Diabetes Program & Obesity Program
Healy Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine is beginning an adult diabetes and obesity program to help combat this growing problem. The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) performed a clinical trail of 3,234 people with impaired glucose tolerance to compare diet and exercise with an oral diabetes drug. The DPP found that diet and exercise resulting in 5%-7% weight loss lowered incidence of type 2 diabetes by 58%. Research has shown that regular exercise does decrease blood glucose levels and is the standard course of treatment of those who have diabetes. As well as decreasing blood glucose levels, exercise and diet will also decrease weight, increase cardiovascular fitness, improve flexibility, increase strength and increase balance. People with diabetes also are prone to frozen shoulders and in the thawing phase of this disease Physical Therapy has proven to increase shoulder range of motion for these people.
Contraindications to exercise are: - Blood glucose levels below 100 mg/dL and higher than 300 mg/dL
- Acute pericarditis or myocarditis
- Resting unstable angina
- Untreated second or third degree heart block
- Acute illness
- Aortic stenosis
- Known left main CAD
- Systolic blood pressure at rest over 165mm HG and diastolic blood pressure over 110 mm Hg at rest.
- Serious ventricular or rapid atrial arrhythmias (i.e.: ventricular tachycardia, couplets, atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter)
- Retinopathy
- Autonomic neuropathy
- Nephorpathy
We would like to help your adult patients who may be obese and/or have diabetes to get them on an exercise program which they can maintain throughout their life. The Presidents Council on Fitness and Sports determined that all adults should exercise at least 30 minutes every day. This program was developed to help “jump start” people in beginning to live a more healthy lifestyle.
- We need a script from your doctor with the diagnosis of either: diabetes, obesity, and/or hypertension.
- We will schedule an evaluation for your patient then see your patients two times a week for eight weeks to progress them through an exercise protocol.
- At the end of the eight weeks your patient will have a 30 minute home exercise program tailored to their specific problems.
- We will also have an Independent Gym Program for these patients on the self pay bases if they chose to participate.
