Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi - Benefits of Virtual Healthcare
Virtual Healthcare, or the delivery of health related services via web based programs such as Skype, is quickly gaining popularity as a way to seek medical attention. While virtual doctor visits can’t match a face to face visit, there are benefits to making a virtual appointment with a doctor.
Convenience
With a virtual doctors visit, travel time, wait time and the need to take off work or arrange for child care can be eliminated. Many ailments can be accurately diagnosed through a virtual visit, with a treatment plan put into motion.
Flexibility in Timing
Not all medical needs occur during business hours. Having access to a doctor during non-business hours gives patients greater access to medical care and advice.
A Face to Face Feeling
On average, a patient only gets to see their doctor for seven minutes during an entire appointment. With a virtual appointment, patients continue to receive that time, plus receive the benefit of the doctors having full online access to their medical records during the appointment.
An Option For Those Not Able To Leave Their Home
A mother with a newborn, a patient that has PTSD, or even someone with a suspected contagious ailment such as the flu may not be well suited to leave their house for a medical appointment. Virtual appointments offer a welcome amount of relief to these patients.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is a psychiatrist who specialized in addiction treatment and pain management. He is also a volunteer for HealthTap, a website offering virtual healthcare though instant medical consultations with online patients.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi - Keys to Managing Chronic Pain
For those living with chronic pain conditions, each waking moment can be riddled with frustration and a feeling of helplessness. Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is a psychiatrist experienced in treating those with chronic pain, offering hope and relief for those suffering with this debilitating condition. The following strategies can help those with chronic pain to manage their symptoms.
Avoid Certain Foods
Much of the pain that we feel in our bodies is caused by the inflammation of tissues. One way to curb inflammation is to eliminate certain foods from the diet that are known to cause inflammation. Such foods include dairy, red meat with high fat, processed foods with high sodium and wheat products.
Share Feelings About the Pain
The American Psychological Association has long touted the benefits of psychotherapy for patients dealing with chronic pain. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help patients with stress management and coping skills, providing a powerful backdrop for the effective control of chronic pain.
Aim to Reduce Stress
Life is full of stressful moments and stress of any kind can exasperate chronic pain. Techniques such as guided imagery (envisioning tranquil images), deep breathing and even listening to soothing music can be great strategies in reducing stress. These techniques can be employed quickly and easily, providing a great backdrop for quelling stress.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi helps patents to cope with their chronic pain through a multi-disciplinary team approach.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi—Understanding Addiction
As a psychiatrist specializing in the addiction medicine, Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi has helped those dealing with addiction issues for the past thirteen years. As a caring and understanding professional, he has helped countless patients navigate substance abuse issues through both individual and group therapy.
What Is Addiction?
Addiction is a chronic disease that can develop in anyone. Addiction is marked by the lack of ability to control how much of a substance is taken in, not being able to regularly abstain and the lessened recognition of how that behavior affects interpersonal relationships. As a chronic disease, addiction often times includes periods of remission and relapse.
Addition can develop as a person’s brain adjusts to the dopamine spikes that their drug of choice produces. Once the brain becomes tolerant of the drug, the user must use increasingly higher doses to achieve a high, or even to feel normal. Those who abuse drugs for long periods of time can alter their brain chemical systems, resulting in damages to the areas of the brain that allow for sound decision making, memory and learning, behavior control and judgment.
The goal of addiction treatment is to help addicts to cease impulsive drug use and the destructive behavior that surrounds it. One-time treatment is often not a solution as addiction is typically marked by relapses; for many individuals, treatment is a lifetime process that involves both monitoring and intervention.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi practices has helped many patients deal with the issues surrounding addiction.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi - What Defines Chronic Pain and How to Cope
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi has helped patients cope with chronic pain throughout the course of his career. Pain is a very personal and subjective experience and, providing patients with a caring approach to dealing with their symptoms.
Chronic pain is defined as any pain that lasts for more than twelve weeks, with little relief from symptoms. Chronic pain is very different than acute pain, which is pain that alerts the patient to a possible injury. While pain lasting more than 12 weeks is labeled chronic, often times the pain lasts even longer.
