Techno health

As a physical therapist, the technological advances that are occurring in the marketplace for our health fascinate me. So much information is now available to us; with all the information, we should have the power to change our health outcomes, right?

We can buy devices like the Fit Bit that can track our sleep patterns and our activity levels. We can have a home unit to take our blood pressure, our heart rate, and our oxygen saturation rate. We can track our blood sugars; we can weigh in and know our hydration levels, muscle mass, fat mass and overall mass.

What will we do with all this information? Is it useful? Does it make us well?

It is fabulous to have all this information, but even people with perfect blood work have heart attacks. In our profession, we see people that have a positive MRI scan in their cervical spine showing terrible degenerative changes, but they have no neck pain. I had a patient who tested low for his testosterone levels, what they call Low T, but he had no symptoms. What are we treating: the person, or their data?

I am a huge proponent of information. Information gives us power to make good decisions, and education can transform the way we live, work and play. But how do we actually use this information to accomplish this feat? Is too much information a deterrent? If I take my blood pressure all day long, I am bound to have fluctuations due to stress, dehydration and varying degrees of anxiety-such as when I drink too much coffee in the day.

In my profession, I want my patients to utilize all the good pieces of technology that will facilitate their health. Myfitnesspal.com is one of the apps that have consistent reviews. My spouse has lost 25 pounds using it, and he has learned all about calories, portion control and how his activity level is directly related to his ability to control his healthy weight levels.

So is techno-health right for everyone? According to Aetna, a health insurance company, not really. It just discontinued its use of Care Pass, its personalized health data platform for its subscribers. It evidently did not deliver the way the company had thought it would. Furthermore, data suggests that most people discontinued use of their tracking devices after a few months anyway and returned to their regular habits.

All these techno tools are just that: tools. Tools to help us be well and live a full, healthy life. So don't go hunting for something that isn't there, hunt for the thing that is tripping you up. If you have blood sugar levels that are just beginning to show up, then do as my engineer friend did. He began to track his diet, his weight and his activity level; and he has averted issues with diabetes by keeping his weight under control. He can tell that as his weight increases 8-10 pounds, his blood sugar rises as well. As long as he keeps his weight at a certain level, his blood sugar never elevates. For him it worked, and that is what this is all about: finding what works for you and you only.

So go ahead, use techno-health to make a difference in your life, but be sure to use it only at the direction of your health care providers, because you don't want to go looking for something that does not need to be found.

Sheree DiBiase, PT, is the owner of Lake City Physical Therapy. She and her staff can be reached in their Coeur d'Alene office at (208) 667-1988, and in their Spokane Valley office at (509) 891-2623.