My Doctor Online The Permanente Medical Group
Are you having back pain with any of the following?
- Severe pain, weakness or tingling in your leg(s).
- Difficulty stopping urination or loss of control of bladder or bowels.
- Unexplained fever, nausea or vomiting.
- A history of cancer or unexplained weight loss.
We understand that you are experiencing one or more of the health issues that might be impacting your back pain.
We recommend that you discuss these health issues with your doctor before proceeding with this program.
Once you are cleared by your doctor to do this program, we hope it helps you find relief from your back pain.
Seniors
Healthy living can help you age well and maintain your mental agility, physical strength, and overall vitality. It's never too late to begin taking better care of yourself. We offer resources and information especially for older adults.
Safety Tips For Senior Travel
Aging should not prevent you from taking trips and vacations, but you do need to be particularly careful to safeguard your health when you are far from home.
To ensure safety when you travel, take these precautions before you go:
- Consult with your doctor. Your doctor will confirm whether you are healthy enough to go on your trip. Also, the doctor can advise you about the safest ways to travel and prescribe you enough medication to last until you return.
- Keep your doctor's phone number with you at all times. It is also helpful to carry a brief medical history and list of your current medications with you. In an emergency, this information will help others to help you.
- Ask us for a personal electronic medical record (PEMR) flash drive. To obtain a PEMR flash drive for yourself or a family member, go to the Medical Secretary or Release of Information Department in the medical center nearest you. The first flash drive is available for a nominal charge, and updates are free. This lightweight, portable flash drive stores a selected portion of your current medical record. It can be accessed quickly and easily by a non-Kaiser Permanente physician with a computer.
- Keep your medication with you at all times, in original containers. If you are getting on an airplane, make sure to keep a sufficient amount of your prescription drugs with you, rather than checking them with your baggage. Keep your medications in their original bottles or containers with the prescription labels, so that security personnel can see that they are legal prescription drugs. You might also ask your doctor to write a letter for you, explaining why you need your medication. This is particularly advisable if you are traveling to a foreign country.
- Make sure you have had all your vaccinations. Depending on where you plan to travel, you may require vaccinations to protect you from infectious diseases. Make sure to get vaccinated at least 6 weeks before you travel. You should also get your regular flu vaccine shot if you are traveling during the winter.
- Drink plenty of water. Elderly people can become dehydrated much more easily than younger people, and this can be dangerous.
- Call ahead for special services. Many airports, train stations, and cruise ships offer special wheelchair transport services for seniors. If you need or would like this service, call ahead, find out if it is available, and make a reservation.
- Keep your blood circulating. If you are on a train, stand up and walk around periodically to keep your blood moving and avoid blood clots in your legs. If you are on a plane, pump your feet back and forth for a few minutes every hour or so and stand and walk around if possible.
As a general rule, the more carefully you plan, the happier you will be on your trip. Leave yourself lots of time to get from one place to another. Take your favorite snacks with you aboard a plane, train, or bus. Keep the pace leisurely and easy.
Medical devices
If you have a cardiac pacemaker or other implanted medical device, the magnetized security checkpoint at airports may cause your device to malfunction. Ask your doctor about this when you plan your trip.
If necessary, you may have to get to the airport early, talk to airport security personnel, show them your pacemaker ID card (or other medical device ID), and let them give you a personal security check so that you don't have to walk through the electrical screener.
Additional References:
- External Link to Care giving Solutions -Traveling with the Elderly and Disabled
If you have an emergency medical condition, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital. An emergency medical condition is any of the following: (1) a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious jeopardy to your health or body functions or organs; (2) active labor when there isn't enough time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery, or if transfer poses a threat to your (or your unborn child's) health and safety, or (3) a mental disorder that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity such that either you are an immediate danger to yourself or others, or you are not immediately able to provide for, or use, food, shelter, or clothing, due to the mental disorder.
This information is not intended to diagnose health problems or to take the place of specific medical advice or care you receive from your physician or other health care professional. If you have persistent health problems, or if you have additional questions, please consult with your doctor. If you have questions or need more information about your medication, please speak to your pharmacist. Kaiser Permanente does not endorse the medications or products mentioned. Any trade names listed are for easy identification only.