Saturday, September 14, 2013

High Tibial Osteotomy to Treat Osteoarthritis of the Knee


A High Tibial Osteotomy is a descriptive term used to describe an operation used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee. An osteotomy is the act of cutting a bone. 'High Tibial' details the location of this cut, the upper portion of the tibia or shin bone that forms the bottom half of the knee joint.

A high tibial osteotomy is used to treat unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee. This means that the arthritic wear is confined to one half of the knee - either the inside, or outside of the joint. When arthritis wears down one side of the articular cartilage covering the ends of the bones, angulation occurs. This results in a disproportionate amount of body weight being taken through the worn side. This in turn leads to an increased rate of wear and an acceleration of symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling.

A high tibial osteotomy looks to realign the knee to evenly share weight between both the inside and outside of the knee. This is achieved by cutting the bone then either taking a wedge of bone out, or adding a wedge of bone in.

This type of surgery has a long recovery period as the cut essentially fractures the main weight bearing bone of the lower leg. Even after surgically fixing the bone in its new position, it is unable to take any weight for a significant period of time. This has a major implication for work, lifestyle and everyday activities.

This operation is not suitable for everyone but can be a valuable tool for those too young for a total knee replacement.

Mastering Golf Basics - The Drive


Everyone knows that the object of the game of golf is to knock
the ball into the holes dotted around the course. Before you can
do that however you have to get the ball within striking distance
of those holes and in order to do that you have to perform
several basic actions.

The first is to get the ball off on it's journey by giving it a
whack off the tee i.e. THE DRIVE!

If we exclude for the moment such factors as choice of club,
wind, rain, fog etc; how far your ball flies from the tee and
whether it lands plumb in the middle of the fairway or with the
birds in that clump of bushes way over to the side depends to a
great extent on one skill - your drive technique. The success of
your drive from the tee will depend on a combination of factors:
the way you address the ball i.e. the way you prepare to hit the
ball with the club, your swing and the follow-through. Get these
working and you stand a good chance of finishing the round before
nightfall.

Please note that all the following instructions apply to right
handed players. If you are a 'corkie' just reverse the
directions.

So, let's look first at THE STANCE

The most sublime swing ever seen on a golf course is not going to
be much use to you if you're pointing in the wrong direction in
the first place! So, when taking up your stance check your
alignment with the target hole. Stand before the ball so that
the hole you're aiming for is at 90 degrees to the left of the
way you're facing.

Stand nice and firmly with your feet about shoulder width apart.
Your left foot should point slightly to the left and your right
foot should be pointing straight in front. Keep your back
straight with your upper body inclined slightly forward from the
hips and your bottom pushed out a little. Your knees should be
slightly 'flexed' i.e. bent.

O.K. Check your grip and address the ball by placing the club
just behind the ball and almost touching it and make sure the
clubface is square to the 'ball to target' line. Then set your
shoulders, hips and feet parallel with the clubface and your
alignment will be correct. When you turn your head to look at
the target you should only just be aware of your left shoulder in
the very bottom corner of your vision.. Incorrect alignment is
responsible for probably half of the 'pulls' and 'slices' seen on
the golf course, so practice it! Choose a target and imagine a
line between that and your ball. Now, hold a club across your
shoulders and chest (parallel to the ground) and, keeping it on
the same, line lower it to the ground. If your alignment is
correct the club should still be parallel with the target to ball
line.

Ball Position

To keep your swing the same for all the 'lofted' clubs in your
bag, it will be necessary to adjust your position in relation to
the ball for each different club. For the driver, woods and long
clubs you should position yourself with the ball approximately opposite your
left heel. Going through the clubs, as they get shorter, your
body gets gradually closer to the ball and the ball moves
backwards in relation to your body until, for the shortest clubs
it is in the centre of your stance.

As with all articles in this series, what I am giving you here
are the basics. Once you have mastered these there is plenty of
scope for trying variations to find what works best for you.
But, master the basics first!

Lester Mann has written numerous articles with tips to help you
improve your basic golf skills. Others can be seen at
[http://www.MasterGolfBasics.com].

How to Take on Leg Kicks in MMA


Whether you are a power punchers or an all star wrestler, you are going to come up against fighters who insist on leading in with kicks. Most kickers in MMA with the exception of fighters like Cung Le have one of two intentions when they kick. First is the intention of kicking your head to knock you out and the second is to weaken your legs which will make you slow and easy to knock down. The knock out kicks is fairly intuitive and easy to block so we will focus this article on the second type of kicking which is to take out the legs.

Learning This Can Save Your Career

It is frankly amazing to see even well rated fighters who appear untrained in how to deflect these blows, specifically from low kicks to the thigh and knee. No matter how hard you train or workout in the gym, if you received a well placed blow to the knee you could be out of fighting for several weeks if not months or even worse have career ending permanent damage to you knee. So, it is imperative that you learn how to take on the fighter that knows how to kick. Following are some tips for your to try out in your next sparring session that will likely take your opponent by surprise and more importantly save your career.

The 90° Rule

Again these are defenses specifically against lower body MMA style kicks. First, you do need to avoid connecting a shin on shin as this could easily result in the shattering of your bone and doing serious damage. Instead the first most basic defense you can try is instead of taking the blow to the side of your thigh as you will most often see in UFC competitions try turning your leg outwards to absorb the blow with the front of your thigh at a 90 degree angle with your attackers shin. You ought to find this much easier to absorb and less painful than the way you normally practice.

Blocking with Ankles

Secondly, you can try to catch your opponents strike with the front of your ankle - the center point of the curve from your lower leg to foot. This is an extremely hard bone. The trick is to raise your leg and push out and forward as you connect, breaking the power of the incoming kick, causing a great deal of pain to your opponent and throwing them off balance leaving them open to your follow through attack.

Blocking with Knees

The third and possibly easiest move to add to your arsenal is to make your attacker strike you on the front ball of the knee with his shin. To do this of course you must left and bend your leg to avoid breakage. But your opponent's shin connecting with your extremely hard knee will if not break his leg at least put them in such excruciating pain, that they will not want to strike you again. This not only will throw them off guard and injure them but throw off their strategy and confidence helping you to gain the advantage and claim victory. But please practice these moves with care to avoid injuring yourself as well.

