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Hydration and Exercise: How to Get the Right Mix

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Hydration is essential to life itself! Our bodies especially need water, which carries nutrients to all cells and helps convert food into energy. Water protects and cushions vital organs, lubricates joints, regulates temperature and moistens the air we breathe. Indeed, water joins carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals and fat as the necessary ingredients to live and thrive.

In spite of this, clinical studies through the past 10 years have shown that nearly 75% of adults are measurably dehydrated, and those 60-plus years of age may be significantly dehydrated. Unfortunately, the symptoms of dehydration — dry mouth, headache, reduced sweating, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, heart palpitations, weakness, fatigue and more — may go unnoticed, be dismissed or be attributed to an ongoing condition.

What effect does exercise have?

Any increase in exertion intensifies the body’s demand for water, and it’s fair to say that most individuals in exercise classes start from a state of dehydration, which is then exacerbated by exercising.

During strenuous exercise, in particular, performance is measurably affected. Dehydrated persons report less stamina and greater feelings of fatigue, weakness and muscular discomfort following exercise.

Keep in mind the following steps to improve your hydration:

Establish a daily routine that includes drinking more water.

Increase hydration in the hours before any exercise.

Hydrate during exercise. Group exercise instructors should encourage hydrating during classes.

Continue rehydrating for at least four hours following strenuous exercise and at least two hours following moderate exercise.

 

Adequate hydration varies for each individual and is based on several factors, such as climate (temperature and humidity), medical conditions, medications, metabolism, level of fitness and weight, to name just a few. The best way to know if hydration is adequate is to be aware of the volume, frequency and appearance of urine. Excluding the effects of medications and diet, lighter, straw-colored urine indicates sufficient hydration while darker, less frequent and lower volume signifies dehydration.

Hiking requires even greater hydration

Some hikers erroneously limit their water intake, so they don’t have to “find a bush” while hiking. Almost undoubtedly, these individuals are significantly more likely to be dehydrated and experience symptoms like lightheadedness, fatigue, dizziness and weakness. Those who limit water intake before a hike have an even greater risk for exercise-associated dehydration. Never let a sense of modesty or concerns about slowing down the group prevent good hydration!

The key to successful hydration relies on establishing good personal routines of water intake and drinking water before, during and after exercise to maintain adequate hydration. Cheers to H2O! QCBN

 

By Nicholas Brown

Nicholas Brown is a kinesiologist and certified fitness professional as well as manager of the Touchmark Health & Fitness Club. Membership is open to anyone 50-plus years, and guest consultations are available to meet with a professional to cater a program to an individual’s needs. To reach Nick or for more information, call 928-708-3133.

 

Exploring the Benefits of Rock Climbing for Your Kids

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Climbing is not the typical activity offered in PE class and is often overlooked by parents who are deciding which sports their children should try. However, more and more playgrounds and gymnasiums are adding small-scale module rock walls for kids to climb on. The popularity of indoor climbing gyms is growing across the country and even in Prescott! Climbing will even be featured as an Olympic Event at the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Rock climbing can benefit your children by:

Improving Strength and Endurance

Climbing is a physically demanding sport. It’s a great way to start building full body strength, from your fingers to your toes. Every muscle gets used and builds over time. Climbing provides a mix of strength and cardio. Long climbs require endurance and will quickly improve cardio strength as well.

Developing Coordination

Even if your child is learning left from their right, climbing can help! Hand, foot and eye coordination is necessary when the goal is to complete a route. It takes planning and focus to work through each movement. These balance techniques will develop over time and are beneficial in other sports as well.

Relieving Stress

Life can be tough on kids. Giving them a fun way to “check out” is beneficial for both the child and parents. Climbing reinforces focus. When fully engaged on the wall, there’s nothing to think about other than reaching for the next hold. A great climbing session can be the ultimate reset for your child. Implementing climbing as a stress relief outlet at an early age can be extremely beneficial as your child grows.

Improving Communication Skills

Climbing is mostly an individual sport, often competing against one’s self, pushing your skills. However, the belayer or spotter shall not be forgotten! Communication is key with your climbing partner. Clear and concise communication is mandatory in order to climb efficiently and safely. Your child will learn to speak up and give and receive directions with confidence.

