have a more sedentary lifestyle and more people work with computers all day. Poor posture is more than cosmetic. It can have health consequences.

Here are some causes of poor posture:

  • Bad habits.
  • Being Overweight.
  • Weakness in the midsection.
  • Muscle imbalance or spasm.
  • Pain in areas of the body that prevent proper posture.
  • Lack of exercise.
  • Degenerative conditions preventing correct posture.
  • Bad furniture.

The complications of poor posture include back pain, spinal dysfunction, joint degeneration, rounded shoulders and a potbelly.

If you would like to improve your posture, we can help. Come in for an evaluation, and we can suggest a treatment plan. In addition to treatment, we will give you home exercises, and you will have to learn to overcome years of bad habits.

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Shoulder Pain

Treatment of the Month

This month we are highlighting our very popular SHOULDER PROGRAM. We combine guided injections and individualized physical therapy to get our patients out of pain as quickly as possible!

shoulder pain

Our AMF shoulder program works exceptionally well for people with shoulder pain. We can even help with shoulder arthritis or rotator cuff problems. Most people love having the non-surgical solutions that we offer here because they have been told that shoulder surgery is their only option left. We prevent many people from needing a shoulder surgery that they did not want.

This program is covered by health insurance, including Medicare! The program is not just a cortisone shot, which many people have tried before. Our shoulder program involves cutting-edge treatments that are individualized to you. Please call if you are interested in a FREE Consultation. We will perform an assessment to see if you are a candidate for this wonderful program!

Do You Have Shoulder Pain Or Arm Pain?

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Tampa Bay Times Home Show

Here is our booth at the Tampa Bay Times Home Show here in St. Pete!. Located in St Petersburg, they featured a variety of home products and services; ALL of your home improvement needs in one place. Work directly with builders, remodelers, architects, landscapers, contractors and many more home improvement vendors.

home show booth

You could spend the day discovering great exhibits, giveaways, door prizes, and so much more. See the latest trends in home remodeling: from kitchen and baths to flooring, to windows and home protection. Free admission. Daily giveaways! Tampa Bay Home Show presented and produced by Tampa Bay Times!

Advanced Medical tries to do a lot of things to give back to the community. Things like health fairs and beach clean ups. The owners and staff at Advanced Medical of Florida are very socially conscious.

Advanced Medical of Florida has a number of professionals providing physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture as well as care by a medical doctor. By having multiple doctors on our team, our patients have the best possible chance of getting the treatment they need and results they want. It also encourages collaboration between our different specialties to find all of the options a patient may have for reducing pain.

Advanced Medical of Florida is know for providing care as an alternative to surgery. Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Specialized Neck/Back Program.

Our team will perform a biomechanical assessment of you and your spine to determine the cause of your pain using advanced medical imaging. Our team will then develop a treatment plan that best fits your needs.

Too strong. Portrait of aged man standing with terrible ache in back while his wife supporting him.

We use guided injections utilizing technology such as our ultrasound fluoroscope.

An injectable mixture of anti-inflammatory and fast acting pain relievers is injected into the muscles and tendons using cutting edge technology of ultrasound guidance. Our imaging equipment allows for precise guidance into the joint space in the exact location needed to provide the best results.

We may use high-quality prefabricated braces. They are prefabricated as it relates to the type of orthosis being ordered. For example many prefabricated knee braces will fit and function just as well as one that is custom made given that the patient’s leg dimensions fit with in the manufacturer specifications. Our cutting-edge bracing systems realigns and stabilizes the joints. This allows the body to redistribute weight and pressure away from the weakened portion of the joint decreasing pain.

We may use physical therapy. Our Doctors of Physical Therapy and their team will work with you to help strengthen, rebalance and restore your joints. This allows you to regain significant strength and functionality with decreased pain.

We may use traction from our decompression table to help our patients achieve a pain-free life! We are excited to announce that our new decompression table has arrived in Seminole! We officially have one of these specialized tables at each of our clinics now. The decompression tables provide gentle traction to take pressure off of your spine. This treatment is great for providing relief to your neck, back, or knees and is covered by insurance, including Medicare.

Our neck/back program can help with many spine conditions such as degenerative disc disease, sciatica, arthritis, stenosis, and herniated or bulging discs. Our program is a non-surgical solution to your neck or back pain, and it is not just a cortisone shot, which many people have tried before.

This program is covered with health insurance, including Medicare! Auto insurance also covers our services if you were involved in an accident. Call  if you are interested in a FREE Consultation.

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Chiropractic Questions

Question: What can a chiropractic physician do for me that another doctor can’t?

Answer: Chiropractic physicians primarily use spinal manipulation and rehabilitation in the treatment of their patients. They are trained to focus especially on your body’s structural integrity because they understand how it is related to body function and to our overall health.

spine

Grounded in the science that proper function of our muscles, nerves, and bones is essential for good health, the therapies that chiropractic physicians employ are a holistic approach that medical doctors traditionally do not use. The clinical effectiveness of the chiropractic approach has been documented by numerous scientific studies.

Question: Does chiropractic therapy really work?
Answer: Yes. Numerous studies have proven that chiropractic treatment is clinically effective and cost effective for both acute and chronic low-back and neck conditions, as well as such other conditions as headaches, disc herniations, disc ruptures, arm and leg pain, and rib pains.