Not Easy, But Effective

Now it is important that you understand what we are saying here is that these are way to take on the leg kick, they are not easy. These 3 tactics MUST be practiced before you even think about using them in the ring. If use incorrectly you will end up hurting yourself even worse then if you had just taken on the kick. So, in your next MMA training try these three tactics out and see which one you feel is most comfortable and start working to add that to your bag of tricks.

Arthritis Treatment: What Is the Proper Sequence for Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Knee?


Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and affects more than 20 million Americans. It's a condition that affects hyaline cartilage, the tough gristle that caps the ends of long bones.

Hyaline cartilage is a complicated material that consists of a "soup" or matrix made up proteoglycans (complexes of proteins and sugars), collagen, and chondrocytes. Chondrocytes are cartilage cells that both make as well as nourish the matrix.

When OA begins, chondrocytes begin to make destructive enzymes causing cracks or fissures in the cartilage. These are called "fibrillations."

OA preferentially attacks weight-bearing joints such as the neck, low back, hips, and knees.

So far, the treatment of OA of the knee hasn't changed in thirty years. It remains primarily symptomatic.

Weight loss, patient education, strengthening and stretching exercise, physical therapy, assistive devices (such as canes, braces, and walkers), analgesics (pain-relieving medicines), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), thermal modalities (heat and ice) are standard.

Slightly more aggressive measures such as injections with glucocorticoids ("cortisone") and viscosupplements (hyaluronic acid..." rooster comb shots") can be used.

However, there remains a large void because the only remaining option is knee replacement surgery.

While the technical aspects of this procedure have improved, it is still surgery with all the attendant risks of a major invasive procedure in a hospital setting. These include, infection, blood clots, failure of the replacement, and so on. Also, most patients will need a revision procedure (a replacement of the replacement) done. And maybe more than once or twice in their lifetime.

Recently, progress in regenerative medicine procedures have provided hope that there is a n alternative to joint replacement.

Once a patient has undergone a thorough evaluation and been through the conservative treatments, consideration as to whether they may be a candidate for either platelet-rich plasma (PRP) should be considered. PRP is an ultraconcentrate of a patient's own blood that contains a high concentration of platelets, cells that contain a plethora of growth and healing factors.

Recent anecdotal reports indicating that PRP may be of benefit in alleviating symptoms in patients with OA of the knee are encouraging. PRP may be repeated as often as every three months.

In patients who have not done well with PRP, autologous mesenchymal stem cells (a patient's own stem cells obtained from bone marrow and fat) can be used. Small studies have shown that this treatment may both alleviate pain and restore cartilage growth. A stem cell procedure is much more involved than a PRP procedure since visualization using diagnostic ultrasound and arthroscopy are needed in order to localize the area of cartilage loss and "jump start" the regenerative process by inducing injury. This induction method is what leads to the cartilage reparative process since injury and subsequent inflammation are the first stages in the healing process.

The Who's, What's, and Why's of Osteoarthritis


Osteoarthritis is caused by the joint fluid around the knee losing its ability to protect the joint. As a result the cartilage loses its cushioning effect causing the bones to scrape painfully together. Fragments of bone - broken from the scraping - as well as loose cartilage, float in the joint space causing further pain and swelling. Bone ends thicken as the cartilage breaks down, forming painful bony spurs; which doctors and medical professors call 'osteophytes'. It's a painful condition but one that -fortunately for its sufferers - has easily recognised symptoms and can be effectively treated through a variety of medication.

Osteoarthritis is most commonly found in older generations - especially women - as it is greatly affected by the aging process, in which joints and bones become more brittle. Obese people are also more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis as they have more pressure and force pressing down on their joints. Sports related injuries or other accidents that have resulted in joint damage can also contribute to the onset of osteoarthritis, especially in the young.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis vary according to the severity of the disease but most sufferers report stiffness and pain in the knees when walking and red, swollen skin around the knee. In more severe cases the pain is felt even when sedentary. If the disease is not caught early enough, sufferers also experience a crackling sound or grating feeling when moving.

Whilst there is no absolute cure for osteoarthritis, there are many treatments available, both medical and natural. Non medical treatment focuses on improving the lifestyle of the sufferer through exercise to strengthen muscles, and weight loss if overweight. Painkillers such as paracetamol, anti-inflammatory drugs, or capsaicin cream all work to relieve pain by numbing the pain receptors and blocking the nerves from sending pain messages. Those wishing to avoid medicines can have therapy on the knee, including thermotherapy - where hot or cold packs are applying to the affected area to reduce pain and swelling - and physiotherapy, which improves the suppleness and flexibility of joints. A final alternative for osteoarthritis sufferers is a natural injection using hyaluronic acid, which cushions and lubricates the joint to increase joint function and erase pain, allowing sufferers to lead a normal, healthy life.

Homeopathy and Degenerative Arthritis


This article will covers a chronic joint condition: degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis). Signs and symptoms will be discussed and a variety of homeopathic remedies will be listed that may help people experiencing this condition. Because homeopathy is individualized to each person, various indications will be offered for each homeopathic remedy mentioned.

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis that results from the breakdown and eventual loss of the cartilage of one or more joints. It is the most common form of arthritis and arises from normal wear and tear on the joints. It usually impacts the larger, weight-bearing joints of the body, such as the knees and hips, but can also affect the wrists, fingers, and spine, for example.

Osteoarthritis usually develops very slowly over time. Its exact cause is unknown, but is generally associated with the aging process. People who are obese, are diabetic, or have had mechanical injuries to joints are at a greater susceptibility for having osteoarthritis.

Signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis include:

  • Joint soreness, aching, and/or stiffness

  • Joints are worse in the morning, and/or changes in weather

  • Edema (fluid accumulation)

  • Dull pain

  • Joint deformity

  • Crepitation (clicking or crackling) of the joint upon movement

  • Decreased range of motion

  • Joint instability

  • Increased pain while joint is in use

Earlier detection of osteoarthritis will help aid the patient with a greater chance of having longer-term health of the joints. Avoiding injuries or re-injuries to joints will also help prevent future osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is believed to be incurable. That said, the first course of action for relief would be to live at a healthy weight, if obesity is a factor. This is especially the case if the legs or spine is impacted by the osteoarthritis. Additionally, homeopathic remedies can be helpful for people experiencing osteoarthritis. In general, degeneration of the joint is slowed and inflammation is held at bay.

