Ask around Orange, Lawrence, or Crawford County and you’ll have a hard time finding an adult who hasn’t thrown their back out at least once. Whether from lifting a feed sack, hoisting a grandchild, or simply bending over to pick up a dropped phone, back problems can come out of seemingly nowhere.

How common is it? Back pain is one of the top three reasons people call a doctor’s office, right alongside colds and the flu. Unlike a cold, back pain has a way of parking itself in the middle of your life until you can’t work, sleep, or sit through church without shifting uncomfortably in the pew.

Presently suffering from back pain? Here’s some good news. Most back pain is not a sign that something is seriously wrong. Here’s even better news: there’s a lot you can do about it.

Where back pain usually comes from

Here are a few facts to consider. The vast majority of back pain is what providers call “nonspecific,” meaning there’s no single dramatic injury behind it. Chronic pain usually traces to one of a few everyday sources:

• Muscle and ligament strain. Lifting in a wrong manner, twisting suddenly, or overdoing a weekend project. This is the most common culprit by far.
• Disc problems. The cushions between your vertebrae can bulge (or herniate) and press painfully on a nerve. That’s often the pain that seems to shoot down a leg.
• Wear and tear. Arthritis and the ordinary narrowing of spinal spaces that sometimes comes as people get older.
• How you spend your days. Long hours behind a steering wheel, on a factory floor, at a desk, or on your feet all shift. A weakness in core muscles and extra weight both raise the load your spine carries, creating a possible situation of resulting pain.

Typical symptoms are a dull ache or stiffness across the lower back, muscles that feel locked up, or pain that worsens with certain movements. Sometimes pain can seem to radiate into the buttock or down a thigh, accompanied by numbness.

When to call us

Most episodes of back pain improve on their own within a few weeks. But some symptoms are signals to be seen promptly. If these describe what you’re experiencing, don’t wait these out:

• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both legs
• Any loss of bladder or bowel control
• Back pain following a fall, a crash, or another significant injury
• Fever, chills, or unexplained weight loss along with the pain
• Pain that wakes you from sleep or won’t ease when you lie down
• A history of cancer or osteoporosis
• Pain that isn’t improving after four to six weeks

Also call if the pain is simply keeping you from working or living your life. You don’t have to earn your way into an appointment through suffering.

Why timely examination is important

If the condition causing pain turns chronic, it is important to know that stress, poor sleep, and low mood can make it worse. So don’t wait if you’re in one of the above categories.

Preventing the next episode

Build core and hip strength through regular walking, swimming, and simple daily stretching. These all count. Also, don’t forget these tips: lift with your legs, keep the load close when carrying, and ask for help with the heavy stuff. Break up long stretches of sitting every 30 to 60 minutes. Work toward a healthy weight, sleep on a supportive mattress, and if you smoke, quit; tobacco reduces blood flow to the spine and slows healing.

Your back is worth taking care of. If yours is telling you something, talk with your medical provider. You can also call the SICHC office nearest you—we have six locations in Crawford, Lawrence, and Orange counties, and a nurse is on call after hours.

Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Curtis Thill has been serving families in southern Indiana for more than 30 years.

The post Your back went out. Now what? appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness, reducing stigma, encouraging conversations about suicide, and reminding people that help is available.

Suicide prevention isn’t just about recognizing warning signs. It is about creating a culture where people feel comfortable saying, “I’m not okay,” and where those around them feel comfortable asking, “Are you okay?”

Talking about suicide does not cause someone to become suicidal. In many cases, having an open and compassionate conversation can provide an opportunity for someone to share what they are experiencing and connect with support.

How Can We Help?

There are simple things each of us can do to support suicide prevention:

• Check in on the people you care about. A simple “How are you really doing?” can open an important conversation.
• Listen without judgment. You don’t need to have all the answers. Sometimes being present and listening is one of the most meaningful things you can do.
• Take warning signs seriously. Changes in behavior, withdrawing from others, expressing hopelessness, talking about death or suicide, or giving away possessions can be signs that someone may need additional support.
• Encourage professional help. Therapists, counselors, physicians, crisis counselors, and other professionals are available to help.
• Don’t be afraid to ask directly about suicide. Asking someone if they are thinking about suicide does not put the idea in their head. It can give them permission to be honest about what they’re experiencing.
• Keep the conversation going. Suicide prevention isn’t something we should talk about only during September. Mental health deserves our attention all year long.

