Meet exceptional providers of nutritional products, eye care services, physical therapy, and medical and dental care.
Eye Care Professionals
Eye Care Professionals is one of the longest-standing medical practices in all of Nevada. Owner and lead surgeon Dr. Matthew Mills has pioneered many of the state-of-the-art refractive laser surgery techniques in the Reno area, including being the first to perform wavefront LASIK and bladeless laser cataract surgery in Reno.
“We have really high standards in our practice and are committed to using the latest technologies to help restore a patient’s sight, whether that’s eliminating near- or farsightedness with LASIK or removing cataracts that impair vision,” Mills says.
Mills’ being on the leading edge of technology and pioneering techniques in refractive eye surgery ensures that patients of Eye Care Professionals will receive the latest advancements in eye health and vision treatment.
“Patient outcomes are an area in which we really pride ourselves,” Mills says. “This is a field where attention to detail is paramount. We are doing our best for every patient to see their best.”
LASIK is one of the most effective laser eye surgeries in restoring sight. The procedure allows a person to see clearly, reducing or eliminating their dependence on contacts or glasses.
“LASIK is an incredibly successful procedure,” Mills says. “Most patients see clearly within hours of the surgery.”
For details, visit Renoeyecare.com.
Vitakinetics
With summer activities behind us and the winter sporting season ahead, it’s important to prepare your body and promote a healthy healing response.
“The increase in strength training and activity this time of year means you’re stimulating the inflammatory response and creating soreness in the muscles,” explains Dr. Carolyn Dolan, PT, owner and developer of Vitakinetics in Reno. “Vitakinetics Active Recovery Blend helps reduce soreness and leads to an active recovery process.”
Developed to support active recovery after injury or surgery, sustain a busy lifestyle, or perform ideally in sports, VitaKinetics helps modulate the body to switch from painful inflammation to the healing process.
For details, visit Vitakinetics.com.
Saint Mary’s Health Network
As Amanda Petch was completing the routine checkups associated with prenatal care, the medical staff members gave her mixed news. First, her baby was growing happily and progressing well. Second, they detected something potentially abnormal in the exam and it required follow-up.
Fast forward a bit, and tests confirmed what was originally suspected: Petch had cervical cancer.
One of medicine’s darkest villains swiftly put a damper on her joyous and anticipatory journey. But Petch would endure.
Faced with a whirlwind of emotions and scrambling to make sense of the diagnosis, Petch was initially presented with unfavorable treatment options. Appointments for second opinions also were limited by travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, through a telehealth consultation with University of California, San Francisco staff members, which included a panel of nine expert clinicians, she was introduced to a promising treatment course. Petch, by then 20 weeks pregnant, could receive chemotherapy infusions to prevent disease spread, without jeopardizing the healthy development of her child.
“I started my infusions at Saint Mary’s, and the nurses were amazing,” Petch says.
Given the pandemic restrictions in place at the time, a visitation exception was made because of her specific situation and stage of pregnancy.
“I don’t think they realized how important it was to have a support system there with me at the time,” she says.
Completing infusions every three weeks, Petch continued to progress. Near her due date, she gave birth to a healthy and happy baby boy, Dylan. After delivery, she continued and completed the intense treatments and began receiving care from Dr. Jaime Shuff in the radiation oncology department.
“Dr. Shuff and all her nurses were amazing and so nice,” Petch adds. “She was the first doctor to tell me they understood my decisions, and that meant a lot.”
Petch also appreciates other support she received, saying, “When I discovered I had cancer, my family, friends, and church community gathered around me and helped in any way they could. I had people all around the country praying for me and my son as we battled this together. Moms on the Run also helped so much.”
In addition to receiving cancer treatments, Petch participated in the Cancer Rehabilitation Program offered through the Saint Mary’s Fitness Center. She says the program “helped my mentality toward a lot of things … it’s such a wonderful program to have there, and it gets me through my week.”
The only Northern Nevada facility providing this continuum of care for all types of cancer, the Cancer Rehabilitation Program offers supervised exercise designed to educate and support cancer patients and survivors. It’s intended to help them recover and maintain general fitness during and after treatment. Some of the benefits of exercise are improved cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength, reduced fatigue, improved ability to perform day-to-day activities, lessened anxiety and enhanced mood, reduced pain and nausea, and refocused energy to wellness from illness.
Throughout her journey, Petch’s bravery never wavered. Her story of resiliency and courage serves as an inspiring example of strength personified.
For details, visit Saintmarysreno.com.
Sierra Smiles
In addition to providing top-quality dental services, the professionals at Sierra Smiles Complete Health Dentistry in Reno and Lake Tahoe are now offering solutions to help prevent and slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The debilitating dementia affects memory, thinking, and behavior, and is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, according to Complete Health Heroes.
Dr. John Bocchi and his team of dental professionals have been certified in the ReCODE Program, an approach to preventing and reversing cognitive decline.
“Some factors we can treat that can contribute to the disease are periodontal disease, sleep apnea, and toxicity issues that could come from mercury in amalgam fillings,” Bocchi explains. “Alzheimer’s disease is a multifactorial disease based on inflammation. It’s extremely important for dentists and physicians to collaborate to look at all the areas that contribute to cognitive decline so they are able to give the patient the best possible outcome.”
Periodontal disease often presents with P. gingivalis, a bacteria that has been shown to directly correlate to Alzheimer’s disease. The bacteria can destroy the gum and bone supporting the teeth, as well as get into the bloodstream and travel to the brain, heart, and other vital organs if left untreated. Regular dental visits ensure any signs of periodontal disease are addressed and cared for early or prevented altogether.
The increasing prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea, which causes people to repeatedly stop and start breathing while asleep, threatens the health of the public. Today, at least 25 million U.S. adults suffer from the disorder, according to the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project. Sierra Smiles’ staff can screen for this serious sleep disorder through a thorough exam, photos, CT scan, and sleep test.
“Sleep apnea can affect both children and adults and often goes undiagnosed. It can be life saving to go through a simple airway screening and sleep test, which can be completed right from your home now,” Bocchi says.
In addition to urging patients to receive periodontal disease and sleep apnea evaluations, Bocchi encourages them to request genetic testing through their general physicians or via one of the many mail-in swab test providers.
“Genetic testing gives you a general sense of the overall health of your body and provides markers for ailments you may be predisposed to,” he explains. “When it comes to Alzheimer’s, we’re specifically interested in the APOE genotype, a marker for the disease.
“It’s important to understand your genetic risk at an earlier stage, as well as having a comprehensive view of your overall health,” he adds. “It’s much easier to treat diseases if they’re caught early on, and we can offer solutions to prevent them from becoming life-threatening problems later.”
For more than 15 years, Bocchi and the experienced team at Sierra Smiles in Reno and Lake Tahoe have provided the highest-quality care using state-of-the-art technology and techniques and a non-invasive, preventative care approach.
For details, visit Sierrasmiles.com.
Todd’s Body Shop
Todd Eekhoff, master of physical therapy and owner of Todd’s Body Shop Physical Therapy and Rehab in Reno, knows there is so much to learn about physical therapy. That’s not just the industry size and the number of professionals practicing, but also the amazing benefits of the treatment.
“Using a physical therapist as a first port of call results in up to 72 percent lower treatment costs,” he notes. “And 41 percent of patients looking for a drug-free pain relief option found physical therapy to be the most effective alternative treatment.”
Seeing a physical therapist within 90 days of the first onset of low back pain significantly reduces the likelihood of a patient taking pain medication. If you’re in pain, book a consultation today.
For details, visit Toddsbodyshoppt.com.
