The term “country club elbow” evokes pleasant images of green lawns, polo shirts and tall glasses of iced tea. Unfortunately, this moniker refers to a far less pleasant condition: the combination of tennis elbowand golfer’s elbow—a chronic, painful syndrome associated with the two sports. The condition can cause a shooting pain down the forearm andContinue Reading »
Your physician has diagnosed you with shoulder impingement, but what does that mean? The classic symptom of the condition is pain when you raise your arm to shoulder height. The motion causes a narrowing of the space between the acromion (the bone at the top of the shoulder), the tendons of the rotator cuff thatContinue Reading »
Tibial osteotomy is a surgical procedure that realigns the angle of the lower leg and changes the distribution of pressure within the knee. Physicians most often recommend the surgery for people 40 to 60 years of age who have osteoarthritis on only one side of the knee. In the knee, the femur (thighbone) of the upperContinue Reading »
There has been a plethora of feedback to the article in the New York Times “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body”. To clarify my view on yoga:Yoga can be extremely beneficial when monitored and done correctly (F.Y.I. I do yoga myself!)Certain poses place the spine in positions that are high risk with particular spinal disordersNo painContinue Reading »
Falls. They are the fear of many older adults. They can range from harmless stumbles to severe accidents, the effects of which can take years to heal. One of the best methods of avoiding falls might be the proactive use of exercise. Usually thought of for sculpting the body and improving cardiovascular conditioning, exercise canContinue Reading »
The spine researcher Nachemson noted a %300 decrease in lumbar disc pressure when use of a roll to support the normal lumbar curve in the back while sitting. A key element is having the back of the chair to reclined to 100 to 130 degrees. This allows the lumbar roll to be engaged and theContinue Reading »
It is a glorious Saturday morning; you have put the stress of work behind you. All week long, you have been looking forward to playing golf. But when one of your foursome suggests walking the course, you suddenly become a little nervous. Yet riding in a golf cart robs you of much of the healthContinue Reading »
Almost everyone has heard of total hip replacement and total knee replacement. But fewer people are familiar with total ankle replacement (also called total ankle arthroplasty).Although it looks like a simple hinge joint, the ankle actually involves much more complex movement, absorbing forces up to five times body weight. Many conditions, such as severe osteoporosis,Continue Reading »
Over the last 10 to 15 years, health care providers have focused more on using evidence-based medicine to determine what works best for their individual patients. This involves basing treatments on objective tests of effectiveness published in scientific literature, rather than on just anecdotal, subjective observations made in the office. While seeking out the appropriateContinue Reading »
Surgery can take a major toll on your body, not just for the obvious reasons. Even a minor surgical procedure requires your body to heal, expending energy and invoking immune responses that can tax your musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary systems. The more intensive the procedure, the more difficult your recovery may be. Spending time in the hospitalContinue Reading »