Most importantly, you do not have to be a mental health professional to make a difference. You can make a difference simply by being willing to notice, listen, care, and connect someone with help.

As a therapist, one of the things I value most about this profession is the opportunity to remind people that their current circumstances do not have to define their future. There can be hope even when someone cannot see it for themselves yet.

This September, I encourage everyone to help break the stigma surrounding mental health. Check on your people. Start the conversation. Listen. Be kind. And if you are struggling, please know that asking for help is not a weakness—it is an act of courage.

You matter. Your story matters. And there is help available.

Meet Your Therapist:
Why I Chose This Profession

Hello! My name is Shelby Fleetwood, and I’m a mental health therapist here at SICHC. I wanted to take a moment to share a little about myself and, more importantly, why I chose a career in mental health.

Becoming a therapist was never simply about choosing a career path. I have always been drawn to understanding people—their experiences, their emotions, their relationships, and the things that shape who they become. I believe that sometimes people don’t need someone to “fix” them; they need someone who is willing to sit beside them, listen without judgment, and remind them that they don’t have to navigate difficult seasons alone.

My work as a therapist has allowed me the privilege of meeting people during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Every person who walks through my door has a unique story, and I am continually reminded that there is so much strength in asking for help.

One of the reasons mental health awareness is so important to me is because mental health affects all of us. You never truly know what someone may be carrying behind a smile, at work, at school, or even within their own home. Creating spaces where people feel safe talking about their mental health can make an incredible difference.

Hope, Connection, and Knowing Where to Turn for Help

The post Why Suicide Prevention Matters and A Little About Me – Shelby Fleetwood, LCSW, CSAYC appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

As the end of summer nears, two things happen with great reliability in southern Indiana. The corn gets tall, and my phone starts ringing with parents who need a physical signed by Friday.

I understand completely. The summer gets away from all of us. But if I could give parents one piece of advice before the first bell rings, it would be this: the annual well-child visit deserves a spot on the back-to-school list, right up there with the new backpack, as well as the shoes that fit in June and mysteriously do not fit in August.

Why the well-child visit is important

A yearly physical is more than a signature on a form. It’s a chance to see whether your child is growing and developing the way we’d expect, to make sure vaccinations are current, and to confidentially talk through balanced meals, sleep, exercise, and any worries about learning, behavior, or mood. It’s also when we can knock out those annual forms, the ones that always seem to turn up in a folder the night before they’re due.

As a reminder on vaccines, Indiana requires certain immunizations for school attendance, with additional ones at key grade levels. These include kindergarten, sixth grade, and twelfth grade. That list generally includes DTaP/Tdap, polio, MMR, chickenpox, hepatitis A and B, and the meningococcal vaccine for middle and high school students.

Since they don’t come up every day, that may sound like a lot, and parents oftentimes have questions. This is one of the reasons it’s good to have a direct conversation with a qualified medical provider.

Addressing physical issues that can inhibit learning

Vision and hearing are worth a look, too. In three decades of practicing medicine, I have never once had a child walk in and announce in a voice that only children have, “Doctor, I believe I need corrective lenses.”

What I hear instead comes from parents: “he squints,” “she gets headaches,” or “he asks us to repeat everything,”

The point? Sometimes the difficult issue that seems to come across like a school problem is really an eyeglasses problem.

When you should connect with the school nurse

If your child manages asthma, diabetes, allergies, or seizures, please connect with the school nurse before the year starts. Send updated medication orders, refresh emergency contacts, and check the dates on inhalers and epinephrine auto-injectors. Expired rescue medication in the nurse’s office does nobody any good.

School issues:  simple worry, or attention-sapping anxiety?

