Living with back pain or neck pain

If you're suffering from back pain or neck pain, the key to getting effective - and lasting - relief is finding a partnership with clinicians who take the time to understand and treat the source of your pain.

When you visit St. Charles Physical Therapy in Bend, Oregon, our physical therapists will listen to your history: what makes your symptoms better, or worse and how the pain affects your daily activities. They will conduct a thorough evaluation of your spine, be it your neck or back. The examination may also include: checking reflexes, evaluating strength of arms and legs and determining if there are any sensation changes in your limbs. Using this information along with your medical history, our physical therapists will create a personalized treatment plan designed to relieve pain and meet your unique health goals.

Nonsurgical rehabilitation

Whenever possible, it is preferable to treat neck or back pain with methods other than surgery. These methods include:

• Safe Movement. Gone are the days of bed rest. Our physical therapists prefer teaching patients proper posture in order to decrease pressure and stress on discs and nerves as well as movement strategies to return to ordinary activities as soon as possible.
• Gradual Exercise. Our physical therapists assist in creating gentle movement and strengthening programs designed to minimize pain, improve mobility, increase strength and promote a healthy posture. As pain improves, the patient and physical therapist work together to progress toward more active exercises to build strength in abdominal, low back and neck muscles.
• Posture Education. In addition to strengthening, posture plays a large role in injury treatment and prevention. Our physical therapists will assist you in creating a posture-friendly environment at work, at home or during the activities you love (i.e. gardening, sports, crafts, etc.) in order to decrease stress on your injured spine and avoid further injury.

Rehabilitation after surgery

If surgery is necessary, our physical therapists will create a plan based on your post-surgical precautions and rehabilitation needs. During your recovery, you should follow your surgeon's instructions about wearing a back brace or support belt. In the first weeks, you should also be cautious about overdoing activities. If you've had a lumbar fusion, your surgeon may have you wait six weeks to three months before starting physical therapy.

Although recovery times vary, once you start physical therapy, you'll usually go for one to three months. Your treatment plan may include:

• Heat or ice therapy
• Gentle exercise
• Endurance / walking programs
• Modalities (i.e. electrical stimulation, TENS, ultrasound)
• Manual therapy
• Postural and ergonomic training
• Pain management

Your plan may also include manual therapy, a physical therapy subspecialty that uses skilled, specific hands-on techniques to diagnose and treat soft tissue and joint structures with benefits that include increasing your range of motion, reducing pain, decreasing swelling and relaxing muscles.

Our physical therapists at St. Charles Physical Therapy will help guide you through your back and neck rehabilitation every step of the way in order to progress you toward ongoing wellness.

Want to know more about physical therapy services? We encourage you to call us at 541-706-5940 to schedule an appointment with a physical therapist who can answer any of your questions.

St. Charles Physical Therapy has a team of physical therapists who have long been recognized as leaders in treating lower back pain and neck pain in Bend, Oregon.

Our Community Pharmacy

At St. Charles, our clinically trained team of pharmacists and technical staff fill your prescriptions accurately and provide clear explanations about all medications, including how they might interact with one another.

Remember to bring your insurance information along with prescription co-pays. The Community Pharmacy will bill most major third-party insurance carriers, including Medicare and the Oregon Health Plan.

Quality pharmacy services

Our pharmacists review all medication orders and monitor for:

• Age-specific issues
• Allergies
• Disease contraindications
• Drug interactions
• Duplicate therapies
• Proper dosing
• Therapeutic drug levels

You can help! Please bring a list of all medications, including over-the-counter vitamins and remedies you take without a prescription.

The Community Pharmacy
2500 NE Neff Rd.
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 541-706-7731

From Neff Road, use the main entrance (traffic light at Medical Center Drive) and follow signs to patient and visitor parking. Enter through the hospital's front entrance. Turn left as you enter the lobby and turn right just after the Corner Deli. The Community Pharmacy is straight ahead on your right.

A healthy diet for lifelong weight management

We all know that maintaining a healthy weight is part of a healthy lifestyle. It can help you with heart disease prevention, diabetes prevention and other health benefits — not to mention feeling comfortable in your own body and enjoying fewer physical limitations.