Developing Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills

There are often more ways than one to “get to the top.” At first, your child may only progress one move at a time. As they gain experience, they’ll begin to plan and visualize the route all the way to the top before they even leave the ground.

 

Building Confidence and Self-Esteem

Their first few climbs may be intimidating. As their strength builds, they’ll keep reaching for new heights. Challenging the comfort zone, setting a goal, working toward it and finally achieving that goal of getting to the top is a huge confidence boost! Confidence found on the climbing wall will be beneficial to many other areas of their life.

Having Fun

Your child will burn energy, build strength, both mentally and physically, improve decision-making and communication skills without even knowing it! Also, climbing connects people on new levels. Lifetime friendships and memories evolve around climbing.

Give your child the chance to explore climbing and its many benefits. Who knows, maybe you’ll want to climb out of your comfort zone too! QCBN

By Kay Ziegenhagen

For additional information or to try your first climbing session, visit PrescottRocksandRec.com, or call 928 227 1975 or visit Prescott Rocks & Rec in the Iron Springs Plaza. Prescott Rocks & Rec is next to Iron Springs CrossFit located at 1201 W Iron Springs Road.

Kay Ziegenhagen is a local climber and owner of Prescott Rocks & Rec. For more information on the benefits of climbing, visit PrescottRocksandRec.com.

Celebrating Chino Valley’s 50th Anniversary

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Many Chino Valley senior residents still remember the big news of Sept. 21, 1970. On that day, Chino Valley incorporated to become an official town. A major motivation for the incorporation was to gain the authority to control its own water resources. Next Territorial Days in 2020, the official Town of Chino Valley will be 50 years old!

Just how significant is a 50-year celebration within the context of American history? For one thing, 1970 was only 11 years after Alaska and Hawaii were admitted to the union as our 49th and 50th states.  Does anyone remember which was the 48th state to be added to the flag? Arizona, of course! In 1912.

More than a year ago, the Town of Chino Valley decided that turning 50 was a milestone to not only be recognized, but to be celebrated. And celebrating we are. The festivities kicked off during the recent Territorial Days parade on Aug. 31 and will extend through Territorial Days in 2020. That’s approximately 12 months of revelry, my friends!

For the past few months, a committee of volunteers has labored to produce a commemorative book entitled “Chino Valley. Where Arizona Began.” It’s a book of more than 170 pages offering an historic perspective of how and when institutions that formed our town came to be, from community services (the mayor’s office, police department, the municipal court, fire and medical coverage, regional transit, etc.), education (Chino Valley School District and Mingus Springs Charter School), to the newspapers that served the growing community (the Chino Valley Shopper and the Chino Valley Review) and businesses with a long local history as well as many more chapters.

The largest section of the book features interviews with more than 50 families who have lived and grown with the town through the decades. Those frequently mentioned are the Bisjaks, the Perkins, the Ginns and the Wells. These families paint a colorful portrait of the Chino Valley of the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s and forward.

We expect that the book will be published and offered to the public beginning in mid-January, 2020.

But, “Chino Valley. Where Arizona Began” is only one part of our year-long birthday observance. Specially-ordered short and long-sleeve Chino Valley Golden Jubilee shirts are available for purchase at community events such as Halloween in the Park, Chino night with the NAZ Suns, December to Remember on Dec. 14, in Memory Park, farmer’s markets, golf tournaments and many other local gatherings. We’re even auctioning 50 sequentially-numbered commemorative license plates! You’ll want one on your front bumper!

The campaign culminates with our Golden Jubilee Celebration that takes place on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Memory Park during Territorial Days in 2020, complete with bands, dancing, special presentations and renditions of the Ballad of Chino Valley, written by then-resident John Little in the 1980s.

Chino Valley is a town that respects its history, its citizens and its plans for the future.  You are invited to be part of the community celebration by looking for town promotions throughout the next year.

Be sure to check out the Chino Valley 50th Anniversary tab on the town’s website at chinoaz.net and follow us on the town’s Facebook Page, YouTube Channel, Twitter and Instagram accounts for updates on the celebration.