Mental health belongs on the list as well. Going back to school brings excitement and, for plenty of kids, a knot in the stomach. Ask how they’re feeling about it. Ask about friendships, about bullying, about what they do when something feels like too much. If you notice changes in sleep, appetite, mood, or behavior that stick around more than a couple of weeks, a one-on-one talk with your provider is a good idea.

The rest is old-fashioned and still true. Think about starting bedtimes and wake-ups a week or two early, because nobody adjusts to a 6:30 alarm overnight. Children ages 6 to 12 need nine to twelve hours of sleep; teenagers need eight to ten. Eat breakfast. Move every day. Put the screens down before bed. Wash hands, cover coughs, skip the shared water bottle, and stay home with a fever or a stomach bug.

And you athletes: drink a lot of water, wear the gear, and tell a coach immediately about any head injury.

Finally, don’t wait. Schedules usually fill fast as summer comes to a close, and the calendar always wins. Call now, and help your child start the year healthy, confident, and ready to learn.

Board-certified in family medicine, Curtis Thill M.D. has seen multiple generations of children at Southern Indiana Community Health Care on their way back to school.

The post If I Could Give Parents One Piece of Advice… appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

In the 50-plus years of family practice here in southern Indiana, the physicians and providers at Southern Indiana Community Health Care have written a mountain of prescriptions. The cheapest and most effective one? It doesn’t come from the pharmacy, and it doesn’t have a copay. It’s the screen door. Open it, walk through it, and go enjoy the great outdoors.

It’s a great time to go beyond your screen door – July is National Park and Recreation Month. SICHC providers will take any excuse to nudge people off the couch, because here’s the truth they see in exam rooms most every week: the human body was not engineered to spend twelve hours folded into the shape of an office chair.

We were built to move—to walk, bend, carry, and work out a little. When we quit moving, things start to creak, stiffen, and file complaints. The medical term for sitting all day is “sedentary.” The Hoosier phrase might be: “fixin’ to feel terrible.”

Time to get on your feet

It’s actually pretty easy. No one is asking you to climb a mountain or run a marathon. You just need to get vertical and aim your feet for the door. 

The remarkable thing—and research backs this up—is that the benefit doesn’t live in the intensity. It lives in the consistency. Most days, a gentle twenty- or thirty-minute walk does honest work on your blood pressure, your blood sugar, your sleep, and your mood. 

Your body doesn’t know whether you’re on a treadmill or a trail. It just knows you finally got up.

Try something different

Want to try something different to fool your mind that you’re on a mini-vacation?  We are spoiled for places to do it. Indiana’s state parks alone offer something like 700 miles of trails, and a fair share of the prettiest ones are right here in our corner of the state. 

Spring Mill near Mitchell has shaded paths and a pioneer village that makes a walk feel like a history lesson. McCormick’s Creek, Brown County, Clifty Falls over by Madison, Harmonie down in New Harmony, O’Bannon Woods, the trails around Patoka Lake — any one of them will hand you sunshine, fresh air, and birdsong for the price of a modest entrance fee. That’s a bargain, considering what you might pay if a month of inactivity leads you to a medical office visit.

Want to set your sights a little higher? If you’re feeling more ambitious and want to chase one of the big national parks, you’ve got options closer than you’d think. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky sits about 177 miles south from my office in Crawford County—a comfortable day trip with a built-in air-conditioning system underground. And speaking of nearby underground air conditioning, Marengo Cave (an official US National Landmark) and Wyandotte Cave are right here in beautiful Crawford County. 

Our sole National Park, Indiana Dunes, is roughly four and a half hours away, where you can walk along the beach and call it cardio. Any of these options beats another afternoon negotiating with the recliner.

Some free medical advice before you go. 

• Take water—more than you think you need, because July and August in Indiana have opinions about humidity. 
• Wear a hat and some sunscreen; a painful sunburn is not a tan, it’s an injury. 
• Start slower than your pride wants to. If you’ve got a heart or lung condition, or you haven’t exercised since the Beatles had their last hit tune, Check with us first. That’s what we’re here for.
• And listen to your body. A little tired is the goal. A little dizzy is a signal to sit in the shade.

