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Want to have a healthier you in 2025? Choose one or more of Infinity Medical Clinic’s 10 tips to start your year off right. Set health goals first and work up to trying one or more of these tips as the year goes on. By taking action, you’ll feel more control over your wellbeing and reduce your risk of major health issues.

Set Health Goals

Customize your 2025 by setting a few personal health goals. Some ideas include managing stress with a daily meditation, getting better quality sleep, adding movement to your day, and starting a health journal. Set an intention to be more consistent in your healthy habits, and the less healthy ones may fall away more easily!

Address Stress

Stress contributes to many issues, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and anxiety and depression, but most people laugh it off as part of life. There’s no denying stress will always be a factor, but we now have more ways to address stress in ways that works for our lifestyles. For you, that may involve a meditation app and brief moments of guided mindfulness, or it may help you more to regularly attend a yoga class. Make time for yourself to turn off stress and tune into yourself for a few minutes a day. Your mental wellbeing is important, and managing stress is almost certain to lead to improved moods and enhanced healing and resilience.

Quit the Worst Habits

If there’s only one tip for being healthy, it’s to quit the unhealthiest habits, such as smoking and drinking. Need assistance? See Dr. Stemmerman to make a plan and get the support you need! Quitting doesn’t have to be so hard. Smoking cessation can be physician directed to ease the process, and it is sure to add quality time to your life.

Move More

Most of us spend our days at desks, so of course, it will help if you to find new and different ways to move more throughout your day. Use your breaks to walk around the block or check on the garden, or park further away from the office or grocery store so you can take more steps. Small distances and activities add up more rapidly than you might think.

Eat More Fruits and Veggies

Instead of denying yourself your favorite things, make an effort to eat more fruits and vegetables. Try something new, like different types of dark leafy greens, or roasted root vegetables, which are easy to make and work well with many other foods. Get your family to embrace the effort by having them suggest new fruits and vegetables they’d like to try. You don’t have to love everything, but the mission will be easier if you can get support for the effort.

Manage Your Sleep Hygiene

With the prolific use of screens, from our phones to TVs, sleep quality can suffer. The blue light — as well as the news being shared — can be disruptive to our sleep routines. Turn off your computer or phone an hour or more before bedtime so you can wind down more easily and get deeper sleep. Check your phone settings for notifications about winding down for the night, and keep your bedroom screen free. And, if you or your partner are prone to snoring, see Dr. Stemmerman for help addressing the issue.

Grow Vegetables

A great tip for healthier family meals is to grow your own vegetables! Gardening, even if it is one pot of tomatoes and basil, provides physical and mental benefits for young and old. Get the kids involved in selecting a few vegetables and herbs and nurturing them from seedling to harvest. Then, cook them up for a family meal featuring the fruits of your labors!

Boost Your Self Confidence

If you’re feeling self-conscious about your appearance, consider your options for addressing skin issues and more. Acne scar treatment reduces the appearance of pockmarks, and fine lines from aging can also be addressed at Infinity Medical Care.

Watch Portions

One way to eat healthier—especially at restaurants—is to consume less than the full portion provided. Ask for a box when you order so you can put half of that Reuben sandwich or loaded mac and cheese aside for lunch tomorrow. Another option to save calories and wean yourself off of sugar is to start downsizing full-fat, flavored coffee drinks, as they can be loaded with calories. Order the smallest size available and really savor every sip to get the most from every cup.

Track Your Nutrition

If you’ve ever wondered if you’re getting the nutrition you need, consider downloading one of the excellent apps that can make food and exercise tracking more like a game. MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, and MyPlate are just three of the apps that can track calories and nutrients. Some also track workouts or integrate with activity watches. If you haven’t used an app before, it can make you feel more supported and on track with your goals.

What do you think about these 10 tips for a healthier you? Choosing even one of these for the year can enhance your wellbeing. We hope you’ll give one or more a try! Make an appointment with Dr. Stemmerman if you would like physician guidance and support.

Do you have allergy symptoms that put your life on hold or force you to take medications that slow you down? Advances in allergy treatments have opened up the options for people who have moderate to severe allergies. With over-the-counter and prescription medications, lifestyle changes, and allergy shots, effective treatment options are available.

Allergy Treatment Options

Your first step in exploring allergy treatment options should include seeing a doctor and getting tested for allergies. Allergy testing via a scratch on the skin doesn’t take long, and it guides your treatment by pinpointing your allergy triggers. Allergy blood tests may also be an option.