Chronic pain often results from an injury, such as a back or neck sprain, or even from an ongoing illness. Although sometimes, and frustratingly, there may be no clear cause. Many times, other symptoms are experienced along with chronic pain such as decreased appetite, mood swings, fatigue and sleep disruption. Chronic pain can also be disruptive to flexibility, strength, stamina and range of motion, making daily tasks and activities overwhelming and contributing to feelings of despair. Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is known as an expert in the field of chronic pain management
Diagnosing chronic pain can be difficult as each person is unique in their pain tolerance and no tests can definitively diagnose and locate pain with accuracy. Doctors largely rely on patients to aid in diagnosis with descriptions of the timing, location and severity of the pain. Pain definitions such as sharp or dull, aching or burning, and constant vs. on and off help doctors to pinpoint the causes of pain in each patient. The descriptions given by patients become part of their “pain history” and are used to further evaluate, and eventually treat to pain.
The goal in treating chronic pain is to improve function through reducing pain, enabling the patient to carry on with their normal daily activities. Doctors and patients work together to find the best type of treatment for the specific pain, with the goal of managing the pain as it often times cannot be completely eliminated.
Common treatments for chronic pain include medications, surgery, acupuncture, anti-inflammatory injections and electrical muscle stimulation. Other treatments that are less invasive include relaxation therapies, psychotherapy, guided imagery, behavior modification and biofeedback.
Self-management is another approach to pain treatment that offers patients positive results. In a self-management approach, the patient is an active participant in the treatment plan for their pain through decision making, actively managing their pain and problem solving. Individuals who take part in this type of self-management report feeling empowered to improve their pain situation, as they are taught different ways to respond to pain and regain control of their lives.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi Treats ADHD
Many of Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi's patients who are under the age of eighteen suffer from a mental condition known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In fact, ADHD is the most common mental illness in children. However, adults are affected by this disorder as well, though it is less common. ADHD is more common in boys, yet doctors have not discovered exactly why girls are less likely to develop the condition. In children, ADHD is usually recognized during their elementary school years, as they begin to exhibit issues in class.
The three most common symptoms of ADHD are inattention, impulsive behavior, and hyperactivity. Inattention shows itself as an inability to focus. This could mean the child or adult cannot focus on their school work or paid work, thus allowing them to complete their required tasks. Also, the inattention can display itself as an inability to focus on something basic, like a television program or a conversation with another person. Impulsive behavior is prevalent in ADHD patients, especially the younger ones. Making spur of the moment decisions without thinking things through is common. This lack of judgment can be frustrating, especially to parents and teachers.
Hyperactivity presents itself in the patient's inability to stay calm or still when appropriate. When a child runs around, laughing and playing, on the playground, that is wholly appropriate. Yet, when they act the same way in the library or classroom, for example, it is inappropriate. Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi offers medication and therapy treatment for many patients with ADHD.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi Understands the Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi explains to patients in New York, that a small loss in memory as we age is completely normal. However, when that memory loss becomes more pronounced and is combined with other symptoms, the patient may be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease, which was first recognized in 1907, has become pervasive around the world. In the United States alone, more than five million people are living with the condition right now. Alzheimer's disease is a member of the dementia illness group, and is technically a neurodegenerative condition. This means that the brain and its function degrades over time, causing much strife and hardship for the patient and their family.
Many psychiatric, psychological, and neurological tests are run to determine if a patient truly suffers from Alzheimer's disease. This is because there are a number of other conditions which have very similar symptoms to the mental disorder. These can include negative drug interactions or reactions, depression, infections in the body, thyroid conditions, and vitamin deficiencies or chemical imbalances in the body. If a person is believed to have Alzheimer's, but really has a thyroid condition, the result could be fatal if the thyroid issue is not managed correctly.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi tells us that some of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include long and short term memory issues, poor judgment and decision making abilities, an inability to problem solve basic questions, problems with speech, a loss of spatial awareness, and the lack of ability to learn new information or topics.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi Discusses Addiction
The treatment of addiction is something that Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi takes very seriously. In his New York area Psychiatric practice, he sees hundreds of patients who suffer from some sort of addiction, most often as a result of a chemical dependence. It is now widely recognized that addiction is a chronic brain disease. In older times, a person with an addiction was thought to be weak willed, which is not necessarily the case. Even the most organized and strong willed person can become the victim of an addiction.
Unlike other mental disorders or illnesses, the patient with an addiction is aware that the chemical or substance they are using is harmful to their health, but they cannot stop the compulsive behavior. As science and medicine has progressed, doctors and psychiatrists have been able to pinpoint changes in the human brain that cause people with addictions to act the way they do. They often have different patterns of thought and functions related to their judgment, memory, and overall behavior control.