What’s one constant in decades of practicing medicine in southern Indiana? Nobody has ever come back from a walk in the woods and told our providers that they regretted it. They come back looser, calmer, and a shade more cheerful than when they left. That’s medicine you can’t bottle.

So this summer, take two laps around the lake, or the through the park. Just go outside through that screen door.

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has seen multiple generations of men over three decades of practice in southern Indiana.

The post Doctor’s Orders: Step Outside This Summer appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

Men sometimes joke that they take their cars in for service more often than they see their own physicians. A sobering fact? With more than three decades of seeing men patients in southern Indiana, I can tell you from experience that the cost of that joke can rise steeply after age 50.

In many instances, throughout their adult lives, men are often more reluctant to schedule an annual check-up. Plus, during their working years, it’s really easy to grab a juicy double cheeseburger and fries for lunch, washed down with a sugary beverage that can make your pancreas cringe. If one lights up for a quick smoke before going back to work, your whole body has to compensate–which all adds up over time.

When men hit their 50s, we start seeing both the accumulated toll of actions like the above, and also many natural and normal changes in men’s bodies and minds.

So, if you’re younger than 50, think about seeing your medical provider once a year just to kick the medical tires and make certain nothing’s percolating under the hood. Meanwhile, if you’re now past the 50 mark, here is what to expect-and actions to consider–decade by decade.

Your 50s: Build the Foundation

While there’s no reason why men can’t continue to live a full life when they hit 50, it is the time to take stock. Here’s a grim but real fact: heart disease remains the leading cause of death in American men, and the 50s are when risk becomes real.

What might you expect? Blood pressure creeps up, cholesterol may misbehave, and stubborn belly fat tends to settle in. Many men begin to notice diminished energy, slower recovery from exercise, and changes in libido. There are steps to take to manage these changes.

What to do at age 50+:

• Schedule annual blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar screenings.
• Begin colorectal cancer screening–typically a colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 45.
• Have an honest, shared-decision conversation with your medical provider about a baseline PSA test to detect prostate cancer early.
• Get serious about punching in about 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly, plus two sessions of resistance training to preserve muscle and bone density.

Your 60s: Sharpen the Focus

The 60s are when accumulated habits show their dividends–or their bills. Bone density declines, joints can stiffen, and roughly one in five men face clinically low testosterone, which can affect mood, memory, sleep, and abdominal fat. Cognitive processing speed—how you think–naturally slows. This is normal aging, not dementia.

Action steps for this decade:

• Continue PSA discussions with your provider through age 69.
• If you have ever smoked, ask about a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm ultrasound between ages 65 and 75, and consider annual low-dose CT lung cancer screening.
• Protect your brain: prioritize sleep, treat hearing loss (a major modifiable dementia risk), stay socially engaged, and lean toward a Mediterranean-style diet (that’s an easy Google search for more info).
• An important point: resistance training twice weekly is no longer optional. It is a major preventative defense against falls, frailty, and metabolic decline.

Your 70s: Preserve Function

In the 70s, the goal shifts from optimization to preservation. The new metric is function — balance, strength, independence, and mental sharpness.

Action steps for this decade:

• Review every medication annually with your medical provider. Polypharmacy—defined as taking five or more drugs, represents a leading cause of falls and confusion.
• Add balance and flexibility work–tai chi, yoga, or simple single-leg stands–to your weekly routine.
• Stay socially and intellectually active. Seek out opportunities for getting together with people–loneliness carries a mortality risk comparable to smoking.
• Be informed and safe – talk with your provider about vaccinations for shingles, pneumonia, RSV, and influenza.

And here’s a critical consideration for everyone: smoking or using tobacco in any form is dangerous to your health at any age. Want to quit but need some help? Pick up our free “Quit Kit” at any of our clinic locations (see locations here: https://sichc.org/locations/).

The Common Thread

Across all three decades, the formula is unchanged: move daily, eat real food, sleep seven hours, manage stress, stay connected, and don’t skip the screenings. Aging is inevitable. The decision and outcome to age well is based on you.

