That was how I felt after my injuries from two rear end auto accidents within seven months.
Dr. Paul Okamota,D.C.
Masters Touch Chiropractic Clinic.
Chiropractic Physician
Fellow, Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists. a title earned by only 4 % of the Chiropractic community.
His specialty appears to be lost causes. As fit as I have been the injuries would not go away and no one else could help me. Dr. Okamoto said, “I can help you. It will take a while.” He has the best rehab gym I have seen. He has a great staff of people who are givers. Just being there was a refuge from the challenges of 2020. Towards the end of treatment he referred me to Physical therapist, Nick Rinard, MPT, Cert MDT. Nick has a great staff and clinics in Portland. The Dr. and Nick banded together like true professionals to give me the best outcome. I found them both extremely knowledgeable, patient and compassionate. This is the way the healthcare professions should work. Some try, but Dr. Okamoto and Nick Rinard are pulling it off and I benefited.
They taught me about deeply layered muscles that I could not pronounce, find, or measure.
The first batches of coronavirusvaccines are slated to be shipped to Oregon mere weeks from now, marking the initial step of what will be a months-long effort to end the pandemic.
But with 4.2 million Oregonians potentially in line to be vaccinated, much remains unclear about the state’s capacity to oversee an unprecedented mass immunization program that will stretch well into 2021, if not longer.
Oregon officials said they are expecting at least 147,000 vaccine doses this month. That’s more than initially anticipated and enough to provide the first of two doses to at least 100,000 people, a state spokesman said, with health care workers at the front of the line.
The plan hinges on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approving two vaccines for emergency use, which it is widely expected to do in the coming days.
“I know these are the vaccines we have all been waiting for,” Gov. Kate Brown said during a news conferenceFriday. “I am asking you all to buckle down for just a little bit longer.”
Months of hardship will pass before most Oregonians can get immunized — the key to ending the pandemic, saving untold lives, fully opening stores and restaurants and allowing friends and family to start guiltlessly coming together again.
Indeed, Friday set a new record for daily coronavirus cases and deaths, topping 2,000 newly confirmed or suspected infections and 30 fatalities. And the worst is almost certainly yet to come, with state health officials predicting 2,000 to 2,700 people will test positive for the virus each day by Christmas Eve.
Still, after 10 months of uncertainty, Friday’s official announcement of expected shipment dates for concrete numbers of vaccine doses offered some measure of optimism for a state that, like the rest of the world, has grown weary.
Assuming the vaccine gets federal approval, a 35,100-dose batch of a vaccine created by pharmaceutical company Pfizer will be shipped on Dec. 15. Tests have shown the vaccine has no serious side-effects and prevents illness in 95% of people who get both of the doses it needs to be effective, the company has said.
Another 40,950 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be shipped the following week, as well as 71,900 doses of a vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company Moderna. That company has said its vaccine protects 94.5% of those who get the two mandatory shots and is also safe.
The state expects another 87,750 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 31,700 doses of the Moderna vaccine to be shipped Dec. 29. Those batches will be used to provide a second dose to those who have already received the first.
“This is, no doubt, terrific news,” said Patrick Allen, director of the agency leading the state’s coronavirus response, the Oregon Health Authority, also noting that the numbers are subject to change.
The state drafted a vaccine distribution plan Nov. 6 that outlines in broad brush strokes how officials intend to prioritize who gets access first.
The initial limited doses will go to the state’s approximately 300,000 frontline health care workers and 60,000 to 70,000 senior care home residents and staff.
Next on the priority list will likely be essential workers, people with chronic health conditions and people over 65.
One key challenge to distributing the vaccine will be the extraordinarily cold temperatures one of them requires to remain viable. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit.
The state said it would consider a “hub system,” in which providers who are able to store the vaccine get enough doses to then distribute to providers who are not. The Oregon Health Authority plans to map out where in the state providers are able to keep the vaccine at such low temperatures and decide which vaccine to send where depending on the results.
Health equity is also key to Oregon’s vaccination plan. The state has pledged to work closely with community organizations to make sure the plan is developed in tandem with groups representing those disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Among other things, the groups will help find gaps in access and figure out why certain people might not trust government officials – both barriers to broad vaccination.
The health authority will also form a vaccine advisory committee, to include representatives from marginalized groups, to help it decide how to allocate the vaccine.
Black Oregonians have been infected at 3.5 times the rate of whites, state data show, and Hispanic people have been infected at 5.1 times the rate of people who are not Hispanic.
