October 6-12 is National PA Week. This week recognizes the PA profession, the history of the profession, and mostly its contribution to the healthcare system. The first class of PAs graduated from Duke University’s PA Program on October 6th, 1967. Eugene A. Stead Jr, M.D. was the founder of the PA profession and creator of this first PA program at Duke. . The first class was made of four Navy Hospital Corpsmen who had received considerable medical training during their military service. Stead saw there was a shortage of physicians at the time and based the PA curriculum on the “fast-tracked” training of the physicians who served during World War II. The profession of the PA gained federal acceptance in the early 1970s as a solution to physician shortage. Over the past 50 years, the medical community has supported the profession as it has continued to grow.
To practice medicine as a PA, a master’s degree from a nationally accredited program is required. Once completing a master’s degree, PAs are required to take a National Board exam called the PANCE (PA National Certification Exam). This exam must also be re-taken every 10 years for recertification.
During their education PAs complete a first year titled a “didactic year”. Consisting of a heavy course load of lectures and exams. Once entering into the second year of their program they begin their clinical rotations. PAs rotate in all fields of specialties including the core fields of family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, and psychiatry. Many programs often offer elective rotations where students can rotate in more specialized fields such as cardiology, dermatology and last but not least, orthopedics
PAs are to serve as a core part of the healthcare team with a goal to improve healthcare access and quality. In the state of Ohio, PAs are medical professionals who can diagnose conditions, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and order advanced testing. PAs are able to practice in an emergency, urgent care, clinic, or surgical setting. PAs are able to order advance tests such as MRIs, CTs, and EMGs as well as prescribe narcotics and perform small procedures. They are able to practice all these aspects of medicine because they work with one, or a number of, supervising physicians to provide a collaborative assessment and plan of care for patients.
If you haven’t been treated by a PA before, there’s a good chance you will in the near future. There are more than 131,000 PAs working across the country, and are over 15 employed here at OrthoNeuro!
The PAs here at OrthoNeuro are committed to improving access to quality care and act as a vital part of the healthcare team. We hope to continue to improve the overall healthcare experience here at OrthoNeuro, not only for our patients but for our colleagues and co-workers as well! Happy National PA week OrthoNeuro!
Megan Holley PA-C, MSPAS
Knee pain is the second most common type of chronic pain in the United States. So with this in mind, our knees rarely get the care and attention they deserve. Considering the fact that they support our entire bodies, we should be treating them nicely, but there are plenty of different hidden culprits that can make your knees feel weak and painful.
Contrary to popular belief, pain in your knees is not just caused by arthritis and old age. Here are some of the most common causes of knee pain and a few pain management tips.
Your shoes need a proper arch so your foot can support your body adequately. The problem is, however, that these arch supports can easily wear out in shoes without looking like it. Because of this, many people wear shoes that need to be replaced causing aches and pains to not only their feet but their knee as well. Think of it this way: when you walk or run, your foot and your knee absorb the most impact, so if one is fragile and not supported the other will easily wear down. A simple change of shoes will make you feel better in no time.
Your kneecap could be sliding in and out of position without you even knowing it! A common culprit of this is intense swelling, and stiffness after walking or running. Unfortunately, there is not much pain prevention you can do with this besides talking to a physician or going to physical therapy.
The iliotibial band is a piece of tissue that runs from your hip towards the outer part of your knee. It can easily become irritated and inflamed if it has been overused, or if you are just getting into exercising regularly. You’ll want to work on strengthening this tissue over time, and one step you can take is to make sure to adequately stretch it before any type of physical activity.
Knee pain is all too common, and it is crucial that you keep an eye out for these culprits in order to feel strong and pain-free again.
If you have knee pain that just won’t go away, don’t hesitate to give our physicians a call right away for a consultation.
