Health & Wellness

Living an active lifestyle can be tough on your body, particularly your joints and tendons, which can lead to setbacks like injury or pain. Repetitive use from sports like skiing, mountain biking, and hiking cause wear and tear, causing the body’s tissue to become inflamed which can be painful. While a recovery period of rest, ice, compression, and elevation can work to some extent, non-surgical regenerative treatments focus on improving the healing process and getting you back in the game.

Knee arthritis is one of the most common diseases to affect adults over the age of 50. It can seriously impact a person’s mobility, making it difficult to enjoy everyday movements like standing, walking, and exercising.

There are many causes that can lead to arthritis including trauma and rheumatological conditions, however, the most common is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis (OS) is typically genetic and is considered degenerative, or a “wear and tear” type of arthritis.

Mountain biking is an exciting sport with a variety of physical and psychological demands. On Tahoe’s world-class trails, riders maneuver their bikes at fast speeds, corner within inches of obstacles like trees and boulders, drop off elevated pitches, and rumble through rock gardens. It’s a sport that requires technical skills, quick decision-making, cardio fitness, power, total body strength, and confidence.

Experiencing pain or burning when you urinate? How about a strong urge to urinate that doesn't go away? Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a serious, but common, health problem that affects millions of people each year. They can affect men and women and can be painful and inconvenient.

Riding a bicycle offers many physical and mental health benefits. Cycling is a cardiovascular workout that burns calories and targets your lower body muscles while minimizing the stress on your joints, knees, and hips, making it a great low-impact cross-training activity. Considering the price of fuel these days, biking is a great way to save money, spend extra time outside, and get fit while doing it.

Here are a few ways to get the most out of your ride, whether you're cycling around your neighborhood or local trails, on vacation, or to and from work.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A Mental Health First Aid for Fire and EMS (https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/population-focused-modules/fire-and-ems/) course was hosted by Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) on Friday, May 19. The class was offered for free to local firefighters and EMS personnel as well as LTCC students and family members of first responders. Twenty community members attended the event taught by Stephanie Carlson, a MHFA instructor from the Behavioral Health Division of El Dorado County Health & Human Services Agency.

Our mood is influenced by many factors, including stress, illness, and even the weather. But what's the difference between a bad case of the blues and the mental disorder known as depression? Addressing mental health issues is a high priority for our community, as it is frequently identified as a top-three need in the triannual Community Health Needs Assessment.

Depression affects many adults, adolescents, and children. In 2017, The National Institute of Health found the prevalence of Major Depressive Episodes in the United States to be 7.1% among adults and 13.3% among adolescents.

Barton Health Class: Lactation Education for New and Expecting Parents
Monday, May 15, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness, 2170B South Ave, South Lake Tahoe

Learn about the benefits and tips of breastfeeding for new and expecting parents, including diet, breastfeeding positions, and other helpful resources. Additionally, learn when to seek help from a lactation consultant. Registration is required; sign up and learn more at BartonOrthopedicsAndWellness.com/Classes. Call 530.543.5549 or email Education@BartonHealth.org for more information.

It's natural to feel strong emotions when pregnant and just after delivering a baby. Some may feel elated while others may feel sad, or a mixture of both. Many new mothers experience "baby blues:” feelings of sadness, impatience, or irritability after birth that last for a week or two. For some women, feelings of sadness are much more intense and elongated. These intense feelings are called postpartum depression, or PPD.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barton Quick Care is now open and welcoming patients, offering walk-in care and expedited treatment options for non-life-threatening conditions.

Practitioners at this location will diagnose and treat mild injuries and illnesses, such as lacerations, sprains, coughs, colds, fever, earaches, and urinary tract infections.

Labs and medical imaging are not available at Barton Quick Care. Patients requiring lab or medical imaging services should visit Barton Urgent Care or Barton Memorial Hospital.

Barton Quick Care Information

Address:

The goal of warming up for exercise is often misunderstood. A proper warm-up is not only designed to raise your body temperature and blood flow, but it should also prepare you for the specific workout or sport you are about to participate in.