Happy Birthday, Chino Valley! QCBN

By Wil Williams

Wil Williams is a Chino Valley resident who is heading up the book project, “Chino Valley. Where Arizona Began.”

Making Holiday Meals Special

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Celebrating the holidays with family and friends is a special time of year. I can recall so many food memories.

My Grandma, Betty Scardine, would make homemade pasta and hang it over pipes in the basement. She called it “macaroni!” The lingering aroma of fresh sauce stills stays with me to this day. We would also have calamari. We would go to the local Jewel [grocery store] and order several pounds of the fresh squid. Sitting alongside her and cleaning it was fun. Then we breaded it and fried it in the coolest cast iron pot. It was a celebration!

Here are a couple tips that can help with the holiday presentation:

Fresh herbs are a great way to garnish any dish. Using sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme or basil to place on the corner of your platter. The fresh color will “pop” and your food will look beautiful.

Place fresh roasted vegetables or salad on a platter in the shape of a wreath. Decorate with a few clusters of cherry tomatoes.

When presenting your holiday meals, I suggest creating elevation. By using a large bowl, baking dish or a box, place it on the table. Then, cover and “cloud” with a table linen. Now, position your dishes.  Add fresh herbs, flowers, a holiday plant or clusters of produce as accents to the table.

Place frames of family photos on your table. QCBN

By Debbie Maranville

Contact us for your holiday catering needs at The Natural Healing Garden/Goods from the Garden, Catering & Events, 928-237-4116 or 928-237-3214, 3250 Gateway Blvd. #516 Prescott, Arizona 86303. For more information, visit goodsfromthegarden@gmail.com. Debbie Maranville is the co-owner of Goods from the Garden Catering & Events and The Natural Healing Garden, Massage and Wellness. For more information, visit naturalhealinggarden.com.

 

Strategies to Improve Communication

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One inevitable side effect of hearing loss is increased difficulty communicating with others. Specifically, the person with hearing loss will often not hear, or will misunderstand, what someone has said. Sometimes, the misunderstanding can be humorous. More often, though, it is frustrating and embarrassing. Some people with hearing loss will eventually began to retreat from social interactions, reducing quality of life. Hearing aids can be of great benefit in restoring these communication abilities. However, hearing aids alone are not a total solution. While astounding advancements have been made in the world of hearing aids in the past few years, they still have their limits, as with any technology. Use of effective communication strategies can greatly improve the benefit received from hearing aids. All of these strategies are simple to implement in daily life (although adjusting habits make take time).

Assertive vs. Passive or Aggressive

People with hearing loss often change their communication style over time. It is not done purposefully, but as a subconscious adjustment to the progressing loss. Many will become passive, allowing others to do the majority of the talking. On the other side of the coin, a smaller group will become aggressive, dominating the conversation (talking more means they have to rely less on their ears to lis-ten). Again, no blame should be dealt or guilt felt for adopting either of these styles, but neither is effective or sustainable. The goal should be an assertive approach to communication. Allow for a natural flow to occur, but do not be afraid to stick up for yourself. Ask someone to speak louder or slower if not understood, or to repeat if necessary. Choose the seat in a restaurant that will be most conducive to listening (more on this later). Although people with hearing loss often fear that they will annoy or inconvenience others, the literature states that others are very receptive when those with a hearing loss own it and are upfront about the topic.

Effective Communication Strategies

Distance: One of the best ways to improve understanding is simply to get closer. The Inverse Square Law states that for each doubling of distance the auditory signal is reduced by six decibels (dB). Thus, if a person’s voice is at 60 dB when standing three feet away, it will decrease to 53 dB at six feet and so on. The take away here is that talking to a person with hearing loss from across the room is ineffective as the signal will be much quieter by the time it actually reaches their ears (or hearing aids). This also means that there is more interference (other noise) between the listener and the talker, and that the interference may be louder to the person with hearing loss than the speech signal. If you want to talk, get close.

Vision: A person with hearing loss will often say that they are expert lip readers. While they may not be able to spy on your conversation from across the room, it is true that people with hearing loss rely heavily on visual cues. It allows their brain to expend less energy trying to understand. The talker should be in the same room and facing the listener, with good lighting and nothing obstructing their mouths (e.g. a hand or hands).