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has seen multiple generations of men over three decades of practice in southern Indiana.

The post Aging Well – A Decade-by-Decade Guide for Men in Their 50s, 60s, and 70s appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

In thirty-some years of practicing family medicine here in southern Indiana, I’ve learned a few things beyond the medical school curriculum. Here’s one you may identify with: a southern Indiana woman will dutifully drive forty-five minutes to take her grandson to the dentist, then turn around and drive forty-five minutes home—and never once think to schedule her own mammogram or check-up on the same trip.

With the above in mind, I’d like to remind you that May is National Women’s Health Month. This time around I’d like to offer some suggestions to make it real for you.

Last month I wrote an open letter to the women of our communities about the annual wellness visit—what I called one of the most powerful preventive tools we have in medicine. The month of May is a good time to try out some new ideas, because spring out here practically begs us to step outside, take stock, and start something new.

Let’s start here. Rural living comes with real gifts: fresh air, neighbors who actually know each other, legendary sweet corn and fresh tomatoes in the summer, and a restoring pace of life that big city people can only dream about.

But it also comes with real obstacles. Longer drives to specialists. Fewer evening appointment slots. And the quiet, unspoken expectation that Mom—or Grandma, or Auntie—will keep the whole operation running.

What women in rural areas face

National data tell us that rural women face higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and depression than their urban counterparts. Not because country life isn’t healthy, but because the system is harder to navigate when the nearest specialist is an hour away and somebody still needs to feed the chickens.

So here are three things I’d ask you to consider this May. They are simple, they are doable, and—if you’ll humor me — they are how a person builds a life of sustained good health, not just a one-month wellness sprint.

Schedule the visit you keep putting off

You know the one. Maybe it’s the well-woman exam. Maybe it’s the mammogram you’ve rescheduled twice. Maybe it’s the blood pressure or blood sugar check you keep meaning to do “once things settle down.” Let’s be honest. Things never “settle down.” They just shift. So pick one—just one—and put it on the calendar before the month is out.

Most insurance plans cover annual preventive care at no out-of-pocket cost. But if you are uninsured, please call us anyway. We will work with you.

This month, move your body, outdoors, on purpose, as many times as you can

Spring in southern Indiana is one of the great unsung blessings of American life. Walk the dog. Walk without the dog. Pull weeds. Take the grandkids to a trail at Patoka Lake.

You don’t need a gym membership or matching designer workout clothes—you need twenty or thirty minutes of intentional movement, three-to-four times a week. Your heart, your bones, your blood sugar, and your mood will all send you thank-you notes within a very short time.

Tend your mental and emotional health like you tend your tomato plants

You know what I see almost everyday? The caregivers in our communities are world champions at running on fumes.

My point? Sleep matters. So do honest conversations — with a friend, your faith community, or, when the load gets heavy, a counselor. One in four adults will face a mental health concern this year. You are neither alone nor an exception, and there is no judgment here.

May is one month in twelve, but a healthier you starts with one step. Pick one of the three. Take it this week. Then call us if we can help.

You matter to the people around you. And you matter to us. Make the month of May your month!

A board-qualified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has been providing services for women and families for more than 30 years in southern Indiana.

The post A Follow-up to the Women of Southern Indiana — Three Ways to Show Up for Yourself appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

Spring is a time of encouraging renewal and hope, which reminds me of something I have noticed in over three decades of practicing medicine here in southern Indiana. Over that time, I have found that the women of our communities represent remarkable caregivers who often bring hope and encouragement. When needs arise – or even before others notice – they show up for their children, their aging parents, their neighbors, their churches. They organize, they nurture, they hold things together in ways that often go unnoticed and uncelebrated. They are real treasures for our communities and our southern Indiana way of life.

But far too often, I have found, they do not show up for themselves.

