Published: October 14, 2006 01:45 am      

Health Expo Nov. 3 at Middletown Mall

Large variety of tests, screenings will be available

FAIRMONT — During last year’s annual Health Expo for Fairmont General Hospital, chiropractor Brian R. Menzies estimates he performed about 120 spinal scans.

He also estimates that about 95 percent of the people he evaluated could have used some work.

“It’s really kind of dependent on how the person takes care of themselves,” Menzies said. “Most people take better care of their cell phone than they do their body.”

Menzies will be back again this year for the Health Expo, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Middletown Mall.

A large variety of services will be provided, including pap smears and clinical breast exams by Dr. Susan Garner and Dr. Lisa Flower. Those require appointments, said Dawn Metzgar, coordinator of the event, which can be made by calling 367-7171.

“We’ll make sure an individual’s privacy is assured,” Metzgar said.

Also available will be multiphasic and lipid testing from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. That will begin before the start of the expo and end sooner as well, because participants need to fast for those, Metzgar said.

Other screenings include: depression, blood pressure and body fat index, smoking cessation and breast cancer information, breathing tests, cataract surgery information, vision and color blindness screenings, bone density exams and blood pressure.

Also, Dr. Beth Santmyire-Rosenberger will perform skin cancer screenings. Dr. Shanmugam Santhi will provide arthritis information, and registered nurse Carmella Walter will do diabetic foot exams.

Luke Davis, an occupational therapist, and Joe Pennington, a physical therapist, both from Fairmont Rehabilitation Center, will be on hand to perform balance and carpal tunnel screenings.

“We have grips and pinch strength testing and a checklist for the symptoms,” Davis said.

Additionally, Metzgar said flu shots will be available for $20, or free if the recipient has a Medicare card.

The multiphasic and lipid tests also cost $20 each, Metzgar said.

Menzies said he will use a laser thermometer to scan variances in temperature above a normal range, which will show up as green, blue or red to indicate an increasing level of problems. When the test shows white, that indicates a healthy spine.

“We wouldn’t recommend any treatment at that point,” Menzies said. “This is a screening allowing people to decide whether they would like to get fully checked out or not.”

Participants can wear anything but a hooded sweatshirt during the exam, he said.

“What I’m trying to do is show that health comes from the spine,” he said. “It controls everything in the body. If you nervous system doesn’t work well, how can anything else work well?”

E-mail Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.