Illegal drugs, alcohol, and prescription drugs are the most common chemicals and substances that people become addicted to. This can and will include items such as marijuana, hallucinogenics, heroin and other opioid pain killers, tranquilizers and sedatives, stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine, and tobacco. In the most recent studies, scientists have also determined that everyday substances such as caffeine and sugar are also highly addictive. In fact, Dr Syed Azhar Rizvi says it is thought that sugar is more addictive than cocaine.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi and OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, OCD, is one of the illnesses treated by New York Psychiatrist Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi. This anxiety disorder affects many people around the world, and the symptoms generally start in late adolescence, though sometimes even younger. A person who suffers from OCD has thoughts or feelings that are unwanted, yet constantly recurring. A patient will have obsessions, ideas or sensations that cause them to repeat a specific behavior, which turn into compulsions. Before a patient is diagnosed with OCD, a Psychiatrist will check to see if the person's compulsions and obsessions are engaging more than one hour of their day, each day.
A classic example of OCD that is often seen through the medical community is the fear or thought that something is unclean, and the obsessive need to wash that item as a result. This could mean obsessively washing the hands, cleaning the home, or bathing. While hand washing, keeping a clean house, and bathing are not dangerous tasks on their own, OCD sufferers will repeat these actions over and over in one day. Some OCD patients will wash their hands so often, they actually start to remove the layers of skin on their hands.
The disruption to an OCD patient's daily life is significant. It is nearly impossible to complete a standard task, or even work, if their thoughts are always focused on the obsession and compulsion. Some patients acknowledge that their obsessions and compulsions are false or untrue, but still have no way to control their own reactive thoughts or behaviors. Others completely believe their delusions, such as their still having dirt on their hands after the twentieth time they wash them.
Cleanliness and contamination thoughts are typical, but so is the obsessive need for order. OCD patients with a need for exactness and order keep meticulous watch over their possessions. This can mean that they spend hours arranging and rearranging the items on their desk, until they are perceived to be perfect. In the end, the items are likely in the same places where they began. The compulsion of arranging and rearranging, ordering and counting, leads to continual hours of OCD behavior.
When the patient feels anxiety because of their obsession, completing the compulsion task relieves that anxiety. Unfortunately, the anxiety is only temporarily relieved, and will rear its head again very soon. This is why it is crucial that a person with OCD seeks treatment for their behavior. It is difficult to lead a “normal” life while dealing with extreme obsession and compulsion.
Psychiatrists, such as Dr Syed Azhar Rizvi, use a variety of treatments when helping patients with OCD. These can include medications, behavioral therapies, and the teaching of coping skills taught to the patient.
Coping with Chronic Pain Thanks to Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi
Pain management is one of Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi's specialties. His New York psychiatric office treats hundreds of patients each year, each suffering from some type of chronic pain. Even though thousands of patients have suffered with chronic pain for generations, and the medical community has legitimized the illness as real, a stigma remains. There are some who feel that the pain is merely in their minds, that they are making it up, or are imagining it. Medical science disputes that claim, however, that type of backward thinking causes more grief for the sufferers. It is because of this that many chronic pain sufferers are hesitant to seek pain management help from a psychiatric professional.
Chronic pain does not have a known cause, or a cure. It is a condition that must be managed. A psychiatrist does not treat the mind of the patient to make the pain go away, but helps the patient to cope with the ever-present pain. Through psychotherapy (similar to counseling), behavioral therapy, and medication, the painful symptoms can be alleviated enough to allow the patient to lead a relatively normal life. A quality psychiatrist can also teach their patient how to use relaxation skills to decrease the pain symptoms on their own, through methods like meditation and purposeful breathing.
Chronic pain affects every aspect of a person's life, each hour of the day. Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi can help his patients learn how to adapt and deal with these symptoms.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi Discusses How to Treat Addiction with Medication
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi knows that the number of people in the United States and abroad who are suffering from pharmaceutical and chemical dependence is staggering. A healthy portion of his New York based psychiatric practice is dedicated to the safe and effective treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. Fortunately, more addicts are seeking help than what was the case in decades past. This is partially due to the changes in how addiction is perceived. Thirty years ago, an addict was considered to be weak, with no willpower. In recent years, addiction has been classified as an actual mental illness. While this classification does not absolve the addict from blame, it does remove much of the stigma that prevented them from finding real treatment.