In homeopathy, treatment is individualized to the person experiencing the signs and symptoms. Rather than treat each case the same, unique expressions of symptoms are considered, both mentally/emotionally, as well as physically. In homeopathy, health is viewed as a condition of the entire individual, rather than in terms of specific symptoms from isolated locations of the body.
Below is a list of homeopathic remedies that may be helpful for people experiencing osteoarthritis. Their indications are listed next to the corresponding homeopathic remedy.

Calcarea Carbonica: This is the main remedy for people experiencing degenerative joints, osteophytes (bone spurs), and calcifications. Worse in the cold, damp weather and/or exertion.

Calcarea Flourica: One of the main remedies for people experiencing exostosis (formation of new bone on the surface of the bone), calcifications, and spinal curvature. The person is generally worse from the heat, but the joints feel worse from cold.

Calcarea Phosphorica: A good remedy for people experiencing degeneration in joints of the spine. Worse from drafts, the wind, and changes in weather.

Natrum Sulphuricum: Degenerative arthritis, especially affecting the left hip. Worse in the damp weather, in the morning, or ascending stairs.

Kali Carbonicum: Degenerative arthritis with aching or stitching pains. The person feels stiff and tight all over the body. Worse at night, especially 2-3 AM; in the cold and damp weather; and from drafts of air.

Bellis Perennis: Post-traumatic arthritis ("Railway spine"). Worse from the cold, especially from a sudden chill, or from getting wet. Better from heat and rubbing.

These homeopathic remedies are typically the most frequently used for people experiencing osteoarthritis. This list is not comprehensive, though. Please consult a qualified homeopath for further information and to receive the most proper care.

In this article, I outlined the definition of osteoarthritis and its signs and symptoms. A brief list of homeopathic remedies were listed with their specific indications for use. Thank you for your time in reading this article!

Sincerely,
Noel Peterson

Disclaimer: This information is intended for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose, or cure disease. If you have questions about your health, please consult a physician.

Friday, September 13, 2013

A Sore Knee From Running - Can You Outrun the Pain? Dealing With Painful Knees - Improved Support


Treat Sore Knees From Running With A Well Designed Brace

Are you a runner? Or, maybe you like to jog routinely?

If so, chances are that you have experienced a sore knee from running at some point in time. Knee pain and soreness is not exclusive to professional running athletes and marathon enthusiasts. In fact, casual runners who simply do it for fun and exercise are just as apt to have a sore knee from running as professional athletes.

1.) Running & Its Effect On The Knees

When you run you are causing your knee to move in a systematic way that is not common to every day life. When your knee moves in a running motion the cartilage around your knee joints also moves and contracts. When this happens over an extended period of time or is overdone, the runner may feel some discomfort or soreness in their knees. This especially is true for individuals who push themselves beyond their normal limitations. When they do this they can actually tear or rip the cartilage around their knee joints, and suffer extraordinary pain and possibly life-long problems.

The question is, do you have the know-how and smarts to outrun common pain and soreness from running?

2.) Simple Steps To Outrun Knee Pain and Soreness!

Knowledge and prevention are key for anyone who plans on making running part of their daily routine or weekly exercise. It is very important for all runners to know what they should do in order to avoid a sore knee from running, or unwanted pain and stiffness.

Here are some steps to take to help make sure you don't fall victim to pain and soreness in the knees as a result of running:

- Stretching: Before heading out for a run be sure to stretch your arms and legs. You will want to make sure that you stretch out your knees prior to the run and prepare them for the strenuous motion that they are about to endure. Failing to do a proper warm up is one of the most prevalent reasons for a stiff knee for running.

- Hydration: Dehydration can lead to all sorts of problems in a runner. Not only can you pass out from exhaustion and dehydration, but in severe cases, people can actually die. Apart from that, there is a danger to the muscles when your body is not getting enough water. Remember, when you sweat your body is using water that was in your system. You need to replace this water and stay hydrated throughout your run.

3.) Knee Braces For Runners Can Be Effective!

You have no doubt seen a runner or athlete wearing a brace on one or both of their knees while running or competing. In many cases the athlete doesn't have an injury; they are simply protecting their knee from strain with the use of an affordable knee brace. If you plan on running on a regular basis or plan on making it a daily or weekly routine, then you will want to consider acquiring and putting a knee brace to use. The added support can help reduce knee pain problems due to the stress of running, and can help keep you on track! (*This is health information. Speak with your physician about medical advice.)

About Mixed Martial Arts


As one of the fastest growing sports in North America, mixed martial arts (MMA) are practiced by men, women, and children alike. Unfortunately, non-practitioners are quick to describe the sport as violent and barbaric while comparing it to such travesties as cockfighting or dog fighting. To say nothing of the lack of respect these comparisons mean for the highly dedicated and trained athletes that practice mixed martial arts, these characterizations also ignore the many benefits of it when it comes to physical and mental health.

Mixed martial arts were first introduced to North American audiences in the early 1990s. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was our first glimpse into the sport, but in the early days most of the fighters practiced only one discipline of martial arts. Eventually, athletes learned that to be competitive they must combine styles so that they could face any opponent, regardless of their fighting techniques. Today, jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing, muay thai, judo, and sambo are just a few of the martial arts that many MMA fighters practice. To become the best, most well-rounded fighter, they can no longer rely on being an expert in just one field.

Jiu jitsu originated in Brazil and involves learning grappling methods so that practitioners can submit opponents with choke holds, arm locks, and leg locks. Moreover, jiu jitsu teaches fighters how to attack and defend from the ground and allows them to win, even from their back. Through sophisticated use of leverage and positioning, jiu jitsu prepares fighters to be more versatile in their offensive and defensive manoeuvres. Likewise, wrestling teaches fighters to use grappling techniques, throws, and takedowns to dominate a fight. Proficient wrestlers have excellent balance, strength, and mental toughness which are all qualities of a successful fighter.