But there’s more to being healthy than just being thin. Crash diets and fad diets often don’t work in the long run, and can even worsen your health due to nutritional deficiencies and severe spikes and drops in blood glucose. Many trendy diets are designed around inaccurate information, or are designed for people whose bodies process foods in a certain way — which may not be the same way that your body works. It’s important to make sure that you’re getting accurate medical guidance, and that your nutrition plan can be adjusted for your needs.

Most of all, it’s important to have compassionate support from experts who understand the realities of weight management.

Nutrition counseling

There are countless reasons why a person may struggle with their weight. Perhaps you’ve been through a hormonal change. Perhaps you have another medical condition that makes weight management difficult. Maybe there are emotional, psychological or even cultural issues at play. You may even be struggling with several different factors at the same time.

The registered dietitian nutritionists at St. Charles Health System have a thorough understanding of these things. We know that weight issues do not start overnight, and are not solved overnight either. We’re ready to work with you to overcome the obstacles keeping you from your healthy weight goal. This may include counseling, assistance with menu planning, identifying health patterns and other services as needed.

If you have questions about nutrition counseling at St. Charles Health System, contact us today at 541-706-6348. We’re ready to help you get your life on track.

St. Charles Health System provides nutrition counseling for lifelong weight management in Central Oregon.

Learn what to eat during pregnancy

The nine months of pregnancy are a wondrous time in a woman’s life. As the baby grows and delivery day approaches, her body undergoes an amazing transformation. The decisions she makes in regard to her diet influence the health of her baby. Knowing how to eat during pregnancy and beyond helps ensure the best beginning possible for her baby. If you’re unsure which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, a registered dietitian nutritionist at St. Charles Health System in Central Oregon can help.

Ensure a healthy pregnancy

A balanced diet provides vital nutrients for the growing fetus. Moms-to-be should keep the following foods in mind when eating or preparing their meals each day:

1. Vegetables: Colorful vegetables that are fresh, canned or frozen.
2. Fruits: All fresh, canned or frozen fruits.
3. Healthy fats: Seeds, nuts and avocados.
4. Lean proteins: Beans, fish, eggs and meats (turkey, chicken and some beef). Deli meats and hot dogs should be heated to kill possible bacteria that might harm your baby. Certain fish that are known to be high in mercury such as swordfish, tilefish and white tuna should be eaten sparingly.
5. Fat-free or low-fat dairy: Yogurt, cheese and milk. Unpasteurized dairy should be avoided.

Empty calories from foods high in sugar such as soda, cakes and cookies should be avoided, as well as solid fats and fried foods.

What about a breastfeeding diet?

When it comes to eating during breastfeeding, many of the same food choices apply that are recommended during pregnancy. Lean meats, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats are crucial to your baby’s development. Drinking plenty of water is important, too. The foods to avoid also remain the same, such as sugary drinks, alcohol, certain types of fish and caffeinated beverages.

If you’re still unsure, nutrition counseling at St. Charles can help

Overall, there’s no need to go on a special diet during your pregnancy or when breastfeeding. Making healthy food choices and reducing or avoiding unhealthy foods are what matter to your baby’s growth and development. If you have questions or concerns about what foods to eat, we encourage you to call us today at 541-706-6348.

The registered dietitian nutritionists at St. Charles Health System can help ensure your baby’s healthy development during pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond.

Proper nutrition practices for people with disease or illness

Eating right can be challenging at times, especially if you ever find yourself adapting to life with a chronic illness, disease or other medical disorder. The registered dietitian nutritionists at St. Charles provide personally tailored advice on how to overcome the potentially negative impact that illnesses or other medical challenges have on your ability to properly meet your body’s nutritional needs.

Nutrition counseling isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation — our registered dietitian nutritionists take time to review and understand your health status, current diet and eating habits. Based on what they learn during early counseling stages, registered dietitian nutritionists offer ways to effectively reach nutrition goals that those providing your medical care have identified as realistic and beneficial benchmarks. St. Charles registered dietitian nutritionists review lab results and explain how nutrients affect your health, working with you to create an eating plan designed to help you effectively manage your condition.

St. Charles offers nutrition therapy know-how and practical solutions

As you face the prospect of how to make dietary changes to improve a disease or condition, registered dietitian nutritionists provide many strategies that focus your efforts on reaching goals you’ve set to improve your health. They will also be there to help you maintain and monitor your progress.