Noise: Understanding speech in noise is a difficult task for anybody. As noise cannot be erased from the world, minimizing its impact is the best outcome. At a party or restaurant, try to sit as far away from the source of the noise as possible. Do not choose a table at a restaurant that is in a corner or in the middle of the room, as these locations increase the echo. The person with hearing difficulty should choose a seat that places the majority of the noise behind them. This is especially important for those with hearing aids, as the aids will detect the extraneous noise and turnoff the rear microphone, only amplifying signals coming from the front.

Rephrasing: Everyone’s natural response to missed speech is to say, “What?” However, a more effective response would be to ask the person to rephrase or fill in missing information, like asking, “What time are we going to dinner on Tuesday?” This allows the listener to receive the needed information and acknowledges to the talker that they were heard.

While communication may never be perfect, implementing these strategies, along with hearing aid use, will greatly improve understanding and enjoyment. QCBN

By Jeff Lane, Au. D.

Trinity Hearing Center is located at 1330 N. Rim Dr., Suite B in Flagstaff. For more information, visit the website at TrinityHearing.net. Jeff Lane is a doctor of audiology with a passion for improving the lives of others. Dr. Lane may be reached at 928-522-0500 or at audio@trinityhearing.net.

Lighting a Candle Means Tradition, Family, Special Occasions

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Groovy. What a groovy word: groovy. It’s one of those words that never goes out of style. It means whatever you want it to mean – it can refer to music, a person, a state of mind. It goes back to the jazz age when it was used most often by jazz musicians describing music that swings. It means that something is original, excellent yet understated or unassuming. It is excellent, yet cool. If you’re in the know, you know.

When was the last time you used the word groovy to describe something? Let’s be honest – when you think of candles, for example, doesn’t it make you feel groovy? Candlelight transmits a feeling of being at ease and casual. Let’s get groovy again and not worry about the perfectly designed living room or the latest new and improved kitchen features. Your home is your own so trust your instincts to include a mash-up of styles, colors, family photos and treasured quilts on the beds. The core of décor is candles.

What time is it? Does anybody really know what time it is?

Depends on who you ask. If you ask a dog you will be told, now. If you ask a five-year-old, the answer generally gets mixed up between events that happened maybe yesterday or last year and whenever. Kind of refreshing. Sometimes a business has a convoluted timeline that may not travel from point A to point B in a straight line. It’s true. One thing leads to another. One experiment may have failed but eventually leads to a new discovery that turns out to be profitable. Making original candle designs is part artistry and part science and part math – nobody told you there would be math! How many candlemakers does it take to make a candle? It all started a very, very long time ago when people wanted to light the darkness of their homes at night, add beauty to celebrations and to honor special ceremonies. Over the centuries the materials have been refined so that today’s makers have the best of the best to work with. Candles made today, especially by the artisan craftsman over those that are mass produced, are created to deliver fragrance and clean long burn times to give you good value. The wise and creative mind of Lewis Carroll once wrote: “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: Of shoes – and ships – and sealing-wax – Of cabbages – and kings – And why the sea is boiling hot – And whether pigs have wings.” Not sure exactly what he was talking about, but it sure sounds groovy, especially the part about wax.

Wax on, wax off.

Have you heard the saying “get your mind right?” It has to do with being in the moment, thinking about what you’re doing, what you’ve learned, being able to concentrate on the person you’re with instead of the text message on the phone. Have you ever noticed that candlelight has that effect? Does candlelight have magical powers? Not likely. It does call your attention – it beckons you to watch the flickering flame, sit back, take a deep breath and turn off the electric lights. “Get back to where you once belonged,” was written by yet another poet, John Lennon.

There is a unique discipline about lighting a candle and a sincere satisfaction in honoring a tradition we hold dear because it means family. Friends. Memories. Candlelight puts the “special” in special events and makes even a simple get-together groovy. QCBN

By Denise Jenike

Armadilla Wax Works is a retail store and candlemaking workshop located at 6689 E. 1st Street in Prescott Valley. For more information, call 928-772-1898 or visit candlefactorystore.com.