With a diagnosis that includes your specific allergens, you can also pursue appropriate, targeted treatment options, such as:

Allergy medications
Allergy shots
Lifestyle modifications

Learn more about our approach to allergy treatment

Allergy Medications

Widely available allergy medications have made it possible for allergy sufferers to find relief from the sneezing, coughing, congestion, hives, and other symptoms. The initial choices include oral antihistamines and nasal sprays, both of which are available over the counter.

Antihistamine pills can cause some side effects, such as drowsiness. These side effects can vary from person to person. Most of the time, seasonal allergy sufferers can get temporary relief from symptoms. A daily pill may be less attractive for year-round allergy patients. For best results, discuss your lifestyle and tolerances with your doctor.

Nasal sprays can provide instant relief from itchy, runny noses. They include steroids that reduce inflammation, but they can lead to bloody noses and other complications. Proper application of the sprays is important, so be sure to review how to use them with your doctor.

Allergy Shots

If allergies severely limit your lifestyle, it may be time to consider allergy shots. Essentially, these shots are a form of immunotherapy, where the physician gives you small weekly injections of your allergens to train your body that the allergen isn’t going to hurt you. Over time, the doses increase little by little to build up your tolerance. Allergy shots can be very effective, however, they take at least six months to reach the point of symptom relief. Learn more about immunotherapy for allergies, which is a specialization of Dr. Stemmerman.

Lifestyle Modifications

For some people, seasonal allergies may be manageable through lifestyle changes that help you avoid allergens or control their presence. If allergy symptoms are mild, this approach of avoiding triggers and washing away pollens and animal dander could serve as an effective way to reduce symptoms and avoid medications. Other lifestyle changes for allergy sufferers include keeping pets clean and groomed, using HEPA air purifiers, and wearing a mask when dusting or vacuuming.

For example, by staying inside when spring or fall pollens are highest, you may be able to avoid severe allergy symptoms. If you do spend time outside or with animals that cause you to sneeze and wheeze, nasal irrigation and showering immediately after triggering activities will wash allergens away, which may help reduce your symptoms. Showering before bed and frequently washing linens helps avoid several more hours of exposure to pollens. Nasal irrigation uses a neti pot and distilled water to clean out the nasal passages. However, the technique can be difficult to master and the supplies need to be kept clean and sanitary.

Stop suffering — explore allergy treatments with Dr. Stemmerman at Infinity Medical Clinic. Once you learn your exact allergy triggers, she can create an allergy treatment plan that works for you.

Lifestyle changes often get mentioned in the doctor’s office as a way to enhance your health. In recent years, lifestyle medicine has been on the rise. It is an approach that uses evidence-based behavioral interventions to prevent, treat, and manage chronic disease. It includes examination of your lifestyle as well as your physical health, followed by personalized guidance from a physician.

Focusing on preventative measures, lifestyle guidance, and interventions might include quitting smoking or drinking, exercise, nutrition, medical weight loss, and minimally invasive treatments like OMT. Through this approach, you may be able to reduce your health risks and even cut back or avoid medication. Many patients also feel healthier and more in control after implementing lifestyle changes.

Reduce Health Risks

One of the possible benefits of lifestyle medicine includes reducing health risks. People who have a history of chronic health conditions in their families, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, clinical depression, cognitive diseases, and high cholesterol, may be able to reduce their risk of getting these diagnoses. Making lifestyle changes, even small ones, can improve your overall health outlook. For many health issues, improving nutrition and movement can have a positive effect on a person’s blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol numbers. Stress reduction may also be a target of this approach, which can help with migraines, depression, and other issues.

Feel More Control Over Your Health

Lifestyle medicine approaches may be able to help patients improve their management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and migraines. Eating better, losing weight, and exercising can all contribute to a better quality of life for people with diabetes. This can help reduce the use of insulin or other medications to control blood sugar. Using a lifestyle medicine approach, a person may be able to identify migraine triggers in their diet and home to reduce their occurrence. These are only a couple of examples of ways this personalized treatment approach can help a person feel more control over their health.

Support for Lifestyle Changes

One of the greatest benefits of seeing a physician who practices lifestyle medicine is getting support for the changes one needs to make. Lifestyle modifications are great for avoiding pills and injections, but it takes time and support to make changes in your life. With the direction of an independent physician who practices lifestyle medicine, you receive some of the support necessary to make permanent lifestyle changes that will benefit your long-term health.

The lifestyle medicine approach creates a pathway for enhancing health and reducing symptoms of chronic conditions. Contact Infinity Medical Clinic in Marion to discover how Dr. Stemmerman could implement a lifestyle medicine approach with you.