For cancer patients, registered dietitian nutritionists address weight loss due to treatment and making sure they eat enough food to meet nutritional needs that can enhance healing. In working with patients with diabetes, the emphasis is on making sure to carefully plan the amount and type of foods to eat and timing meals/snacks to avoid high blood sugars. For people with heart disease, it’s a matter of improving nutrition so they eat enough of the right food to meet their needs. And COPD sufferers can have a difficult time preparing or eating meals due to shortness of breath.

St. Charles registered dietitian nutritionists are experts in helping you or loved ones whose ongoing health problems have compromised the ability to get proper nutrition. We create eating plans and can suggest behavior changes and counseling methods for these and other diseases or disorders:

• Food allergies
• Celiac disease, diverticulitis, diverticulosis
• Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and ulcerative colitis
• GERD and heartburn
• Kidney and liver diseases
• Pancreatitis
• Weight management

A healthful diet can positively influence how well you will handle living day-to-day with a chronic disease or other illness. If you have questions on the nutrition counseling offered by St. Charles registered dietitian nutritionists, or would like to schedule an appointment, call us soon at 541-706-6348.

A proper diet can help you better manage a life with chronic conditions and diseases. St. Charles Health System registered dietitian nutritionists offer sound nutrition counseling that help you meet your dietary needs through personalized and practical nutrition plans.

Addressing appetite issues caused by medical problems

There is a wide range of medical problems that can result in poor appetite. It’s easy to become frustrated when you know you need to eat to get well, but you aren’t hungry.

Any health condition — such as a swallowing disorder — that interferes with the palatability of food or interferes with the mechanisms of food ingestion can also cause nutrition problems. Chronic conditions (heart or kidney failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) may be accompanied by poor appetite due to difficulty breathing, weakness and general malaise. Poor appetite is also commonly a result of narcotic medications, such as codeine or morphine.

St. Charles Bend provides a multidisciplinary approach to nutritional health treatment, including guidance by a registered dietitian nutritionist. A registered dietitian nutritionist can meet with you to discuss your concerns and answer questions about poor appetite, as well as provide ways to overcome it.

Expert help for swallowing and other eating difficulties

Poor appetite is a common symptom of advanced age, cancer, chronic disease, or medication side effects. Different types of cancers, including the illness itself and treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, are a common cause of poor appetite.

Poor appetite rarely leads to a life-threatening condition, but it can be associated with dehydration that, left untreated, can result in electrolyte imbalance, shock or coma. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have symptoms of severe dehydration, such as confusion or loss of consciousness for even a moment, cold skin or reduced urine output.

Nutrition counseling

If you have questions about improving your appetite with help from the experts at St. Charles Health System, call 541-706-6348. We’re ready to support you.

St. Charles Health System in Central Oregon offers specialized nutrition counseling.

For more meal planning tips, the nutrition counselors at St. Charles can help

Making healthy food choices and sticking to a low-cholesterol diet can really make all the difference in your heart health. If you have questions or concerns about what foods to eat, we encourage you to call us today at 541-706-6348.

The registered dietitian nutritionists at St. Charles Health System in Central Oregon offer counseling about preparing heart healthy meals and snacks that can assist in heart disease prevention.

Pediatric nutrition services help kids eat healthier

When kids have healthy eating habits, they have the best chance for a healthy lifestyle. They’re able to bring their best selves to school. They’re able to concentrate better. Their bodies have the best chance to grow up in a healthful way, with strong bones and muscles.

St. Charles Nutrition Center believes children should learn about healthy eating at a young age. Pediatric nutrition is important because poor nutrition can cause kids to have health problems. Some health problems associated with poor nutrition can be serious, and these problems can cause even more severe health issues as children grow into adults. Childhood obesity is a health problem that has more than tripled since the 1970s — about one in 5 U.S. children are obese.

Benefits of good nutrition for kids

• Good energy level
• Ability to learn and concentrate
• Healthy weight for their height
• Strong bones and muscles
• Ability to fight off sickness and disease
• Reduced risk of serious health issues as adults, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancers and bone diseases

Discuss your child’s diet with your child’s health care provider or registered dietitian nutritionist before making any dietary changes or placing your child on a diet. Here are some general guidelines you can help your child follow to eat healthily:

• Eat three balanced meals a day, with healthy snacks of fruits or vegetables in between
• Increase fiber, decrease salt
• Drink water, and avoid sugary drinks
• Decrease sugar intake in general
• Eat more lean chicken, fish and beans for protein

Nutrition counseling

St. Charles Health System provides a multifaceted approach to nutritional health treatment and guidance for child obesity, eating disorders and more. A registered dietitian nutritionist can help you plan healthy, nutritious meals for your child’s lifestyle, health condition and preferences. You and your child will learn how to prepare and eat healthier foods.