 

Denise Jenike is co-owner of Armadilla Wax Works with her husband, Kent Buttermann. The business was originally established in old town Tempe in 1971, while both were attending Arizona State University. Denise completed a BA in Art Education. The business is 100% focused on the design, making and retailing candles, along with additional curated quality home décor merchandise. Armadilla Wax Works – new location is 6689 E. 1st Street, in Prescott Valley. For more information, visit candlefactorystore.com.

Relieving Workforce Stress Through Voluntary Medical Benefits

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The holiday season is upon us and for many, this can be stressful. Experian data indicates that Americans experience more financial stress during the holiday season. Financial stress is the No. 1 source. Worry about how to pay a large or medical bill is a major factor.

For employers, workforce stress directly impacts the bottom line. In fact, studies indicate that 70% of workers experience stress related to their health, jobs and finances, and they spend an estimated five hours a week thinking about theses stressors during work hours. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that based on 128.5 million full-time workers who earn an average of $21 an hour, employers lose billions in lost work productivity because of stress on the job.

Small businesses may not always be able to afford to offer major medical coverage for their employees. In some cases, major medical is offered but in order to keep premiums affordable, large deductibles – typically $5,000 – are part of the policy. This leaves employees with significant gaps in their coverage.

Voluntary benefits serve a critical role in filling such gaps and can offer financial security in cases where offering major medical is not feasible. When employers provide options that can help reduce their employees’ financial stress and improve financial literacy, productivity could increase, and they may even attract better quality candidates because of their benefits program and retain the current ones they have. “Voluntary” is an increasingly important benefits option that can offer employees affordable financial solutions that they elect and pay for themselves through payroll deduction. In many cases, employers can provide these benefits at little or no cost to the company. Especially for smaller employers, voluntary benefit packages are a way to compete with larger businesses that can offer more diverse benefits.

Evidence reveals that even when benefits packages are offered, employees have a limited understanding of how their benefits work. Education is an essential part of any benefits program and ensures employees understand the value and importance of benefits options that their employer makes available. Look for an agent or broker as your partner who is skilled and committed to providing education to your staff. Your employees need clear and understandable information on how voluntary benefits can help in their specific situation and how to consider costs so that they elect benefits that provide the best coverage for their needs at a cost they can afford.

You want your employees to feel protected and confident in having a benefits package that can reduce stress related to unexpected accidents or illness. A typical voluntary benefits package will offer life, short-term disability, accident, vision and dental.  Short-term disability is often underappreciated in terms of importance and is one benefit that every employee should have. Studies indicate that one in four of all 20-year-old employees in the workforce will experience a disability before retirement age.

If you are planning to offer a voluntary benefits package, consider doing an anonymous employee survey. Anonymity is important because employees may not be comfortable sharing their financial concerns with their employer. Once you have collected this information, it’s important to work with a benefits consultant who understands the full scope of employee needs and can source the best solutions to address them. You may want to consider having the benefits consultant collect the survey data for you. Armed with survey data, developing a long-range plan for providing financial security and protection for your employees becomes part of a long-term strategy that can increase productivity, employee retention and a competitive advantage for top talent.

This is an ideal time to reach out to a voluntary benefits consultant as part of your efforts to reduce employee stress during the holidays. At little or no cost to you, voluntary benefits offer them protection from unexpected expenses related to accidents or illness as part of your long-term business strategy.

Wishing you a joyous holiday season! QCBN

 

By Linda Mast

Linda J. Mast, MBA, Ph.D., is a licensed independent agent and benefits consultant with Aflac. She has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare administration, health policy, insurance benefits, and education. Linda dedicates her professional practice to providing individualized service to business owners in order to recommend strategic approaches to using voluntary benefits. She is a Fellow in the American College of Medical Practice Executives, a professor in Healthcare Administration, and is a frequently invited speaker on healthcare industry trends and business strategy. To reach Linda, call (928) 582-1074 or email Linda_Mast@us.aflac.com.

 

Five Ways to Keep your Money Local

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In the age of two-day shipping and convenient megastores, it’s easy to think that opting for a national brand is the best use of your money. However, supporting Arizona businesses and organizations means your money stays local, through taxes, investments and more. That means that your hard-earned money, once spent, continues to work for you and improve the economy.