Ironically, one of the ways that Dr. Rizvi treats addiction at his outpatient office is through the use of medication. It may seem counter-intuitive to give an addict another pill to take, but in certain circumstances, it really works. The trick is to use medications that prevent the withdrawal symptoms of chemical dependency, while also not offering another habit forming substitute. When methadone was first approved by the Federal Drug Administration, many thought it was the answer to heroin addiction. However, now doctors and psychiatric professionals know that methadone is just as dangerous and habit forming as heroin itself. Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi says that the new addiction drugs, like Suboxone, are a safe alternative that offer lasting relief from addiction symptoms.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi Explains the Differences Between Psychiatry and Psychology
According to Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi, the terms psychology and psychiatry are often mistaken for one another. While both medical specialties deal with mental health, and they do have some characteristics in common, they are quite different overall. A psychiatric professional and a psychologist are equally concerned with assisting patients dealing with a wide range of mental illnesses, and both persons are available for therapeutic discussions. This, however, is where their similarities end.
The educations attained by each type of professional are very different, in that a psychiatrist is an actual medical doctor. Psychologists can surely have a doctorate degree, likely in Psychology, but are not medical doctors. Consider a professor at a university that has received a PhD (doctorate of Philosophy) in Mathematics. Their title would then become “doctor”, but that does not mean they are able to actually practice medicine. The same rings true with psychologists. These professionals have studied for many years, even sometimes attaining their PhD, they also must complete some form of internship through a physician’s office or hospital. Psychiatrists, on the other hand, have a far more extensive educational background. They not only must attend medical school, they will have to attend at least a year of internship and at least three years of medical residency.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi managed all of those exceptional goals with ease, and earned his title as “doctor” thanks to countless hours of education, hard work, and determination to succeed.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi's Fellowship with Northwestern University Hospital
Before starting outpatient Psychiatric practices in Karachi, Pakistan and Kew Garden, New York, Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi attended fellowship with Northwestern University Hospital. Associated with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the institution is nationally ranked as a teaching hospital in the United States. This fellowship he completed in Chicago, Illinois, from the summer of 2002 to the summer of 2003, specialized in addiction medicine and psychiatry. During this valuable experience, Dr. Rizvi was exposed to inpatient and outpatient hospital settings, drug and substance abuse rehabilitation programs, and detox or maintenance programs for those seeking chemical dependence treatment.
This outstanding teaching hospital, which was founded in 1966, offers a wealth of knowledge and training that is unbeatable. Known for its dedication to medical research, Northwestern Memorial Hospital completes thousands of clinical research trials each year. Hundreds of millions of dollars are awarded every year to the hospital, strictly for the continuation of research, and many inventions are filed in return. Dr. Rizvi's generous and philanthropic nature was an excellent fit for the Northwestern University fellowship program. The institution has been recognized for its city-wide commitment to aiding the urban and impoverished areas of Chicago through low or no-cost medical care. Dr Syed Azhar Rizvi believes that his experiences and training from this respected University and Hospital are an important part in his overall development as a successful Psychiatrist in New York and beyond.
How Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi Began Virtual Consulting
During his thirteen year career, Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi obtained double certification in psychiatry and chronic pain and addiction management. He also was able to start his practice at the Austi Health clinic in New York and won the Physician Award of Excellence in 2012. Now, Dr. Rizvi is embarking on a new adventure - virtual consulting.
Virtual Consulting involves using a computer to reach patients that cannot make it to the hospital or the clinic. Dr. Rizvi will be able to speak with his patient and use his techniques to work through their problems. Currently, Dr. Rizvi is associated with virtual health care called Health Tap. His adventure into virtual consulting occurred to him when he was in Pakistan in 2011 to volunteer in the relief effort after an earthquake destroyed villages and towns. With virtual consultation, Dr. Rizvi can now reach thousands of new patients that are not able to make it to his clinic for treatment. Dr. Rizvi treats all his patients with care, respect and dedication, and can surely deliver the same quality of care to his virtual patients, as well. Dr. Rizvi has access to e-prescribing and can send prescriptions to pharmacies near his new patients.