“The Oregon Health Authority recognizes the impact that longstanding health inequities, which are rooted in systemic racism and oppression, are having on the transmission and prevalence of COVID-19 in Oregon,” the health agency wrote in its month-old draft plan, which has not been updated.
Other at-risk groups include those in prison, those experiencing homeless, migrant workers, students and people who don’t have health insurance.
It could be months before even the prioritized groups get vaccinated. About 700,000 doses will be needed to vaccinate all health care workers and senior care home staff and residents, Allen said. The batch coming this December will be enough to get just a fraction of the priority groups their first vaccine dose.
Another complication is the time it takes manufacturers to produce the vaccines, Allen said.
“It’s going to be a while before the vaccine is going to be available to regular Oregonians,” Allen said.
While President Trump pushed for a vaccine before the Nov. 3 election, federal regulators have been methodical in ensuring safety before approving it for nearly 330 million Americans. The United Kingdom this week approved use of the Pfizer vaccine, which America is expected to greenlight soon.
Researchers are currently testing 58 vaccines on humans, according to The New York Times, and at least 87 others are being tested in animals.
“When it is my turn to receive a vaccine,” Brown said, “I will be ready to take it.”
Until vaccines are available to the broader population, however, Allen and Brown are asking Oregonians to stick to the tried-and-true methods they have been hammering for months: staying at home, avoiding gatherings, wearing a mask and washing hands frequently.
Too many times we hold off on getting help after an injury. Often times we have a sudden onset of pain in which we have no idea where it is coming from and how it even got started. We think the pain will go away or the injury will heal on its own.
Get relief from your pain in just a few visits at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy today.
“Pain and numbness from my right shoulder to finger tips. It was impeding my work and eating with utensils. The pain is completely gone after the first couple of visits and over the course of treatment we are confident that the numbness will disappear.”
Nick Rinard Physical Therapy is counting down the days to Christmas with this awesome advent calendar made and gifted to us by one of our wonderful patients!
It can be difficult to know the right steps to take after a car accident. Here are some general suggestions from Nick Rinard Physical Therapy:
1) Call your insurance company to report the accident as soon as possible, and definitely within 48 hours. If you are experiencing ANY pain, tell them. Even if you don’t end up needing much medical care, it’s important to tell them everything and anything that feels different after the accident.
2) See a doctor and get help early. If you’re like most people you may want to wait to see a doctor because you think you’ll get better on your own. You may get better on your own, but if you don’t, waiting to see a doctor may affect your ability to get medical care under your car accident claim. A trip to your primary care doctor or an urgent care facility is all it takes to legitimize your injuries. Getting care early also will minimize your overall healing time.
3) REST! This is by far the most difficult and most important part of healing after an accident. Give your body time to recover properly.
4) Pain is not normal. Just because a large amount of people experience neck or back pain after a car accident does NOT make it normal. These ailments can be helped tremendously with basic treatment such as physical therapy. You have the right to have your injuries treated, and you have the right to go to any doctor or provider that you choose for help.
If your injuries require physical therapy, call Nick Rinard Physical Therapy today!
Dealing with pain on a daily basis is fatiguing and frustrating.
At Nick Rinard Physical Therapy, we empower our patients with individual, customized home exercise programs to help you gain control of your symptoms.
We believe in education, and prioritize teaching our patients how to become effective in their daily routines. If you are tired of being a victim to your out of control symptoms, contact us! 503-244-6232 or have or doctor fax a referral to 503-244-7410
Our team is dedicated to helping you chart a course to better health.
Nick Rinard PT will be CLOSED for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26th 2020 and Friday November 27th, 2020.
Although we may not be able to be surrounded in person by friends and loved ones this year, where there is a will there is always a way. We wish everyone the best connecting through social media, zoom, facetime or your favorite technology of choice.
From everyone at Nick Rinard Physical Therapy – We wish you a happy Thanksgiving and as always….
…. Nick Rinard Physical Therapy is very Thankful to have you in our lives! We couldn’t do it without you!
Despite the recent events occurring nation wide and the increasing barriers to quality health care we survive because of you!
Nick Rinard Physical Therapy employees will continue to follow personal health emergency guidelines out side of clinic hours.
Please stay up to date with the risks associated with indoor gatherings. Stay safe. Protect yourself for that of your family and friends.
We are here for you!
As U.S. reaches 250,000 deaths from COVID-19, a long winter is coming Medical advances have reduced the infection fatality rate in the U.S. But experts warn that indoor gatherings, cold temperatures and pandemic fatigue augur dark months ahead.
