Faculty: Heidi Prather, DO, FAAPMR
Moderator: John C. Cianca, MD, FAAPMR

As the national burden of lifestyle related chronic diseases continue to escalate, the common links between these chronic diseases and musculoskeletal conditions are becoming more evident.  The field of Lifestyle Medicine as defined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine includes medical delivery focuses on educating and motivating patients to change personal habits and behaviors around the use of a whole food, plant-predominant dietary lifestyle, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection.

All treatment recommendations are evidenced-based and requires patient engagement and responsibility for treatment outcomes. This medical approach to care incorporates the scientific evidence that lifestyle changes can treat, reverse, and prevent lifestyle related chronic disease. Treatment recommendation focus on root cause, systemic chronic inflammation. Many patients with musculoskeletal conditions also rooted in inflammation have co-existing lifestyle related chronic disease such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. The lifestyle medicine approach to musculoskeletal care can not only improve pain and function but also improve mental and global health for the patient. 

Physiatrists’ core training in leading interprofessional teams and setting patient-oriented goals makes physiatrists perfectly positioned to become leaders in the field of lifestyle medicine as it applies to management of musculoskeletal disease and common metabolic diseases.

During this NGR, Dr. Heidi Prather will introduce you to the formal definition of lifestyle medicine and how it can be used to simultaneously treat musculoskeletal health and common metabolic diseases. Dr. Prather will discuss the evidence behind lifestyle medicine, how to identify patients who are ready to engage with this type of approach, and how to prove the value of this model. This session is designed to be a highly engaging, so attendees are encouraged to ask questions and contribute to the discussion.