To the women of our southern Indiana communities, I want to bring up for your consideration something important, something that can get passed over: the annual wellness visit. I’m not talking about a quick visit to the clinic when you come down with a cold. Not a trip to the emergency room when something has gone wrong. I am talking about a scheduled, deliberate, proactive appointment – one designed entirely around you – your health history, what you may need to know about risk factors, your questions, and how to take care of yourself for the future.

A powerful tool for healthy living

How important is this? Research and experience has been clear on this point for years. An annual well-woman visit is not a formality. It is one of the most powerful tools we have in medicine – not to treat illness, but to prevent it.

Never had a wellness visit and wonder what happens? During your visit we talk in confidence. We review your personal and family health history. We will probably talk about heart health and whether anyone in your family has faced cancer or chronic conditions. Why? Because your family history can provide important clues that help us understand what may—underscore may – be in store.

The focus is both to emphasize the good things you’re doing health-wise and also to catch potential problems in their early stages. In a relaxed and safe place, we may talk about things like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar. We may conduct some screenings. Nobody’s going to sit in judgment on these issues, and you may find yourself relieved. And perhaps most importantly, we give you the space to ask questions you may not bring up otherwise.

Important conversations women need to have

That last part matters more than one might think. Many of the health conversations women most need to have — about fatigue, mood changes, sleep, reproductive health, or simply the sense that “something doesn’t feel right” — never happen because life crowds out the opportunity.

A wellness visit creates that space.

Here are two common excuses: “I’m so busy I don’t have time.” Second, many women in our area carry a quiet concern about cost. If you have insurance, you should know that most plans are required to cover annual preventive visits at no out-of-pocket cost to you. If you are uninsured or underinsured, please call our office or the office of whoever provides your medical care. We will work with you.

Your health matters – because you matter

Still thinking you don’t have time? Please consider this: you matter to the people around you. Taking one hour, once a year, to invest in your own well-being is not selfish. It is wise. It is responsible. And I respectfully suspect it may be long overdue for many of you reading this.

So here is my invitation — and my ask. If you have not had a wellness visit this year, please call your provider and schedule one. If you have been putting it off, consider this your gentle and well-meaning nudge. And if a friend or family member comes to mind as you read these words, share this with her.

Your health is worth it. Please act today.

A board-qualified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has been providing wellness visits for women and families for more than 30 years in southern Indiana.

The post An Open Letter to Women in Our Southern Indiana Communities appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

I’ve been practicing medicine in southern Indiana for a long time – long enough to remember when nobody needed a government pamphlet to tell them that a bag of chips wasn’t dinner. Back then, real food was just called “food.” Turns out, Washington has finally caught up with your grandmother.

Nutrition history in the making

The brand-new Dietary Guidelines that you may have heard about – now available at RealFood.gov – have scrapped the old food pyramid and, for the first time in history, officially told Americans to avoid highly processed food. Think about that. The federal government is now telling us what many of our own mothers and grandmothers told us for free, every single day. Better late than never.

The new framework — called the New Pyramid — flips the old model on its head. Instead of loading your plate with bread and pasta first, the new guidance says: start with protein. Every meal. Quality protein from eggs, meat, fish, dairy, nuts, and beans is now at the top of the priority list, followed by vegetables and fruit, with whole grains taking a modest supporting role. Added sugar? It really has no place at the table at all. Neither do sodas, sweetened drinks, or highly processed snack foods.

As a family physician, this shift matters enormously to me because I personally see the cost of the old way every single week. Here are some sobering facts: half of Americans now have pre-diabetes or diabetes. Three-quarters have at least one chronic condition. These are not just numbers — these are my patients, my neighbors, and quite possibly you or someone you love. 

Positive changes work – and are easier than one might think

The encouraging news is that diet and lifestyle changes work. The American Diabetes Association’s own guidelines confirm that reducing refined carbohydrates and boosting whole, nutrient-dense foods has the strongest evidence for improving blood sugar of any dietary approach. You don’t need a prescription for an avocado.

So what does this look like on a practical Tuesday evening in Marengo, English, Paoli, or Bedford? It may look like a nice lean side of beef, a pile of green beans, and a glass of water. It may look like eggs and cheese for breakfast instead of a bowl of sugary cereal. It looks like reaching for an apple and a handful of walnuts instead of a bag of crackers. 