Local First Arizona Executive Director Thomas Barr believes that every Arizonan can support the economy by spending money at local businesses. “Up to four times more of our dollars stay in Arizona when we choose a local business over a national chain,” said Barr, adding that this “creates more jobs, and builds hometown pride by growing relationships with owners of businesses in our communities.”

Here are a few easy ways to keep more of your money in Arizona:

Support locally owned businesses. Buying products from companies founded and run by Arizonans means much more of your hard-earned money stays in our community. “We love keeping our business as local as possible,” said Jenny Carey, co-owner of One Stop Nutrition in Scottsdale, “because our locals are the ones that have created our business and help us grow.”

Buy food farmed in Arizona. You can find meat, produce, dairy, honey and more, all right here in the Valley. Whether you’re hitting the local farmer’s market every weekend or just shopping the local section at your grocery store, your grocery money will help Arizona businesses stay strong.

Bank local. Unlike national banks, local financial institutions are run in-state and decisions are made with the community in mind. From auto loans and credit cards to wealth management and mortgages, a local partner will help you achieve your financial goals, and profits will be reinvested in the local economy.

Support non-profits that improve your neighborhood. Whether your passion is helping at-risk youth or fostering rescued pets, there’s a homegrown non-profit in your area that could use your assistance. Invest your time and money in organizations that focus on Arizona’s needs and watch our community thrive!

Attend community events. This is a great way to discover new Arizona-run businesses and foster a greater sense of community. Opt for events that feature tasty treats from local restaurants or food trucks, and booths or pop-up shops from local retailers. QCBN

By Miguel Maldonado

Miguel Maldonado is the Northern Regional president for OneAZ Credit Union. OneAZ supports local business owners with a full suite of business financial products and services, plus a legacy sponsorship with Local First Arizona.

Creating a Warm, Inviting Home for the Holidays

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Here we are, close to the end of the year and facing the oncoming holidays. Do you secretly dread the hustle and bustle or are you excitedly anticipating all the sights, sounds, smells and activities that are upon us? Whatever holiday you celebrate, this is a busy time of year for everyone. Sometimes, life events happen during this busy time, like a move or a new baby or even the passing of a loved one, which amplify the intensity of the season.
With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the things that can help make your home inviting and comfortable and can help you to relax and enjoy the season.

Get Rid of Stuff

Now’s a great time to purge the things you don’t need from your closets, in the storage room, stuff piled in the guest room and in the garage. Get rid of the clutter piling on desks, counters and corners of the room. Wow, it feels so good to declutter.

Get it Clean

If you don’t want to do it, hire a company to come and get things cleaned up, particularly the areas you often skip like baseboards, fans, window tracks, inside the oven and inside the fridge. This is a great time of year to get the carpets and the windows professionally cleaned.
Having Guests
Easily freshen up the guest room with some new linens, clear a space in the closet or dresser for their things. Make sure there is a night light and a bedside clock. It is a nice touch to place some flowers or a small holiday arrangement in the room.

Prepare the Kitchen

Generally, when people gather, they end up huddling in or around the kitchen. Clear counter space by putting small appliances in cabinets or in another room and put a diffuser with holiday scent in the corner. This is a great time of year to make sure the oven has been cleaned and the inside of the fridge cleaned out. Make room for the leftovers and the goodie plates from friends and neighbors.

Hire Help

Give yourself permission to hire someone to help with the things that you can’t do or just don’t want to spend your time on. Some tasks are best done by professionals. Don’t push yourself to tackle tasks that may end up causing injury, like getting up on ladders, etc.

Make it Easy

If you are hosting, remember, people come to visit and renew relationships. The meal does not have to be complicated to be enjoyed and remembered. Set a pretty buffet on the island with a few decorations and let people self-serve. This frees up time for you to enjoy the evening also.

Entertaining

A great way to get people talking and reminiscing is to run a continuous slide show on the TV, with some quiet holiday music in the background. People LOVE to see themselves and their loved ones through the years. This also helps people who don’t know each other well interact and inquire about who’s in the picture. This is easy to do with various slide show programs available or even a photo DVD set on repeat. I sometimes have added in beautiful holiday scenes randomly placed between the pictures of family and friends that I knew would be there. This sets a warm and festive atmosphere in the room.