As much as Dr. Rizvi enjoys communicating with his virtual patients, he still believes in physically examining his patients. As technology continues to improve, Dr. Rizvi’s virtual consulting business will enroll more patients and they will be easier to communicate with them. However, Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is not ready yet to give up Austi Health.
Managing a Busy Practice with Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi
After graduating from Northwestern University as a Fellow in addiction and chronic pain management, Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi started practicing in New York at Austi Health, and he has been helping it grow for over the past ten years.
There are several reasons behind the success of the Austi Health psychiatry clinic. Dr. Rizvi believes in using a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of psychiatric illnesses, polysubstance addiction, and chronic pain. The support staff at the Austi Health clinic helps Dr. Rizvi use a comprehensive approach to the treatment of these diseases. Nurses, support staff, psychologists, and social workers all play an important role in treating these conditions, and these people bring an expertise that compliments the work that Dr. Rizvi does.
Another reason behind the success of the clinic is the approach of Dr. Rizvi. Psychotherapy is the most common treatment approach by Dr. Rizvi. Using psychotherapy as the primary treatment strategy helps to limit the amount medications that are prescribed. This helps especially in the addiction patients who have a low threshold for abuse. Also, a polypharmaceutical approach exposes Dr. Rizvi’s patients to cross-reactivity and side effects that can hinder a patient’s treatment.
The last reason behind the success of Austi Health is Dr. Rizvi himself. During the thirteen years of practice, Dr. Rizvi has found ways to develop a rapport with his patients, explain difficult diagnosis in a concise manner, and show empathy. Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi has found a way to treat patients in his community; if he keeps to the same routine, his practice will continue to grow.
The Medical Training of Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is a board certified psychiatrist who works in New York at Austi Health psychiatric practice. In his thirteen-year career, Dr. Rizvi has accomplished a lot, including winning a Physician Award of Excellence in 2012. The basis of Dr. Rizvi’s success was good medical training and learning the fundamentals of psychiatry.
After graduating from medical school, Dr. Rizvi was accepted into the psychiatry residency program at the University of Texas at Austin. In Texas, Dr. Rizvi developed the fundamentals in psychiatry and received high marks in all of his rotations. In his final year of residency, he was named a chief resident and was responsible mentoring the rest of the residents. After he had graduated, Dr. Rizvi specialized in chronic pain and addiction medicine at Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
As a result of his training, Dr. Rizvi was able to develop a strong understanding of Psychopharmacology and psychotherapy techniques that can be used on multiple patients from different backgrounds. Dr. Rizvi also has knowledge of the latest treatments for psychiatry, chronic pain and addiction patients.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is a member of the American Medical Association, a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and is ASAM Certified in Addiction Medicine.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi’s Use of Psychotherapy as Therapy
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is a successful, New York-based psychiatrist who specializes in chronic pain and addiction. He believes in the use of psychotherapy to reach out to his patients. Psychotherapy is a means to treat mental health problems through talking and understanding the moods, feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that are associated with it.
Psychotherapy was first used by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800‘s. He believed that there was a subconscious part of everyone’s mind and that through conversing with his patient, the subconscious desires will reveal themselves. The reason many psychiatrists use psychotherapy is because it can limit the use of medication and improve a patient’s well-being. Most psychiatrists will meet with their patients for one hour a week to discuss their problems and find a way to solve them. There are many different approaches that are used in psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, and dialectical behavior therapy. The only drawback to the therapy is that it takes multiple sessions to become effective, and some patients do not want to wait to see improvement in their condition.
At the Austi Health Behavioral Health Center in New York, Dr. Rizvi uses multiple forms of psychotherapy to help his patients understand their condition and find ways to work past their problems. Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi has over thirteen years of experience in the field of psychiatry and is dedicated to helping his patients from the greater New York area get the help that they need through the use of psychotherapy.
Three Things Beginner Golfers Should Consider
Practice makes perfect when learning to play golf. Many find golf to be a difficult sport to learn when they first start, but end up enjoying it once they’ve picked it up. It is a great sport to play socially and is not something that needs to be competitive, although it can be. Here are three tips that beginner golfers may want to consider.
- It is important that beginners are focused on what they are doing while playing golf. They can't let their mind be full of distractions and they can't let themselves think about their swing too hard. The more beginners think about their swing, the worse their swing will be. Beginners need to learn to focus their minds, not over think things and swing naturally.