It’s likely you or someone close to you has been affected by addiction. In fact, one in seven Americans aged 12 or older reports experiencing a substance use disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Addiction is not a personal failing or something to be ashamed of; it’s a health condition that requires treatment just like other health conditions. Addiction, or substance use disorder (SUD), affects a person's brain and behavior, leading to their inability to control their use of substances like drugs, alcohol, or medications.

Winter home maintenance and everyday tasks ask a lot of your hands. Some may experience tired and painful forearms, locking fingers, and sore wrists. As things start to warm up, it's time to give our weary hands a rest.

Here are some practices to address finger stiffness and the effects of repetitive tasks from the winter months.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Barton Health staff members and physicians have voted Jacob Marquette, DO, as Barton’s Physician of the Year. Dr. Marquette received a majority of nominations recognizing his outstanding leadership and his caring, compassionate approach to health care. Dr. Marquette is a hospitalist at Barton Memorial Hospital, board certified in family medicine and addiction medicine.

A colonoscopy is a potentially life-saving preventative screening test. Its primary role is preventing or finding colorectal cancer when it’s most treatable. Recommended every 10 years starting at age 45, a colonoscopy allows your provider to see problems such as inflammation or bleeding in the large bowel, and it can be life-saving if a tumor or precancerous growths, called polyps, are detected.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Barton Health Foundation, as part of its Heart Safe Community program, recently donated eight automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to aid in the response of heart issues to the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 2,000 young, seemingly healthy people under age 25 in the United States die each year of sudden cardiac arrest.

A high blood pressure diagnosis, or hypertension, can be scary, as it contributes significantly to the risk of heart attacks and strokes. While nearly half of all adults have hypertension, according to the American Heart Association, there are many lifestyle habits you can adopt to reduce or prevent high blood pressure.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Continuing its mission of advancing local health care through philanthropy, the Barton Health Foundation has donated 32 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to aid in the response to heart issues at Barton Health facilities, both in and out of Barton Memorial Hospital. According to the American Heart Association, there are more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually in the U.S., and 9 out of 10 cardiac arrest victims who receive a shock from an AED within the first-minute lives.

Winter is in full force in Tahoe, and with it comes an influx of eager snow-players. Sledding and snow tubing are sure to be among the winter activities that families pursue, and like many contact sports, the risk of injury is increased.

Falling off a sled can result in injuries including bruises, cuts and broken bones, and commonly, concussions. Other common sledding-related injuries include solid organ injuries, vertebral fractures, and chest trauma. Sledders can get seriously hurt if their sled hits a stationary object, such as a rock or a tree.

According to the American Heart Association, every few seconds, someone in the U.S. is in need of a blood donation. Blood cannot be manufactured, it can only come from another person, making blood donation one of the most profound selfless acts. There are many reasons a person may choose to donate blood and the benefits are life-changing.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barton Health received the 2023 Women’s Choice Award as one of America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Safety. This award ranks 4,729 U.S. hospitals offering orthopedics services, recognizing those with the highest safety ratings for safe surgical practices and lowest rates for complications and infections.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Join Dr. Paul Ryan and Justin Dorn, DPT on Wednesday, February 15 at PT Revolution as they talk about Achilles tendon and calf injuries.

Topics Include:

Surgical & non-surgical Intervention
Injury prevention
Rehab

PT Revolution is located in the Cross at Tahoe Valley, 2038 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe, Calif. For more information, visit https://ptrevolution.com/.

Kids’ ear infections are a source of frustration for children, babies, and parents alike. They can be painful and persistent, making them a common reason families visit a care provider. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology, by the age of 5, the majority of young children will have an ear infection.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Headlines across the country over the past six months have been full of news about the rising amount of fentanyl being confiscated throughout California and across the country:

"Tens of thousands of illegal fentanyl pills were seized during a traffic stop in Northern California" (10.22.22)

"Two California men were arrested near JFK International Airport after police said they found 32,000 fentanyl pills" (11.23.22)