Boxing is a popular component of a mixed martial artists' repertoire because it teaches effective striking. By using hands and fists, boxers can knock out opponents to win the fight. Similarly, muay thai is a type of kickboxing that includes striking with the hands and feet. Punches, kicks, elbows, and knees are all elements of muay thai striking that make for a more well-rounded fighter. Indeed, fighters often point to muay thai as among the most popular striking styles in MMA.

Another common martial art practiced by MMA fighters is judo. This Japanese martial art is known for teaching fighters powerful throws and grappling techniques. Unlike jiu jitsu, judo is generally practiced from an upright stance, but may benefit traditional jiu jitsu experts because it allows them to take the fight to the ground.

Finally, sambo is a Russian martial art that emphasizes the importance of takedowns and submission holds. It includes standing techniques that are similar to judo or wrestling, while incorporating choke holds, arm locks, and leg locks like those practiced in jiu jitsu.

Ultimately, mixed martial artists are highly skilled athletes who have been practicing various martial arts for years. MMA is not simply a barbaric sport that glorifies violence, but a carefully practiced sport that requires years of dedicated training by its athletes.

Osteoarthritis and Obesity - Excess Weight Increases Your Risk For Developing Osteoarthritis


Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder and while it is still unclear how being overweight influences this condition, studies show that excess weight is an established risk factor for osteoarthritis of the knee, causing a 3-4 fold increased risk of primary joint replacement. It is estimated that about 56% of obese people suffer from major knee pain, in comparison to 15% of people who are not overweight. Studies also show that overweight people additionally stand a higher chance of developing hip and hand osteoarthritis.

Does Excess Weight Accelerate the Breakdown of Cartilage?

It is certainly understood that excess weight increases the load placed on the joints, thus increasing the stress and possibly hastening the breakdown of cartilage. It was found that severely obese men were 15 times as likely to have torn cartilage, with severely obese women being 25 times as likely. Each step taken on level ground places 1 to 2 times the body weight on each knee, with the burden going up to 2 or 3 times as much when going up and down stairs and 4 or 5 times as much when squatting.

Will Weight Loss Reduce the Risk of Osteoarthritis?

Studies clearly show that enough weight loss reduces the rate of knee arthritis in both men and women, in addition to alleviating symptoms such as pain and stiffness. Each pound lost reduces knee pressure in every step taken and one study found that the risk of developing osteoarthritis decreased by 50% with each eleven pound weight loss among younger obese women. Research also showed that knee osteoarthritis would decrease by a fifth in older men who went from obese to just overweight, and by a third in older women. While total joint replacement is an effective treatment for severe knee and hip osteoarthritis, reducing inflammation, relieving pain, protecting the joint from further damage and building strength in the muscles that support the joint can often improve joint function.

Losing Weight Can Support Your Joints and Reduce Pain

Losing weight can be a challenge for many people, but it may seem even more daunting when coping with painful arthritis symptoms. However, losing excess pounds can have a big impact on how you feel by alleviating pressure placed on joints during physical activity, plus possibly helping to reduce circulating cytokines, which promote inflammation. Avoiding particular motions or ignoring the pain will not make it go away and is likely to cause a rapid progress of symptoms. Limited movement will weaken the muscles, compounding the joint problem, plus affect your posture thus creating further difficulties. Developing a program that is suited to your level of fitness and health is extremely important and can be done with the support of a physician, physical therapist or exercise physiologist. The right program can be a lasting way to reduce and control joint pain and may even help delay or avoid the need for surgery.

Eating a Healthy Diet to Lose Weight and Reduce Inflammation

Research shows a special link between food and the symptoms of arthritis, with certain foods helping to control the destruction of joints and others helping to relieve pain. An anti-osteoarthritis diet contains foods filled with antioxidants and bioflavonoid as well as foods high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Following a healthy diet by concentrating on lower-fat, nutrient-rich foods and plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help to reduce inflammation and maintain a balanced weight thus reducing strain on the joints.

Knee Arthritis Typically Takes Place When the Kneecap Gets Unbalanced


Knee arthritis is mainly considered by many to be the less grave condition of arthritis even though it is a more commonplace arthritis condition acknowledged as osteoarthritis. This is different from rheumatoid arthritis that is more dangerous and can also cripple a person.

One of the main reasons that people ends up suffering from such a disease is that normal wear and tear or perhaps even injury can end up causing the kneecap to move in directions that are not desirable. This might end up having it rub up against other sections of the structure of the knee, for instance causing a total sequence of inflammation that results in a softening of the surface of the joint followed by it's destruction leading to substances of a chemical nature entering into the joint.

Chemicals Lodged In The Knee Joint

At the point when chemicals get into the knee joint, quite a bit of harm happens and it also actuates a chain reaction within the joint. If an individuals kneecap is not capable of moving correctly within the knee then some section of it might then start to press against what is known as the femur with enough pressure. This will have an end result of the kneecap starting to become unbalanced and will eventually lead to problems of a much greater severity due to the fact that it is necessary for the kneecap to be properly balanced so that it has the ability to release nutrients from the joint fluids.

The result of the kneecap being off balance is knee arthritis and will also culminate in the joint cartilage softening in addition to swelling. Also, there might be tiny blistering and even what is known as small fissures should become noticeable and they have the capacity to become fibrils, which will typically over time break off from the knee tissue and end up getting lodged in the fluid that surrounds the knee. The effect of this is the release of bad types of enzymes that lead to grievous as well as unwanted conditions.

Nevertheless, knee arthritis doesn't need to end up in further health problems in any other joints in your body. Most of the knee arthritis cases are caused due to certain physical ailments that are integral to the knee itself, and which needs to be distinguished and fixed at the earliest time possible, which would aid in the recovery process of the condition and lead to regaining a healthy knee once again.

If you are hoping to rid yourself of knee arthritis, you have the option to take a few steps, for instance lowering your overall weight and also starting up and sticking to an exercise program to strengthen up your knee. Nevertheless, the latter choice should only be performed under the close supervision of your physician or perhaps a physical therapists.