Birth control is a very personal decision that is based on several factors. Your lifestyle, health considerations, and partner can all be taken into consideration to determine the right birth control for you. Popular contraceptives include the pill, condom, and IUD, as well as the surgical methods of tubal ligation and vasectomy. At Infinity Medical Clinic, Dr. Larae Stemmerman specializes in women’s healthcare. She will consider your overall health and goals to provide guidance on different forms of birth control, including hormonal, implanted, barrier, and surgical methods.

Learn about the basics of birth control from the Mayo Clinic, and keep reading our blog to find out how you can determine the right contraceptive for you.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Am I good at taking medication?

If you are good at following instructions for prescriptions, you might consider the daily birth control pill. If not, the pill may not be right for you. However, the birth control patch and injections are other options that don’t require daily doses. Implants such as IUDs are longer-term and eventually need replacing, but once they are in place, they work for up to five years before they need to be removed.

Am I worried about side effects?

If you are worried about the side effects of birth control, be sure to ask your doctor about methods that are recommended, as some methods have more side effects than others. A few can reduce PMS symptoms and minimize your period. Condoms are simple and rarely have side effects. Do your research so you know the pros and cons of the contraceptive methods you are considering.

Do I want a long-term birth control method that I can easily stop in the future?

If you are not ready to have children, a long-term contraceptive implant may be a good choice. The IUD is one of the most effective long-term birth control methods, and it can be removed in the future. Injections are long-lasting but take time to wear off.

How can my partner assist with contraception?

Condoms, spermicide, and vasectomy are the only proactive methods in which men can be proactive in preventing pregnancy. Your partner can be thoughtful about always using condoms and spermicide. He can support your choices and consider vasectomy when your family planning is complete. Talk to your partner so you can feel confident and supported in your contraceptive choices.

Do I still want to have children?

If you do not want to have kids, permanent birth control, also known as sterilization, is the most effective method. Tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men are very common solutions. Vasectomy is a simple procedure with a short recovery time. In many cases, it is also less costly than tubal ligation.

What birth control methods are covered by insurance?

If cost is a factor, check with your insurance provider which contraceptive methods are covered. Research contraceptive pricing where you shop and with your doctor.

Do I prefer methods I can purchase over the counter?

Some birth control methods can be found locally, which makes them convenient and affordable. Condoms, spermicides, and the newer Opill, which is also known as the mini pill, are basic contraceptives that can be found in pharmacies and other stores. The mini pill is FDA-approved, and it starts working right away. Over-the-counter contraceptives are usually kept in or near the pharmacy section of larger stores.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

- How effective is it?
- Is this method easy to use?
- How does it work?
- What are the side effects?
- How will this affect my period?
- Could this method help reduce my PMS symptoms?
- Will I be able to stop this if I want to get pregnant?
- Does this birth control method work with my other medications?

When you are ready to determine the right birth control method for your lifestyle, do your research and talk to Dr. Stemmerman at Infinity Medical Clinic about choices that fit your needs.

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, also known as OMT, is a hands-on treatment for relieving pain, especially migraines, concussions, and menstrual pain. If one of your goals is to avoid pain medications and the many unpleasant side effects, OMT is an attractive treatment option. It is gentle, natural, and non-invasive, and it can be helpful in increasing mobility in stiff muscles, managing headaches, and improving circulation.

Candidates for Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment

OMT is a drug-free system created to restore harmonious function of the muscles, bones, and nerves. OMT may be a good drug-free option for people who experience:

Migraines
Headaches
Back pain
Neck pain
Menstrual pain
Concussions

Relieving Headaches and Cramps

Infinity Medical Clinic’s Larae Stemmerman is a Doctor of Osteopathy who has been practicing OMT for 25+ years. She has found that many people who experience painful migraines and menstrual cramps have good results from the gentle massage, stretching, and resistance of OMT. OMT moves joints and muscles to release tightness and allow your body to work as it should.

Her treatment begins with a complete physical examination to develop a personalized treatment plan. OMT can be used along with medications if necessary.

Learn more about OMT for migraine relief.

OMT for Concussions and Post-Concussive Syndrome

Concussions are a type of brain injury that can occur from accidents, falls, and sports activities. If someone takes a blow to the head, the force may result in a concussion as well as neck pain. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, fatigue, vision issues, and increased sensitivity. If you suspect a concussion following a car accident or sports collision, seek medical attention as soon as possible and monitor symptoms for at least 48 hours.