None of this is complicated. Most of it is just getting back to what our Indiana kitchens used to do naturally before the age of frozen convenience meals.

Now, food is only half the equation — and that’s where I want to tell you about something exciting. Southern Indiana Community Health Care (SICHC) has been offering a free program called Stronger Every Day, funded through the Indiana Department of Health. It’s designed to help people get moving in ways that actually feel doable. No judgment, no pressure, no special equipment required — just comfortable clothes and a willingness to try. If you’ve ever said: “I don’t know where to start,” this program was literally built for that answer.

Whether or not you dive into the free SICHC program or do it on your own, why should you begin exercising regularly? Regular movement — especially combining walking with some resistance exercise — improves insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar, strengthens your heart, and helps you maintain a healthy weight. Combined with the Real Food approach, it is genuinely one of the most powerful things you can do for your long-term health. More powerful, in many cases, than the medications that I might end up writing to treat other outcomes. 

I know change can feel overwhelming. I know that driving to a grocery store with a good produce section isn’t always easy out here, and I know that after a long day of work, the drive-through is awfully tempting. I’m not suggesting perfection. I’m asking for progress — one better meal, one short walk, one less soda. Those small choices compound over time in ways that genuinely matter.

For more information, visit RealFood.gov and Stronger Every Day. And if you need someone to walk alongside you on this journey, come see us. 

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has practiced medicine and planted organic gardens in southern Indiana for more than three decades.

The post It’s Time to Eat Like Your Grandparents – And Move Like You Mean It appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

After three decades of seeing multiple generations of families in southern Indiana, I know that boosting health – especially heart health – can be a challenge. I also know that doing what’s needed for heart health isn’t a one-size-fits-all conversation. Heart disease remains our leading killer, but steps can be taken to prevent future heart issues. 

February is a month to focus on cardiovascular wellness, so that gives us an opportunity to talk honestly about the unique challenges we face in rural southern Indiana—and some real solutions that can actually work here.

What am I talking about? Our region deals with a number of heart health risk factors that differ from people living in larger cities. Because of a variety of factors, higher rates of smoking, being overweight, and consuming high-calorie, processed foods often exist in our region. 

This doesn’t demean people in our region, but understanding why these patterns exist is crucial to do something about them.

Here are some examples: many of my patients work physical jobs, yet ironically, they don’t get the kind of physical exercise that actually promotes wellness. Shift work at manufacturing plants and service facilities or long stretches at desk jobs disrupt normal rhythms of sleep and rest. 

Here are some issues many of us face: when someone finishes a ten-hour day, driving to a gym forty minutes away feels impossible. A store offering quality nutritious food to promote health may be twenty-to-thirty miles away, while a convenience store with highly-processed foodstuffs is only a short drive up the road. And yes, smoking remains deeply woven into our southern Indiana culture in ways people living outside our region don’t always understand.

But here’s what I know: rural people are pragmatic. We respond to solutions that fit our lives, not solutions designed for someone else’s reality. Here’s some to consider.

Start with conversation, not judgment. When patients come in, I’m not here to badger them. I’m here to listen. Mrs. Johnson wants to lose some weight, but she mostly eats processed foods. Why? Because she’s working two jobs and needs meals she can prepare for herself and her kids in fifteen minutes. Can we work together on that issue? Absolutely.

Make reasonable exercise and movement realistic. Forget the Iron Man marathon training plan. I encourage my patients to use what’s already available: walking the driveway while talking on your cell phone, taking the stairs, parking farther away. A thirty-minute walk three times a week in your neighborhood costs nothing and requires no driving. Just getting outside for a brief stroll offers numerous benefits.

Rethink the food conversation. When it comes to food and maintaining weight, some think of the discouraging old joke: “If it tastes good, throw it away.” From my perspective, food is here to be enjoyed. So, yes, you can keep your casseroles—but let’s talk about adding more vegetables. Can you try using ground turkey instead of ground beef in your favorite recipes ? Are there frozen vegetables that fit your budget and cooking style? Can you shop at roadside vegetable and fruits stands in the Spring and Summer? Let’s focus on progress, not perfection.