You also have the option to use ice, as well as anti-inflammatory medications, and in time, even the use of steroids under a doctors care. Additionally, a helpful means of lessening the effects of knee arthritis is through the use of taking supplements such as glucosimine and chondroiton. You have to make to make sure you do your research and take the advice of your physician on the right types of supplements so that they contain the right type of preparations, the ingredients are pure, and that they have what is stated on their labels. This is particularly critical given the fact that the supplement industry hasn't as of yet been put under any regulations, and therefore the purchaser must beware of what they are actually are getting.

Osteoarthritis Symptoms


Osteoarthritis progresses with age and affects the area around the joints. One experiences pain, stiffness or swellings due to complete loss of cartilage cushion, extended periods of inactivity, or trauma. The pain differs in intensity from low to high, increasing in humid weather, followed by muscle spasm and contraction. The time to worry is when this pain in the hip, knee, spine or feet persists for more than two weeks.

Osteoarthritis symptoms vary from patient to patient. What is interesting about Osteoarthritis is that symptoms do not always progress with time. Patients can have days of no pain or unpleasant days of acute pain due to weather changes. In progressive osteoarthritis, symptoms get magnified and other joints of the body are affected. These joints include the neck, knees, hips, hands, or feet. Crepitus, a creaking sound when a bone rubs against another bone, is prominent in the neck. The pain worsens in mornings and evenings and subsides during day time. If a patient feels pinching or tingling, or there is numbness in a nerve or the spinal cord, it means that bone spurs are forming at edge of the joints of the spine and irritating the nerves. Different body parts may experience differing symptoms. For example, with osteoarthritis of hip, the major weight-bearing joint is stiff and difficult to move.

Osteoarthritis symptoms need to be verified before any medication is prescribed, as the symptoms are often confused with spondylosis. Spondylosis is responsible for gradual deterioration of the discs between vertebrae of the spine. Spondylosis and osteoarthritis are generally found together, and one needs to be sure before start of treatment. Another common mix-up is with symptoms of Osteoporosis, or low calcium content of the bones. The pain from an Osteoporotic spinal fracture is similar to one felt by Osteoarthritis patients. Verification of symptoms in initial stages helps reduce unnecessary tension and trauma.

Arthritis Neck Pain Relief at Your Fingertips


Full aspects have been covered in this article. Looking forward to your feedback, hopefully it will be of great use to you.

Arthritis affects more than 35 million individuals in America alone, and that includes Arthritis neck pain. Arthritis it is presently ranked number one crippling disease in the whole of United States. If you are among the afflicted, your arthritis signs may be occasional or recurrent, and you may endure from swelling in one or more joints, chronic pain, or tenderness in any joint, early morning stiffness, or an helplessness to move a joint normally.

Whether your arthritis symptoms are mild or severe, they undoubtedly have a direct effect on your daily life. Maybe you have been counseled about "learning to live with arthritis." However, there is far more you can do to ease your pain, increase your range of motion, and both relax and reinforce your muscles. Acupressure massage using your fingertips to ease your aches and pains is a huge option.

Arthritis Neck Pain: Arthritis pain in any part of the body, especially the extremities hands, arms, feet, knees, legs, or hips incredibly often results in tightening of the neck muscles. The effect is pain and a decrease in the range of motion.

Whenever arthritis settles in the neck, the corresponding neck muscles have intricacy supporting the weight of the head, which is regularly fifteen to twenty pounds. Stress creates an added burden on the neck muscles, and? damaging situation is set up where inflamed joints and tension breed more strain and often neck pain.

There are many self-help techniques for relieving the chronic neck tension that often occurs from tensing against arthritic pain, It is found that a combination of Acu-Yoga (Using posture to press the acupressure points for self-treatment), hot compresses, deep breathing, and acupressure are predominantly effective. First, apply the hot compresses to your shoulders and neck until the skin becomes pink, indicating an increase in circulation. Ginger compresses are highly effective for relaxing the muscles in this area.

If the compresses are inconvenient or unavailable, do the Dry Wash Facial Message.

Step 1: Rub your hands together, creating a heat.

Step 2: Right away and systematically massage your face and neck with the palms of your hands.

Therefore, what is the benefit of Dry Wash Facial Massage: A daily dry wash cleans the pores, restoring tone and luster to the skin. This warming massage is helpful for acne and stiff necks.

After doing the Dry Wash Facial massage or applying the hot compresses, rotate your head very slowly five times in one direction and then other. Keep your eyes closed and breathe deeply as you do this exercise. This will help to elongate the neck and naturally reposition the vertebrae in the cervical region.

One of the mainly significant things you can do to assist your Arthritis neck pain is regular exercise, but must be done correctly to a have a good results over time. Sorry to say, numerous people with arthritis think exercise is destructive. Others become discouraged because progress is slow or their exercises are painful. Maintaining a proper balance between rest and exercise, and exercising properly, are keys to a successful arthritis exercise program. Easy-to-follow exercise program will definitely help sufferers of arthritis and related soft tissue rheumatic disorders, and also everyone who feels stiffness or tension in parts of their body.

Using the natural techniques of acupressure, massage and gentle yoga stretches, you will be able to relieve pain, aches and inflammation.

Thanks for reviewing this article, I hope you found the information useful and to of great use

A contented mind is a continual feast.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

How to Protect Your Knee to Avoid Arthritic Conditions


Working as an Physical therapy Assistant in Southwest Florida, I see my share of arthritic conditions in the lower extremities. Most of the arthritic conditions I see are osteoarthritis of the knees. This is a major cause of knee pain in the United states due to obesity and lack of exercise. There are some cases of traumatic osteoarthritis that for the most part cannot be helped because if a joint has been previously injured the chances of osteoarthritis setting in later on are very good.

When discussing knee pain due to arthritis, generally you find an individual is overweight and, they have lost quadricep strength in the affected leg or legs as well. If you lack the proper strength in your thigh muscles for instance, then your body weight is driven directly through the knee rather then the muscle absorbing your weight with each step you take. Poor muscle strength and atrophy of the legs themselves are one of the biggest problems that older adults will confront. By building a strong pair of legs you place the burden of the workload on the muscles instead of the knee joint itself.

