South Jersey Magazine - Gloucester County / Newsstand

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SJM 0525 Health — Pain Management_Dept 5 / 19 / 25 1 : 53 PM Page 1 “ The world of headache medicine is complex and often requires a multidis - ciplinary approach for management . … S J M | H E A L T H Fortunately , we are in the midst of a pharmacological revolution of novel migraine treatments . We understand H more about the neurochemical patho - physiology of migraines than ever before , and we are more capable of suppressing and preventing them Getting Past because of advancements with therapies . ” — Dr . Steven Bromley , Bromley the Pain Neurology WITH LOWER BACK PAIN AND MIGRAINES AFFECTING At what point do persistent SO MANY , THE RIGHT APPROACH CAN MAKE A WORLD headaches become something you OF DIFFERENCE . by Peter Proko need to consult a doctor about ? “ If headaches are new to a person — particularly as they get older — or they are associated with unusual symptoms , then a person should be evaluated by a specialist . An evaluation typically starts with spending time with a person and understanding what in their life may be ‘ throwing them out of balance ’ and contributing to their migraine condi - tion . Additional evaluation typically includes physical examination , neu - roimaging and / or blood testing . ” — Dr . Bromley Why are MRIs and other diagnostic tools not always the best indicator of one’s specific issues related to back pain ? “ Everyone thinks , ‘ My back hurts , I need to get a MRI . ’ That’s really not the right approach . The right approach is having the doctor really base a diag - cording to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Con - nosis on a patient’s history and a phys - trol and Prevention , more than 51 million people in the United States ical exam to identify what the problem A suffer from chronic pain . It’s an eye - opening statistic , especially when you is . Then look at a MRI and see does it factor in that the number equates to just about 20 % of the country’s population . support what the history of physical Thankfully , as medicine continues to evolve , new treatments and surgical advance - examinations is telling us . If you ments are allowing providers to produce better outcomes for patients and help them instead chase a MRI with treatment , it regain a better quality of life . really winds up being prolonged and Two of the most prevalent issues surrounding pain management are those related unsuccessful . ” to the lower back and migraines . It is estimated that at least 50 % of the people in the ! — Dr . Zerbo United States will find themselves debilitated at some period in their life with back pain . Meanwhile , more than 37 million folks in the United States are impacted by migraines , making it one of the most disabling medical illnesses there are . SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION We spoke with two local doctors who are experts in these areas to learn more PAIN MANAGEMENT about how they are meeting the challenge to help patients find hope and promise instead of pain and suffering . RESOURCES Bromley Neurology How are recent advancements helping you produce better outcomes for Serving South Jersey patients ? ( 856 ) 546 - 2300 “ Most of the advances have been with our surgical techniques , where we now have SJMSCenter.com minimally invasive techniques where there’s less tissue disruption to accomplish what needs to be done at the time of surgery . These techniques along with the Premier Orthopaedic Associates advanced computer imaging make surgery more successful and less debilitating for Serving South Jersey the individuals , making it easier for them to recover . ” ( 856 ) 690 - 1616 POASNJ.com — Dr . Joseph R . Zerbo , Premier Orthopaedic Associates SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 22 issue 2 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 48 |

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SJM_Reflections Counseling profile_525_profile 5 / 19 / 25 3 : 43 PM Page 2 s p o n s o r e d p r o f i l e sjm them . If we can help an individual better understand one and change the way that they think about or behave in a situation it'll , in turn , affect the other two areas . ” “ DBT is designed for people who feel their emotions more intensely , ” continues McCarty . “ It has a lot of similarities but it also speaks to the idea that some things we just can't change , so we may have to learn how to tolerate that . Some of the skills in DBT are mindfulness , distress tolerance , or emotional regulation and interpersonal effectiveness skills . ” In addition to traditional individual counseling sessions , Reflec - tions offers nontraditional therapy options and group sessions . If you’re looking to get out of the bounds of an office and get moving , Reflections offers walk - and - talk therapy . SereneTeens is a program for social - anxious teens and young adults to come together and overcome the social barriers that may contribute to anxiety and loneliness . “ One Breath , One Wave ” led by Reflections ’ Jeremy Behrens is a six - week program centered around the practice of A Mental Journey mindfulness as a way to overcome stress and become more present in everyday life . With varied styles and programs , In June , Reflections ’ Rose Fedechko will also begin offering ADHD evaluations . Reflections Counseling & Wellness “ I'm really excited about [ this ] because there are a lot of adults aims to provide accessible and quality who are misdiagnosed with anxiety disorders when really they have ADHD . The purpose of the evaluation is to help an individual mental - health care . by CHELSEA VALCOURT confirm whether they have ADHD and then … to inform the indi - vidual of what type of ADHD they have . Beyond that , the evaluation helsea McCarty didn’t always know she would be a thera - will include specific resources and referrals for that person’s pist — that discovery came during a college psychology course . individual needs , ” says McCarty . “ An ADHD evaluation is great , C Fascinated with human behavior and how coursework but if they don't know what to do with this information , it's not could be applied to her life , she changed her major to psychology , really an effective tool . ” eager to combine her newfound passion with a lifelong desire to Starting therapy can be a daunting endeavor , but the most serve others . important thing to remember is that therapy is meant to be a While in graduate school , McCarty worked with people diagnosed helpful tool towards a more fulfilling and enjoyable life , and it's with both mental - health and substance - important to find a therapist with whom use disorders , and continued on to you can trust and feel comfortable . work in the private practice setting . “ The most important aspect of Throughout her work , McCarty therapy is the connection that you have began to understand how traumatic with a therapist . Therapy can be a little experiences can negatively affect a awkward in the beginning because person’s thoughts , behaviors and overall there’s a lot of questions and vulnera - mental health — which sparked her bility , but after 2 - 3 sessions you will interest in providing trauma - informed know if that person is the right therapist counseling that empowers clients to for you , ” says McCarty . overcome and achieve their goals . At the heart of Reflections Coun - During the pandemic , McCarty took seling & Wellness is an understanding a leap of faith and started Reflections of the importance of accessible mental - Counseling & Wellness . health care and a desire to lift up its “ I left a very secure , stable , happy community . work environment to take a huge risk , “ Our mission as a practice is to and I started out on my own , ” says offer access to quality mental - health McCarty . “ This was June 2022 and care for our community , ” says McCarty . within a year , I went from being an “ We know that it can be hard to make individual in private practice to having space for therapy and we want to help a staff of three . Almost three years later , eliminate any barriers that we can for there are five of us , we're in a larger an individual to access therapy — building and we serve over 150 clients . ” including accepting insurance and Each of Reflectitions ’ therapists are offering varied schedules both in - person ! equipped with varied skills from spe - and virtually . ” cializations in areas such as LGBTQIA + and trauma - informed care to a variety of therapy styles like cognitive behavioral therapy ( CBT ) and dialectical behavioral therapy ( DBT ) . Reflections Counseling & Wellness “ CBT and DBT are both common styles of therapy or interven - tion , ” says McCarty . “ CBT is rooted in the idea that we have Mullica Hill | ( 856 ) 644 - 1300 ReflectionsWellness.net thoughts , feelings and behaviors , and there's a relationship between SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 22 issue 2 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 49

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