OMT can help relieve the symptoms of concussion by addressing tension in the cranium and neck. Gentle pressure on various bones, muscles, and fascia facilitates blood flow and promotes healing and feels good.

Other Ways OMT Can Help You

People who are sensitive to pain medications can benefit from the natural relief of OMT. OMT provides manual relief of muscular pain in the neck, back, hips, shoulders, and other regions. If you regularly take ibuprofen or other pain relievers for body aches, Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment may be able to reduce your intake, which can enhance your quality of life.

Learn more about Infinity Medical’s approach to OMT and how it can benefit individuals with different medical issues. Contact the office today.

If you have acne that appears along with your monthly hormonal shifts, you may have hormonal acne. This type of acne often appears on the chin or jaw area, and it can be not only unattractive but also painful. So, what is hormonal acne and what are the contributors? And, most importantly, can it be treated?

Acne Caused by Hormonal Changes

Some of us know all too well what acne entails. Many experience the agony of acne during the teenage years when the breakouts often begin. Acne is technically a breakout caused by overstimulated sebaceous glands in the skin. The pores overproduce oil, which causes eruptions of inflamed areas and makes you want to run for cover!

Hormonal acne is often identified as acne that appears when hormones change. These moments can include:

Monthly hormones
Pregnancy
Perimenopause
Conditions that change hormones
Stress, which can stimulate hormones

How to Know if Your Acne is Hormonal

If acne follows a pattern along with your monthly menstrual cycle or stressful times in your life, it may be hormonal acne. The condition may also accompany pregnancy or perimenopause, so even if you think you’re well past the age when zits can appear, be prepared!

In addition to showing up at the typical times when hormones change, one of the hallmarks of hormonal acne is that it appears on the chin or jaw area. Left untreated, it can cause scarring and last for weeks or months.

treating hormonal acne

Treating Hormonal Acne

While there isn’t a quick fix for hormonal acne, there are treatment options, and they vary for each person and the severity of the acne. If you think you have hormonal acne, Dr. Stemmerman will perform a complete exam and determine if hormonal testing is an appropriate step.

Hormonal testing is valuable in determining the state of the many hormones that course throughout your body. If there is another condition that is causing a hormonal imbalance, it is important to diagnose it and treat that first to prevent ongoing breakouts. As a medical cosmetic provider, Dr. Stemmerman has the knowledge and 15 years of experience to diagnose medical conditions that can be the cause of hormonal acne.

To address the unpleasant appearance of acne, topical products can be prescribed. This can include a variety of strengths of antibiotics, benzoyl peroxide, or retinoid products. Daily cleansing with the right products also helps improve acne. The goal will be to minimize the acne and prevent acne scars.

You don’t have to suffer with the embarrassment and painful bumps from acne of any kind. There is hope for your acne! Seeking treatment that identifies the cause of the acne can help you have clear skin throughout your life. Make an appointment at Infinity Medical Clinic to learn more.

Have you noticed celebrities’ remarkable weight loss stories and started wondering how you can achieve healthy weight loss? Have you been unsuccessful at losing weight, even though you modified your diet and started exercising? Do you have a chronic condition that has been difficult to manage? Medical weight loss may be something to consider. Medical weight loss is physician directed and science-based to help patients achieve a healthy weight, sustain it, and improve their overall health.

“We try to make people healthy so people can lose weight to be healthy,” said Dr. Larae Stemmerman, who has many years of experience helping patients manage weight loss medically. “You can’t keep it off if you have underlying medical issues that are preventing weight loss.”

She said certain conditions, like sleep apnea, can make weight loss difficult. Diabetes and other conditions can also make losing weight more challenging. It is important to know a person’s baseline health and possible causes of weight gain to provide effective weight loss treatment.

First, Have a Complete Physical

The best way to know if medical weight loss is right for you is to learn more about it and get a comprehensive exam by a doctor who specializes in physician-directed weight loss. At Infinity Medical Clinic, the goal is sustainable weight loss, and that can only be achieved after identifying and treating underlying medical conditions.

Dr. Stemmerman takes the time to get your complete health and medication history and perform blood tests to rule out medical conditions. Following the initial exam, she will educate and coach patients toward long-term weight loss success on the path they choose. This may include prescribing appropriate medications for health conditions as well as weight loss.

The initial medical exam is usually covered by insurance to some degree. Patients should check with their insurance for coverage details. Ask about the coverage of additional treatment and prescriptions, as coverage varies.