In regards to obesity as you get older, you loose muscle and your metabolism slows down. You in turn start to gain weight which again, in our society we have been lead to believe that is the way it is. That cannot be further from the truth.

By getting resistance exercise started and cleaning up your overall diet, you begin to put on some lean muscle which in turn burns calories. When you burn calories you loose weight. When you loose the weight your knees then do not have to take the pounding every day that they do when you are carrying excess weight.

Though this may seem rather simplistic I can assure you it works. Exercise and diet is your answer in regards to prevention of arthritis. Now if you already have an arthritic joint then range of motion and exercising the muscles around the joint is your main objective to prolong the life of the joint.

Get busy today in defeating this chronic condition that pervades our society. You will be glad you did.

Prevent Runner's Knee


Runner's Knee, also called chondromalacia, patellar tendonitis, iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS) or osgood-schlatters syndrome, is the most common injury causing lateral knee pain among runners. ITBS develops as a result of inflammation of the bursa, or fluid sac, around the iliotibial band, and affects athletes who are involved in sports that require running or repetitive knee bending and extension. This condition is most common in runners and cyclists. Runner's knee may also be observed in athletes who participate in tennis, volleyball, soccer and skiing.

The pain is usually located behind the kneecap. The symptoms often get worse after jumping, climbing stairs, running, or after a period of sitting. Runners will suffer from runner's knee by repeated bending and straightening of the knee joint. The resulting friction can lead to inflammation of the ITB around the kneecap.

The symptoms are intense pain in the knee when climbing, jumping, running and squatting. Usually subsiding after the activity, the pain can however be continuous when in the acute phase and make climbing or going down steps a painful experience.

To prevent runner's knee, you can warm up and stretch before running, and start by walking is a good idea. If you start feeling mild pain on the lateral part of your knee when running or cycling, wearing a knee brace especially designed to prevent runners knee should help reduce the risks of suffering more.

The DonJoy Cross Strap was designed to help prevent runner's knee. It is fabricated in one piece, so nothing will fall off and you won't lose small parts. It is designed to apply just enough pressure on the patellar tendon to avoid friction on the ITB.

It is small yet comfortable to be discreet under running pants, without any stitching. It compresses the forces above and below the knee cap to reduce tension in the ITB and the pain resulting from there.

How to treat runner's knee?

How to treat runner's knee? If you already suffer from runner's knee, consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment. Most often, exercises to lengthen the ITB and strengthening the muscles around the knee cap, the quadriceps and hamstrings will be suggested. Wearing a knee strap for runners will also be recommended by most doctors. Ask your physician about knee straps and the efficiency of the DonJoy Cross Strap.

A knee brace for runner's knee is sure to help in the healing of the condition as well as maintaining the proper pressure on the appropriate places. The DonJoy Cross Strap was engineered with runners and cyclists in mind.

Of course, other athletes suffering will benefit from wearing a DonJoy Cross Strap during their sports activities to reduce knee pain and help prevent runner's knee. As mentioned above, runner's knee does not only affect runners and cyclists. If you lift weights you should consider wearing a knee strap such as the DonJoy Cross Strap as pressure on the lateral part of your knees can also cause runners knee.

It's also always a smart idea to use cold therapy and compression after activity to reduce inflammation. Runner's knee tends to respond nicely to cold therapy.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) & Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL)


Sports like football are laden with knee injuries because they involve hits to the outside of the knee. Contact to the outside of the knee can cause meniscus tears, ACL tears and MCL tears to all occur at once.

ACL

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) attaches to the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone), and essentially prevents the femur from sliding too far forward. Like other ligaments in the knee, the ACL provides stability and allows movement such as rotation of the knee. Injuries to the ACL cause both pain and swelling in the knee.

ACL tears lead to other injuries such as arthritis and cartilage tears. Because the ACL helps stabilize the knee, injuries to the ACL make the knee less stable. When the knee is less stable, sudden pivoting movements are extremely difficult and oftentimes lead to arthritis and cartilage tears.

Treatment for ACL Injuries

Once the ACL is completely torn, it cannot heal back together, even when the ends are sewn back together. The most common treatment for ACL tears is reconstructive surgery. Reconstructive surgery involves removal of the torn ends of the ACL and replacement of those ends with a graft. The graft is secured by tunnels that are made in the tibia and femur.

MCL

The medical collateral ligament (MCL) is located in the inside of the knee joint and functions to prevent the joint from opening up. Like the ACL, the MCL attaches to both the femur and tibia and controls stability in the knee. Injuries to the MCL involve pain and swelling in the knee.

Usually, MCL injuries occur when the knee joint buckles after being hit. Because it functions to prevent the inside of the knee joint from opening up, pressure to the outside of the knee can injure the MCL. In addition to hits to the outside of the knee, stretching the MCL too far can also cause it to tear.

Treatment for MCL Injuries

MCL injuries heal quickly and rarely require surgery. Resting the knee, icing the injury and taking anti-inflamatory medications can help the injury heal more quickly.

Severe sprains to the MCL sometimes require a knee brace. Usually, even patients with knee braces are able to resume normal activity and athletic activity as soon as they are no longer experiencing pain. If the injury is even more severe, physical therapy and a 3 to 4 month break from normal activity is required.

Going Barefoot Does Wonders For Arthritis


There is a wide array of flexible shoes being advertised on the web offering solutions for arthritic conditions and problems, but studies from a medical university in Chicago attest that nothing beats going barefoot in caring for arthritic knees. The less surface insulation there is to a shoe, the better for people with these arthritic conditions.

Firm support shoes designed to provide stability are becoming quite popular and a lot of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee achieve remarkable therapeutic results after wearing them regularly. But these support shoes are linked to considerable higher knee loads which can exert more pressure on the joints than their more flexible counterpart. Flexible shoes offer more weight and load absorption and it is recommended that people with arthritic knee conditions choose flat flexible shoes over support type footwear.

The general rule for arthritic knee conditions is: The foot has to have better proprioceptive sensation, meaning it should be able to receive and respond to sensory stimuli and be capable of detecting the motion or position of the limb to carry out its proper function.