- The follow through on a swing is the most important aspect of a swing. Beginners tend to forget this because making solid impact with the ball is difficult already. Following through is important for the flight and distance that the ball travels. Not only that, but beginners will look good if they develop a good follow through.
- It is important to follow the flight of the ball once you've made contact and followed through. Beginners need to learn to track the ball's flight so that they can find for the next shot. This may seem obvious but following the flight of a golf ball is difficult considering the size and velocity that it travels at.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi enjoys playing golf in his free time. He is an experienced physician who runs a psychiatry, addiction medicine, and chronic pain management practice at the Austi Health Behavioral Center in Kew Garden, New York.
Three Tips For a Good Golf Swing
Developing a good golf swing takes time and practice for many people, especially beginners. This is normal and should be expected when first learning to play golf. Many professional golfers will tell you that they are constantly adjusting their swing and making alterations. Here are three tips that may help the development of a good golf swing.
- Keep your hands low will reduce the height at which the ball travels. The ball should not reach too high of a height because it will lose distance the higher it is in the air. Keeping your hands low limits the following through of a swing, which in turn limits the height that a ball reaches while traveling in the air. Low hands are a basic technique to keep the ball low and are a good place for beginners to start at.
- Right-handed golfers should make sure that their right forearm is parallel to their spin when they are at the top of their swing. Keeping the right firearm parallel with the spine can increase accuracy and a more solid strike of the ball. Keeping the right forearm parallel to the spine also allows golfers to rotate their shoulders into the swing.
- The power in a swing does not game from the arms, but rather from the body. The entire movement of the body generates power, which is why it is important a swing is one fluent motion. This can be a difficult concept to grasp at first, especially because golf is not the most natural movement that your body can make. Practice makes perfect, though.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi runs a psychiatry, addiction medicine, and chronic pain management practice at the Austi Health Behavioral Center in Kew Garden, New York. He enjoys playing golf in his free time.
Three Things to Remember While Completing a Residency Program
The residency program that medical students must go through to become doctors can be one of the most daunting challenges that medical students face. Residency programs are known to have grueling training programs, heavy workloads, and high-pressure. The first year is considered to be the toughest year by some residents. Here are three things to consider that may help first-year residents.
First-year residents should make sure that they never lie or guess. Saying that you do not know the answer to something is better than lying or guessing because it is beneficial to the patient. Similarly, it's better to say, "I'll do that now," if asked to do something earlier and that task was not completed.
First-year residents are encouraged to read during their free time. This keeps their minds sharp, allows them to absorb new information, and may provide them with additional questions that could be answered at work. Spend an hour at the end of the day going over a textbook or photocopy a chapter at a time and read during breaks.
First-year residents need to remember that there is a support system in place for them to succeed. Colleagues, peers, and the doctors and nurses in the hospital want the residents to learn and improve. This is why it is important that first-year residents ask questions often.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi runs a psychiatry, addiction medicine, and chronic pain management practice in New York. He completed his residency program at the University of Texas at Austin in Psychiatry. He was the Chief Resident of Residency his last year in the program.
Three Ways to Control Your Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can be a debilitating condition at tips. It is often difficult to cope with and manage because the pain is constant with no end in sight. Relaxation is the best method of coping with chronic pain although relaxing may be difficult if you cannot focus. Here are three ways that will help you focus and control your chronic pain.
The altered focus technique is when you focus your attention on a specific body part that is not painful. If you feel pain in your back, for example, focus your attention to your foot. This will alter the sensation in your foot and help focus your mind on what you are feeling in your foot and not your back.
The sensory splitting technique is when you split up the sensations your feeling into multiple sensations rather than just one that causes pain. For example, you may be feeling pain, pins and needles, and burning in your back. If you decide to focus on just the feeling of burning in your back, you will lose focus on the pain that you are feeling. You're splitting the sensations so that you only focus on one and are thus distracted from the pain.
Mental anesthesia and analgesia are when you imagine the injection of a numbing anesthetic or a strong painkiller into your body. You create the feeling of numbness or pain alleviation in your mind, therefore tricking your body into believing that the pain is being treated. You can also imagine that you have an ice pack on the part of your body that is in pain. This causes the same sensation.
Dr. Syed Azhar Rizvi is an experienced and knowledgeable physician. He is an expert in the field of addiction medicine and chronic pain management.