Who Benefits Most from Physician-Directed Weight Loss

People who are overweight and have difficulty losing weight and keeping it off are the people who can benefit from medical weight loss. The guideline indicates that individuals who have a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or more can benefit the most from medical weight loss treatment. BMI is calculated based on gender, height, and weight. Dr. Stemmerman states that her goal is to get patients down to a BMI of 27 or less.

People with undiagnosed problems or chronic health conditions can receive the extra medical direction they need during the weight loss process. For example, women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or diabetes can feel more secure about their health when under a physician’s care. Over the years, Dr. Stemmerman has directed weight loss for women with PCOS, diabetes, and hormonal imbalances. She treats the underlying conditions and prescribes medications while also guiding the patient’s exercise and nutrition plans to help patients lock in healthy habits.

Weight Loss Benefits

Over time, excess weight can take a toll on your body and stamina. Some of the benefits of sustained weight loss include:

Enhanced health stats
- Blood pressure
- Blood sugar
- Cholesterol
Relief on knees, ankles and feet
Increased energy
Better self-esteem and mood
Modeling healthy activities for your family
Establishing healthy habits

Losing weight can be a difficult journey for people who have multiple medical conditions to manage. Today’s weight loss medications are much safer and more effective than diet drugs people took decades ago. Through physician-directed, medical weight loss, patients can have peace of mind about their health during the weight loss process and receive guidance and prescriptions personalized to their needs.

To schedule a medical weight loss consultation, contact Infinity Medical Clinic.

Have you been looking for a medical cosmetic provider to help you feel great about how you look? Are you concerned about the quality and effectiveness of cosmetic skin procedures? Researching medical cosmetic providers can help you find a good fit for your skin treatment needs. We’d like to share three tips for researching these providers:

Look into their medical cosmetic services
Consider their training and experience
Ask questions

Follow along as we take a moment to address each tip!

Look Into Medical Cosmetic Services

The first thing you will want to research is which cosmetic services they provide. Review their website to learn about their services and their approach to medical cosmetic procedures. If you are interested in chemical peels to help remediate sun damage, check for that option. If you are curious about Botox treatments for frown lines, see what they have to say about that service. Many medical cosmetic providers, including Dr. Stemmerman, provide information about their services on their websites and in their blogs.

Consider Medical Cosmetic Training and Experience

Another important factor is the provider’s training and experience with medical cosmetic procedures and products. Their comfort and expertise in providing these services translates into greater comfort and confidence for you.

Providers range in training from physicians with additional medical cosmetic education to nurses with esthetics training. Depending on their degree, most nurses receive from two to four years of college, while physicians must complete four years of undergraduate education, four years of medical school, and three to seven years in a residency. In addition, physicians are directly responsible for patient care.

As an example, Dr. Stemmerman has 25+ years of experience as a family physician and more than 15 years as a medical cosmetic provider. She received extensive Botox training and has personally performed Botox injections, chemical peels, dermal fillers, and other medical cosmetic procedures. In addition, she is a Doctor of Osteopathy in a private practice, so she is attentive to each patient’s overall health and their goals for feeling as great as they look. With her specialization in medical cosmetics, she can treat the source of cosmetic skin problems, such as acne, and monitor medical issues such as hormonal imbalances and other women’s health factors.

Ask the Provider Questions

Once you decide to make an appointment, be sure to ask the provider and/or their staff about medical cosmetic treatments. How do they approach cosmetic issues in general? Do they often provide services to people with your specific problem (e.g. acne scars, worry lines, or dark spots)? Are the products they use backed by scientific research and FDA approved? When was their most recent continuing education in medical cosmetic services? These questions and others will help guide your cosmetic care and confirm the provider has the tools needed to provide quality care.

Ensure your confidence in the medical cosmetic provider you choose by researching their experience, services, and training. Ask questions and listen closely to their answers so you can feel at ease with the provider you choose.

To learn more about Infinity Medical Clinic’s cosmetic medical solutions, contact Dr. Stemmerman today!

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When you look in the mirror, you want to feel good about your reflection. Whether you’re seeing fine lines, the beginning of wrinkles, or maybe some acne scars or spider veins, you might wonder what you can do about it. Sure, you hear about Botox and chemical peels, but do they work? Are they right for you?

Migraines are a widespread problem, affecting millions of people. Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) offers a natural, noninvasive treatment for migraines and tension headaches. OMT helps manage migraines, reducing headache frequency, intensity, and duration. Dr. Stemmerman has practiced OMT for more than 25 years, helping patients find relief from migraines, cluster headaches, and other pain.

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