Address smoking thoughtfully. Quitting smoking or using other types of tobacco is tough. It requires time and support, not ultimatums. When a patient tells me they’re thinking about breaking the smoking habit, I discuss options. Each person’s path is different.

Most importantly: regular checkups. Yes, I know that many people — especially men – put off a regular exam. But this is non-negotiable. Why? High blood pressure often has no symptoms. High cholesterol sneaks up silently. A simple visit once a year—more frequently if you have risk factors—can catch problems early when they’re most treatable. We can’t fix what we don’t know about.

My message this February is simple: You belong in this conversation, your challenges are real, and your solutions can be practical. Schedule that checkup. Take that walk. Make one small change this month. Your heart—and your family—will thank you.

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has practiced medicine in southern Indiana for more than thirty years.

The post Heart Health – A Physician’s Honest Perspective appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

After more than 30 years practicing medicine in rural southern Indiana, I’ve learned something important: the best health advice often isn’t found in complex medical journals or one-size-fits-all fitness programs. Ways to get and stay healthy comes from understanding how real people in real communities actually live.

Some patients tell me they can feel discouraged if they compare themselves to idealized images of gym culture or lose-weight-fast diets. But here’s what I’ve come to understand as a success path: the people who achieve lasting health improvements aren’t the ones who try to overhaul their entire lives overnight or make decisions based on negative experiences they’ve had about weight or food. The successful ones are people who make one thoughtful decision at a time, focusing on small, but sustained changes.

I understand from years of serving in southern Indiana that living in a rural area presents unique challenges to lift up changes and create a personal lifestyle that promotes health. Our gyms may be fewer, our fresh produce options more limited by availability, and our work sometimes demands labor that doesn’t always translate into fitness. 

Yet these same environments offer tremendous advantages. We have open spaces, quieter streets, stronger community connections, and often a culture that values self-reliance and practical problem-solving.

Just 1% improvement daily

An important point? The most successful patients I’ve worked with in elevating health started small. Here’s an amazing fact: if you’ve seen or read the book Atomic Habits, you’ll see from demonstrated research that all you have to do is just improve a mere 1% a day in making strides toward health. Over time, that adds up faster than you think. The power of sustained tiny gains is actually pretty impressive.

Oftentimes people simply don’t know where to start.  They may think “I want to lose weight,” or “I want to have more energy.” My suggestion is to focus on making small changes to improve health, which will be more sustainable and carry less emotional baggage.

Small steps to grow Stronger Every Day

There are many ways to start a positive lifestyle change. At Southern Indiana Community Health Care, we’re starting a free program to help people meet their healthy living goals. We’re working to make this fun and offer opportunities for people to see, experience, and sample different ways they can make it personal to themselves. People from throughout our service area (Crawford, Lawrence, and Orange counties) can take part. Get more details at https://sichc.org/stronger-every-day/? Or follow us on our Stronger Every Day Facebook group page.

Whatever you decide to do for improving health, here’s an important point: fitness doesn’t require perfection. It means identifying one small realistic change and committing to a small, sustained effort of just 1% improvement a day for just a few weeks. You may be surprised how quickly these small changes can become a healthy habit. If you choose to take part in our free Strong Every Day program, you can build a personalized program and privately track how you’re doing.

Small steps can lead to surprising changes

The health benefits of regular movement are profound. Beyond the obvious weight management and heart health advantages, physical activity reduces anxiety, improves sleep quality, strengthens bones, and helps prevent chronic diseases that rob our community members of quality years with their families.

Remember, every day offers a fresh opportunity to choose differently. Your body, at any age and fitness level, responds positively to movement and care.

And we’re not talking about becoming an athlete. Small choices compound into a healthier, fuller life. Ley’s all commit to growing stronger and healthier – every day!

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has practiced medicine in Crawford County for more than 30 years.

The post Finding Your Personal Path to Better Health appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.