If you have questions about healthy nutrition for children, call St. Charles Health System at 541-706-6348. We’re ready to support you.

St. Charles Health System offers specialized nutrition counseling in Central Oregon.

A healthy diet for cancer patients

When you’re fighting cancer, it’s important to give your body every possible advantage. Among other things, that means keeping up your strength with a healthy diet. But it can be difficult to get the proper nutrition when you’re dealing with the effects of cancer and its treatment. These may include nausea, fatigue, loss of muscle, changes to your sense of taste or smell, appetite loss, constipation or diarrhea, difficulty chewing or swallowing and other symptoms. Well-meaning acquaintances are often full of advice about food for cancer patients, some of which is helpful and some of which is not. How do you know what’s right for you?

Nutrition counseling at the Cancer Center

St. Charles Health System provides a multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment, including clinical nutritional guidance. Our goal is to help you feel better by preventing nutrient deficiencies, boosting immune function, promoting healing and managing side effects. This may include counseling, menu planning assistance, medical nutrition supplementation and more as needed. Your nutrition plan will be designed around you, with your needs, symptoms and goals in mind.

No need to make additional trips for extra appointments; our registered dietitian nutritionists meets with you while you’re in our Cancer Center for your other regular treatments. In addition to checking in on your progress, you’ll have an opportunity to discuss concerns and ask questions as needed.

If you have questions about nutrition counseling for cancer patients or about cancer treatment at St. Charles Bend or St. Charles Redmond, contact our Cancer Center today at 541-706-5800. We’re ready to support you.

St. Charles Health System offers cancer patients specialized nutrition counseling in Central Oregon.

Living better with celiac disease

The only treatment for celiac disease is to avoid eating gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Consuming even small portions can hurt the intestines, so the diet should be based on naturally gluten-free foods. Those include fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, lean meats, fish and shellfish and gluten-free grains like rice, amaranth, millet, buckwheat and corn. Many processed foods contain gluten, and many gluten-free foods are still at risk for cross-contamination in the factories where they are made.

St. Charles Nutrition Center registered dietitian nutritionists can help you overcome the challenges of a gluten-free diet and ensure that you get the proper nutrients to help heal and prevent intestinal damage.

Dietary help for Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease isn’t caused by the foods eaten, but some foods can cause inflammatory flare-ups plus abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating and cramping. Limiting dairy products and certain dietary fiber and following low-fat or low-residue diets is recommended. Crohn’s can cause deficiencies in iron, vitamins B-12, C and D, folic acid and other important nutrients. Our dietitians can determine which foods are problematic for you and develop an eating plan that’s nutritionally sound while helping you manage uncomfortable symptoms.

Proper nutrition for diverticulitis?

Diverticula are small pouches that form in the wall of the large intestine. When they are infected or inflamed, this painful condition is called diverticulitis. There is no cure, but eating foods that are rich in fiber has been shown to help control symptoms like nausea, bloating and constipation. A registered dietitian nutritionist can advise you on how much fiber is right for you and help you build it into your meals. They can also create a liquid diet plan to follow during flare-ups and recommend supplements to ensure that you get the proper nutrition.

Treating IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common and chronic condition that affects the large intestine. IBS causes uncomfortable and embarrassing symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating and gas. It can also lead to acute abdominal pain. It’s believed to be caused by irregular contractions of the intestinal tract or irregularities in the gastrointestinal nervous system. Dietary changes that can help include eliminating spicy and fatty foods and gluten, plus reducing hard-to-digest carbohydrates called FODMAPs, which are found in common grains, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can be beneficial.

Improving gastrointestinal conditions through proper nutrition

Abdominal and intestinal conditions can be very difficult to live with, but working with a St. Charles registered dietitian nutritionist can help make a difference in your symptoms through proper nutritional choices.

St. Charles Health System in Central Oregon strives to help people with gastrointestinal issues lead normal, healthy and happy lives.