If you have had a hip replaced with a metal-on-metal (MoM) implant, you may be concerned about reports of health problems with this type of artificial joint. Hip implants are fabricated from metal, plastic, ceramic or a combination of materials. Each type has risks and benefits, and it is up to you and your surgeonContinue Reading »
In the past, everyone was taught to stretch before engaging in physical activity. Now, however, researchers say that certain popular stretching routines are not only ineffective as warm-ups but can sometimes leave you even more vulnerable to injury. There are two types of stretching techniques. Dynamic stretches are aerobic exercises of light-to-moderate intensityContinue Reading »
YES! I recently went on a ski, hike and snow shoeing vacation to Tuckerman’s Ravine located at Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Prior to the trip I did a fair amount of preparations to ready my body and my left knee for the demands of climbing and skiing. To provide a little bit of background.Continue Reading »
One approach used in a rehabilitation program, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) uses an electric current to stimulate muscles to contract. Electrical impulses are thought to interrupt messages sent by pain receptors from the nerves to the brain. If the brain does not receive these messages, it does not recognize pain, and you do notContinue Reading »
Do you have a “SICK” scapula? No, not sick with a fever or a cold, but SICK—an abnormal condition of the shoulder blade. This condition is characterized by Scapular malposition: The scapula has moved to an abnormal position on the rib cage. Inferior medial border prominence: The scapula protrudes abnormally along the back.Continue Reading »
Answer: False, and here’s the explanation: The initial recommendation was made in 1945 by the Food and Nutrition Board, now the Institute of Medicine. WOW! Just under 70 years old, oversimplified, and still quoted over and over! Most people who read this study did not read the details . The recommendation is based on anContinue Reading »
Considering that most patients with osteochondritis dissecans are adolescent boys, the explanation of the condition is sure to win points for sheer gross-out potential. Characterized by pain, limited range of motion, and a popping or locking sound in the joint, osteochondritis dissecans occurs when a small piece of cartilage breaks off from the end ofContinue Reading »
If you have torn your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the main ligament that stabilizes the knee, and are scheduled for reconstructive surgery to repair it, your surgeon could use either an autograft or an allograft. What is the difference between the two? An autograft is a piece of tissue removed from your body and usedContinue Reading »
While every case is unique, the questions you should ask the surgeon are not. What will happen if I just wait out the pain? If I try physical therapy first, am I hurting the chances of a positive outcome from surgery? In The Bone & Joint Journal, January 2014, a study by lead author J.Continue Reading »
Is this person experiencing low back pain? When my patients in Wyckoff and Ridgewood tell me they are nervous about their MRI results. I often have to reassure my patients that every physical therapist or physician must match the MRI with a thorough history and clinical examination in order to arrive at a accurateContinue Reading »