Going Away for the Holidays?

What a better feeling than to come back to a home that is de-cluttered, clean and ready for the New Year.

 

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season! QCBN

By Lucy Leyva

Lucy Leyva is the proud owner of MTO Janitorial LLC, and Prescott Maid to Order LLC, both local cleaning companies based out of Prescott Valley, serving Northern Arizona since 2005. For any cleaning inquiry, please contact us at 928-772-0004 and/or visit our website at mtojanitorial.com.

Precise Shoulder Surgery with ExactechGPS Available at YRMC

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Most of us tap the GPS on our mobile phone when we’re driving to an unfamiliar location. Advanced technology called ExactechGPS – introduced recently at Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) – uses the same principles to guide orthopedic surgeons performing reconstructive shoulder surgery.

“This is truly amazing technology,” said Bradley Williams, M.D., Ph.D., a YRMC orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery and reconstructive surgery of the knees and shoulders. “I spend lots of time researching technology that’s under development in the orthopedic world. Sometimes, I’ll decide to watch how a technology develops before pursuing it for my patients, but with ExactechGPS, I jumped on it right away.”

The first computer navigation system for shoulder surgery, ExactechGPS, is breakthrough technology in the field of orthopedics. Dr. Williams was confident it would benefit many people he treats. In fact, Williams was the first orthopedic surgeon in Northern Arizona to use ExactechGPS, which became part of YRMC’s Orthopedic Surgical program in the spring of 2019.

From Virtual to Reality

To understand ExactechGPS, it’s helpful to know that total shoulder replacement and reverse total shoulder replacement surgery – a common shoulder replacement at YRMC – are complex procedures that have improved immensely through the years.

“Orthopedic surgeons performing reverse shoulder replacement 20 years ago had to learn the optimal placement of the surgical screws in the shoulder,” Williams said. “Now, you gather information and put into the ExactechGPS, and you’re assured that the placement is precise.”

Achieving that precision takes planning that begins before Williams steps into an operating suite at YRMC. Each patient undergoes a CT scan that provides information on their anatomy and the condition of the shoulder. Using the ExactechGPS pre-operative planning function, Williams virtually performs the patient’s surgery on a computer. He determines if the patient needs to have bone removed during the surgery and selects the best base plate for the patient.

“The ExactechGPS actually allows you to trial different baseplates and see how they’ll work for that individual patient,” he explained. “You see where the baseplate should be implanted and how deep it should be placed. All that is accurately figured before surgery.”

From Virtual to Reality

In the operating suite, Williams consults the virtual surgery plan before beginning the actual procedure. He carefully checks the images of the patient’s shoulder displayed on the ExactechGPS screen. A tracker – placed on the patient’s bone – provides information on the patient’s individual anatomy and joint movement. This helps Williams to verify if bone needs to be removed and correctly place the implant.

“Before ExactechGPS, total shoulder replacement or reverse total shoulder replacement would be difficult for older people with fragile bones or people with extensive trauma,” Williams said. “This technology has changed that. You can walk out of the operating room and know the implant placement is exact.”

A Shoulder-to-Shoulder Comparison

Williams’s first ExactechGPS patient was in her late 80s. A few years earlier, she had undergone conventional surgery for relentless shoulder pain that didn’t respond to injections, physical therapy or other treatment. While the patient’s conventional surgery went well, both the operation and recovery were difficult.

“There was a big difference between the first surgery on her right shoulder and the ExactechGPS procedure on her left shoulder,” recalled Williams. “The ExactechGPS went faster and her recovery was immediate. When I saw her for a follow-up visit after, she told me there was no pain following the procedure.”

That first surgery, and others that have followed, reinforced with Williams the value of ExactechGPS.

“I continue to be impressed by the results,” he said. “It’s great that people don’t have to live with shoulder pain.” QCBN

By Bridget O’Gara

Visit YRMC.org for more information on YRMC Orthopedic Surgical Services.

Bridget O’Gara is a writer, communications strategist and project manager who specializes in health care. She works with mission-driven healthcare organizations, including hospitals, other healthcare providers and advocacy organizations.