News

By Kimberly Levesque, PT, DPT, AIT Did you know that stroke is the #5 cause of death, and a leading cause of disability, in the United States? If you’re reading this, I am assuming you already have a baseline understanding of what a stroke is and what it isn’t. Just in case, check out the American Stroke Association to learn about the types of stroke, the effects of stroke, and much, much more.   Now let’s talk about how we can reduce our risk of stroke. The three largest risk factors for developing a stroke likely won’t surprise you: What you eat; Whether you exercise regularly; and If you smoke. The good news is all three of these are controllable risk factors. Here are three simple steps you can take to combat the three largest risk factors. Eat a healthy, balanced...

By Alexa Marks, RD, CDN Have you ever walked the aisles of the grocery store and felt nothing but confusion? You’ve likely seen terms like ‘sell by,’ ‘best if used by,’ ‘low fat,’ ‘fat-free,' ‘zero trans-fat,' ‘good source of,' etc. These terms are intended to make understanding food labels even easier but sometimes, it just becomes more confusing. I’m here to help!   Nutrition Labels: In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated all food manufacturers implement important changes to the Nutrition Facts label for all packaged food products. These changes reflect updated scientific information and new nutrition research and are intended to make it easier for consumers to make better-informed food choices....

A look back at Gaylord’s favorite stories of 2022. They made us cry, cheer and beam with pride. They are the stories and Gaylord media moments that defined 2022. Join us for a look back on a few of Gaylord’s favorite stories from the past year:          We’re tops! Becker’s Healthcare, the country’s leading media source for healthcare decision-makers, named Gaylord to its nationwide “150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare.”   The 2022 Gaylord Gauntlet brought much awareness to adaptive sports and our adaptive athletes, including international coverage of runner Roman Leykin who completed the 5k obstacle course on prosthetic legs.   With the advocacy of Rep. Mary Mushinsky, Gaylord secured $7.1 million in state bond and ARPA funds towards a...

Published book and upcoming movie details former Gaylord patient’s journey to “shoot for the sun” after horrific accident. Author Mike Krysiuk of Westport is on a mission to empower youth to “be their authentic selves” and avoid “walking in the shadow of others.” It’s sage advice that the Westport resident firmly believes could have changed his own destiny … had he only followed it, himself. The “big crowd” It was the spring of 1974 and Mike, a 17-year-old varsity baseball pitcher, had just ended a game with an astonishing sinker when a stranger rushed towards him, eager to shake his hand. He was a scout with the New York Mets, he said, and was impressed with Mike’s performance. With a promise to follow up with the high school senior, the gentleman...

By Katelyn Donohue, PT, DPT Gaylord Specialty Healthcare Physical Therapy Picture this: you (or someone you love) recently received a diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus. Disbelief and shock are likely among the first reactions you experience. Perhaps this moves into denial, anger, fear, and/or relief. You likely have lots of questions and you may feel overwhelmed about where to start. This is not an uncommon picture. In fact, approximately 1 in 10 Americans have diabetes. At some point, the 37-million Americans living with diabetes today received this same diagnosis and experienced much of the same reactions. Once the shock, fear, anger, etc., is behind you, it’s time to take action. While diabetes management is not always simple, it is made simpler by understanding how to manage it effectively. One important way to do...

By Tina M. Marchand, SDFNS, Sr. Director, Food and Nutrition Services, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare If you’ve recently received a diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus, or if you’ve entered the stage of pre-diabetes, or even if you have increased risk factors for developing diabetes, you may be considering how to best control diabetes without medication. A healthy diet can help! We already know that managing blood sugar is the key to living well with diabetes. So, how do we manage blood sugar? The American Heart Association agrees that eating healthy is among one of the most important components to keep blood sugar within a healthy range (in addition to exercise, weight management, stress management, and stopping smoking). Nutrition for Diabetes Management Unfortunately, eating well is not a one-size-fits-all...

By Kaila Morin, PT, DPT Gaylord Specialty Healthcare Physical Therapy A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can affect how your brain works. We hear a lot about sports-related concussions. It’s not uncommon to learn of a professional athlete sustaining a head injury during a football or hockey game. In some cases, we may follow the team or the athlete, and learn of the process they’re taking for return to play [link to “The Truth About Concussion – Return to Play”]. Eventually, the athlete returns to their sport and, hopefully, their recovery is effective and there are no further symptoms presented as a result of their concussion. The truth is concussion management isn’t that simple, and sports-related injuries aren’t the only way a patient can sustain a concussion....

By Kaila Morin, PT, DPT Gaylord Specialty Healthcare Physical Therapy A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can affect how your brain works. Each year in the US, there are 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation-related reported concussions. That’s a lot of brain injuries. It’s not hard to believe that football contributes to more than 60% of these concussions and that sports-related injuries continue to be the leading cause of concussion injury in the US. However, it’s not the only way concussions happen and, regardless of how the injury was sustained, every patient with a concussion diagnosis [link to “The Truth About Concussion – Diagnosis] should follow the CDC return to play guidelines to ensure safe and effective concussion management. Why? Because this is the brain...

By Kaila Morin, PT, DPT Gaylord Specialty Healthcare Physical Therapy A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can affect how your brain works. It could be the result of a fall, a direct blow to the head, a sports-related injury, a motor vehicle accident, or an assault. And, while they are common – there are 1.6-3.8 million sports and recreation-related concussions in the US each year – all concussions should be considered severe and require prompt care by a healthcare professional. After all, this is the brain we’re talking about. You see, while the term ‘concussion’ is used as a general diagnosis, there are three grades of a concussion that a patient may experience: Grade 1 – mild Symptoms resolve in less than 15-minutes with no loss of consciousness Grade 2...