Health Services

By Ashley O’Flaherty, CMA
Supervisor, Blanchard Valley Medical Practices

Warmer weather and sunshine bring people outside for cookouts, swimming, hiking, and all-around fun. While enjoying the outdoors, we need to be mindful of those annoying little critters known as fleas and ticks. They can be harmful to humans as well as pets. 

Fleas are very tiny insects that jump from host to host and can live on your animals. When your pet is outside, a flea may simply jump on it and stay there when the pet comes back inside. They then can multiply and bite not only the animal, but also humans. Some humans react more severely than others when it comes to bites on the skin. If not caught in time, this can cause a flea infestation. If you encounter a flea infestation, it is best you treat your animal with the appropriate treatment recommended by your veterinarian. 

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By William Hogan, MD
Blanchard Valley Pain Management

Back pain is one of the most common medical complaints, affecting millions of Americans every year. While conditions like herniated discs, stenosis, and pinched nerves are often the suspected culprits, in many cases, the true source is facet joint pain.

What Are Facet Joints?
The facet joints are small stabilizing joints between each vertebra that allow flexibility and movement in the spine. Like other joints in the body, the facet joints can become inflamed or arthritic, or sustain injury over time from repetitive stress, trauma, or degenerative changes.

Facet joints are well-supplied by medial nerves from the spinal cord. When these joints malfunction and become painful, they can produce significant back and neck pain that radiates into the shoulders, hips, buttocks, or legs.

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