Going barefoot is the best way to achieve this sensation. People with arthritic knee conditions have to now the moment their foot touches the ground to achieve better stability and balance. There's no better way to do this than walking barefoot. Normal neuromuscular reflexes come in to interact with the surroundings and an outright sensational response protects the rest of the leg from any further impact of hitting the ground.

Of course, going barefoot everywhere can not be possible, so as much as they can, people with arthritic knee conditions kick off the footwear when and where they can. Where they can't, it works best to choose footwear with the least amount of surface between the foot and the ground they walk on.

Patella Injury - Are You Suffering?


Have you recently suffered a Patella injury?

If you suffer from and kind of knee injury you'll know difficult and frustrating it can be. The knees play a key part in helping support and distribute your body weight, so any injury causes a lot of difficulty.

As humans we're always on our feet which make it hard for a knee injury to heal. We're always walking, bending, twisting and putting pressure on our knees.

The Patella is a small triangular shaped flat bone in front of the knee relied upon to protect the knee joint. The Patella is an easy area of the knee to injure since it's used all the time to distribute your body weight.

A Patella injury can be very difficult to heal and can sometimes cause your knee cap to shift to one side which can leave you in serious pain and discomfort.

How to tell if you have a Patella Injury?

It can be difficult to tell if you have injured your Patella. Common signs can be a sore, aching feeling on your knee and you might find it difficult to move properly. Another common sign can be a popping or grinding feeling in the knee along with problems when trying to bend or straighten the knee joint.

Another common problem associated with Patella injuries is pain when sitting for a long time and often when walking down stairs. The pain is not generally associated with walking up stairs due to the mechanics of the knee and the greater amount of pressure on the knee when climbing down stairs.

If you know you're prone to knee difficulties such as arthritis then this can quickly develop into Patella conditions. There are many forms of support available to those suffering from these sorts of conditions such as knee braces and bandages.

Types of Patella Injury

Runner's Knee is a very common injury to the Patella - or Chondromalacia Patellae to give it its medical name. Runner's knee is caused essentially by over-using the knee joint. It occurs when the articular cartilage underneath the surface of the kneecap becomes irritated.

Housemaid's Knee - or Prepatellar Bursitis occurs from prolonged periods of kneeling. This is common with people that kneel for long periods of time such a gardeners and carpet layers.

Unstable kneecap - or Pattellar Dislocation/Subluxation is a painful condition of the knee joint. This condition occurs when the Patella doesn't track evenly within its groove on the femur and can become dislodged.

Research on Hyaluronic Acid Knee Injections


Hyaluronic acid, a key component of human tissue, aiding the body's flexibility, mobility and moisture retention is a popular component of many anti-aging products but can also provide a wealth of benefits in the medical sphere. Recently, in an attempt to find effective treatment methods for arthritis, scientists have found a strong association between levels of Hyaluronic acid and severe knee and hip arthritis known as osteoarthritis or OA.

The study, conducted by researches from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Medical Center, utilized a diverse subject base of blood samples from 753 white and black American men and women. This research is part of the hope that early identification and intervention can improve outcomes for people with OA, a common cause of pain and disability among older Americans. The findings suggest that measuring levels of Hyaluronic acid could allow doctors to help prevent joint destruction before it can be measured on an X-ray image.
In a similar vein, Hyaluronic acid injections have been prescribed by doctors for over 20 years as a method for treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Hyaluronic acid is thought to restore elasticity to the synovial fluid that surrounds the knee joint, which is depleted in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. However, there is continued debate as to the efficacy of these treatments. Recently, French researchers compared the safety and effectiveness of the NRD101 Hyaluronic acid knee injection with an orally administered drug, Diacerein, shown by past research to have a structural benefit in hip osteoarthritis.

Three hundred one patients were randomly assigned to receive three courses of NRD101 injections, each involving one injection weekly for three weeks, every three months, along with a placebo capsule; placebo injections and diacerein twice daily; or placebo injections and capsules. Symptoms were evaluated both by patients and clinicians, and X-rays were performed to evaluate the effects of treatment on the knee structure at the beginning and end of the study. Patients in all three groups reported improvement of their symptoms and few patients dropped out of the study, which suggests injections are a feasible approach to treating knee osteoarthritis. However, the doctors did conclude that further studies were needed to evaluate other treatment approaches using this route of administration.

Furthermore, based on research by the publication American Family Physician, although clinical experience and studies of available Hyaluronic acid injection products including hyaluronan and hylan G-F 20, are inconclusive, they appear to produce beneficial effects with minimal adverse reactions in a significant number of patients. Thus, although research is ongoing into the benefits of Hyaluronic acid knee injections, it is clear that the injections are at present a viable alternative to orally administered arthritis relief.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Alzheimer's - Finding the Right Treatment Plan


Over the past 8 years, my family has been dealing with signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's in my Mom who is now 86. Initially, with her forgetfulness and not recognizing someone right away, we thought, you know she is getting old; she is entitled to not being right every now and then, heaven knows we forget from time to time ourselves. But the frequency of these signs started occurring on a regular basis. My Mom was initially taken to a geriatric psychiatrist in NH where she lived. The Dr. prescribed a drug called Aricept, the one you see most of the time on TV commercials. This drug with its popularity sounded promising, but after a couple years of trying this medication, there were no significant signs of improvement. She also suffered many of the side effects associated with this medication i.e. dizziness, upset stomach, nausea, trouble eating, and sleeping disorders.

In 2005, my Mom desperately needed knee replacement surgery on her right knee. The operation was successful; however, there was a drastic change in my Mom's memory and behavior. My Mom would hide her purse and wallet, thinking everyone wanted to steal it. She could never remember where it was hidden and would accuse family members of taking it. In addition to the stealing and hiding, she became very paranoid. She needed all the window shades drawn and the outside doors locked late in the afternoon everyday. The level of anxiety and agitation she displayed became more heightened. She would get up and down from her chair to check the windows and locks and repeat herself over and over asking everyone if the doors were locked. Just in general, she was up and down and would never stay still for any period of time. She was like the Ever Ready Bunny, i.e. she kept going and going. I was exhausted just watching her and I am 35 years younger. She had always been physically active walking and exercising. She took good care of herself eating right, baked or broiled, chicken and fish and lots of vegetables. She religiously took her vitamins and supplements every morning with a bowl of homemade oatmeal sprinkled with bran on top, a glass of half prune and half orange juice mixed together, yogurt and a cup of coffee.