Question: How do I find a chiropractor?
Answer: One of the best ways to find a doctor of chiropractic (DC) is by getting a referral from a trusted friend, family member, colleague, or another healthcare provider.

Question: Is Chiropractic safe?
Answer: Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest nondrug, noninvasive forms of health care available for the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal complaints. Although chiropractic has an excellent safety record, no health treatment is completely free of potential adverse effects. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are very small. Many patients feel immediate relief following chiropractic treatment, but some may experience mild soreness, stiffness or aching, just as they do after some forms of exercise. Current research shows that minor discomfort or soreness following spinal manipulation typically fades within 24 hours.

Neck pain and some types of headaches are treated through precise cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, often called a neck adjustment, works to improve joint mobility in the neck, restoring range of motion and reducing muscle spasm, which helps relieve pressure and tension. Neck manipulation, when performed by a skilled and well educated professional such as a doctor of chiropractic, is a remarkably safe procedure.

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Physical Therapy Questions

Is it normal to feel worse after physical therapy?
It’s possible that you may feel worse after physical therapy, but you should not have pain. Should you be sore after physical therapy? Yes. When you are mobilizing, stretching, and strengthening the affected area you are going to be required to do exercises and movements that can cause soreness after your session.
Physical therapy
Does physical Therapy hurt?

The short answer is no. Physical therapy should not be painful.

It’s not unusual to feel hesitant—or even nervous—about physical therapy. After all, a complete stranger is about to start poking around the part of your body that’s already causing you pain and discomfort.

Well, don’t worry. We are going to dispel all the myths you may have heard over the years about physical therapy so that you can go to your first appointment feeling confident and ready to heal.

Are you in a room by yourself?

Usually not. Your physical therapy facility is not unlike a gym where you work out. You are sharing resources like weights and workout props. It would not be practical to provide a room for every patient. You will have a comfortable distance from other patients, so you will have a reasonable degree of privacy.

Can you avoid surgery with physical therapy

Physical therapy is a great alternative to surgery. We have had a great deal of success helping people avoid surgery. But, of course, it depends upon your situation. The best thing is for you to come in for a consultation. If we think surgery is required, we will tell you that. If we think we can help you avoid surgery, we will discuss a treatment plan.

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Physical Therapy Instead of Surgery

By any chance, have your friends told you that their insurance company required them to have a certain amount of physical therapy before they would authorize surgery? Why do you think that they do that? You may assume that they are trying to save money. But perhaps they are also trying to pursue an alternative that will give a better outcome for the patient.

x-ray

Studies have shown that physical therapy can be as effective as surgery in providing pain relief for some lower back conditions, such as spinal stenosis. The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that found physical therapy to be as effective as surgery for treating meniscal tears and knee osteoarthritis.

New studies show that physical therapy is just as good as, if not better than, surgery in most cases. There are many benefits to physical therapy vs surgery that make it a better treatment option, but you must choose the best option for based on your individual circumstances.

If you come in for a consultation at our office, we can advise you of your choices. If an MRI and a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon are warranted, we will advise you of that. However, perhaps surgery can be avoided.

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Pain Management

This month we are highlighting our Interventional Pain Management Department!

Our pain management team’s main goal is getting patients pain relief without surgery or opioids. There are many well-known potential side effects of surgery and opioids, so finding solutions with less risk is of tremendous value to our patients.

Our pain management team is proficient in helping people with a variety of conditions, including but not limited to:

• Knee pain
• Back or neck pain
• Shoulder pain
• Hip pain
• Chronic pain
• Distal joint pain in the elbows, wrists, hands, and ankles
• Motor vehicle accidents

Some of our treatment options include ultrasound-guided or fluoroscopic-guided injections, prescribing braces such as a back or knee brace, modifying medications, and ordering imaging such as X-rays or MRIs.

Our pain management team has availability during the week and on selective Saturdays by appointment.

Feel free to call us today if you would like a no-charge consultation with our medical pain management team.

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.

Neck/Back Program

FDA Cleared treatment for Neck and Back Pain without Surgery

If you have been suffering with neck and back pain and ibuprofen just does not do the job, we want you to know there is a solution! Our Neck/Back Pain program was developed by our team of doctors and providers to help reduce pain.

shoulder pain

Step 1
Our team will perform a biomechanical assessment of you and your spine to determine the cause of your pain using advanced medical imaging. Our team will then develop a treatment plan that best fits your needs

Step 2
An injectable mixture of anti-inflammatory and fast acting pain relievers is injected into the muscles and tendons using cutting edge technology of ultrasound guidance. Our imaging equipment allows for precise guidance into the joint space in the exact location needed to provide the best results.

Step 3
Our Doctors of Physical Therapy and their team will work with you to help strengthen, rebalance and restore your joints. This allows you to regain significant strength and functionality with decreased pain.

Step 4
Our cutting-edge bracing systems realigns and stabilizes the joints. This allows the body to redistribute weight and pressure away from the weakened portion of the joint decreasing pain.

Step 5
We will provide you the tools to prolong your new-found quality of life. A customized take home exercise plan will be designed for you that will reduce inflammation and enhance the success of your therapies on your own.

Step 6
Our work never ends. Our staff will continue with detailed follow-ups to evaluate your pain level and functionality, as needed.

Schedule a No-Charge Consultation Today!

Advanced Medical of Florida provides you with the medical care you need.  For more information, go to our web site http://www.amfhealthcare.com or call (727) 408-5222.