My Mom was an old-fashioned cook, making everything from scratch. Her nickname was Betty, aka Betty Crocker, making sure there were three balanced meals made everyday with desserts. These meals were not your simple toast and coffee. I am talking bacon and eggs, homemade blueberry muffins, pancakes, homemade oatmeal, percolated coffee, roast beef sandwiches from the prior night's dinner for lunch with homemade soups, homemade cookies, then homemade spaghetti sauce and spaghetti for dinner with bread, salad and more desserts, like apple or blueberry pie with ice cream. For the holidays, she out did herself making numerous cakes, pies, breads, cookies, fudge, and other various desserts along with all the main meal's homemade items. She made enough food to feed an army, our family, friends and neighbors. If you can believe it, we were all pencil thin, the good old days for sure. This cooking exercise was my Mom's regular routine for over 60 years until Alzheimer's hit. At that point, she had difficulty remembering how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Also as part of my Mom's regular routine, she cleaned, cleaned and cleaned, using Ammonia, Clorox, Pinesol, Lysol, Windex and Pledge. Did your love one use any of these products? I sometimes wonder if there is a link with these products or a combination thereof and Alzheimer's. Or is there a correlation with the bleached sugar used in all the desserts we ate? Or the Crisco and butter?

Back to the surgery, a few year's after the surgery, I learned that being heavily sedated, i.e. under anesthesia can cause Alzheimer's to progress more rapidly. I had also heard in more recent years that if surgery is necessary in an Alzheimer's patient, inquire on whether or not a spinal block could suffice or if there are various levels of anesthesia, maybe a lower dosage. My Mom required a second knee replacement in 2008. This surgery advanced the Alzheimer's to an almost uncontrollable state with full-on hallucinations and delusions, screaming fits. My Mom after surgery didn't believe she was in a hospital or that she had been through surgery. With all the wires and monitors, she thought someone had pulled her house apart and was doing construction. She screamed that she was going to sue for wrecking her house. She yanked out her IV and next tried her catheter. While in the hospital, 24/7 nurse bed watch was required. I believe that her pain medication OxyContin attributed to her crazy uncontrollable behavior. We had never seen her in this psychotic state. That medication in my mind was not for her. After being released from the hospital and into a nursing rehabilitation center, she gained control of some of her senses but not all. A doctor at the rehabilitation facility introduced more sedating medication like Seroquel and Lorazepam. Her downtime from this surgery seemed miraculous. She was capable of walking almost instantaneously with no pain. I believe that the Alzheimer's numbed that part of the brain in charge of pain, no brain no pain. My Mom continued on low doses of Lorazepam,.5 mg and Seroquel, 25-30 mg. These medications were used to quiet her symptoms of agitation and anxiety which occurred late in the afternoon and early evening. These symptoms later became known to us as the Alzheimer's symptoms for sundowning. Going from light to dark triggers a reaction in the brain that causes agitation.

For the next year, my Mom's legs strengthened, but her mind and behavior declined. The decline may be attributed to insufficient social interaction. I have been told that social interaction for Alzheimer patients is very beneficial and therapeutic, adult daycare centers specializing in Alzheimer's is a good avenue to pursue. Seek daycares that have programs involving physical exercise, mind games, eye, hand coordination activities e.g. arts and crafts. Also, ensure that the facility has some type of security or wander band should your loved one become confused and walk away.

My Mom, on the other hand, was being watched by only one family member and received limited visitors. In March 2009, my younger brother and I became jointly responsible for my Mom's health which at that time, I brought her to CA. I was eager to have her here, because I felt that California's medical care surpassed that in many other states. My belief is based upon our elderly population. We have a greater population due to our weather and state size. CA also has the greatest number of doctors of any state due to size. I am also surrounded by many retirement communities.

One notable event that occurred while travelling by air from Boston to Los Angles, half-way through our flight, my Mom flipped out. What I mean is, she started screaming, swearing, kicking, hitting and pulling my hair. She got out of her seat and started aggressively charging towards first class. She thought she was at a job that she held more than twenty years ago. She wanted to speak to the bosses because she didn't know where all the products went that they had made. With the assistance of 4 flight attendants and paging a doctor, my Mom was brought back to her seat but would not sit down; they walked her up and down the aisle to calm her. My Mom carried on for the remainder of the flight and when we started approaching Los Angeles, she would not sit down for landing. The doctor, a geriatric psychiatrist seating diagonal to us helped to seat her. We both held her down for landing. The flight attendants were going to use a straight jacket. I was never so scared or embarrassed. I thought my Mom would sleep the entire flight since I choose a direct evening flight.

After this episode and finally returning home and getting settled, I did my research to seek programs available for people with Alzheimer's. I had the good fortune to speak with a Program Director at our local Adult Senior Daycare Center. The woman I spoke to provided me with names and telephone numbers of medical resources to contact to have my Mom evaluated. Prior to this time, no one really medically evaluated her. My Mom went to the doctor's every several months and family members talked about her condition, but there was no real testing. The appointment time would probably last 15 minutes tops every 6 months to a year. No one ever explained anything to us or what direction we should go. There was no Alzheimer's map. Now, the next set of events was the most valuable and sped up the finding of a successful treatment plan in a matter of a few months.

1. My Mom went to a Neurologist who ordered that a MRI, blood work, and a genetic test be performed called the Apolipoprotein E Genotype. There is a genetic marker that seems to be prevalent in most people with Alzheimer's, it could be all patients but I don't remember exactly. If you are tested for this marker, and have it, it doesn't mean that you will have Alzheimer's if I understood the Doctor's explanation correctly, so double check if you have it done. If you have a parent with Alzheimer's, you have a 50/50 chance of having Alzheimer's too.

2. The Neurologist also had an Internal Medicine doctor perform an extensive memory test. This test was more intensive and longer than what is called the Folstein Mini Mental Test. The Folstein Test is a good test to try at home and as a doctor's follow-up evaluation. I found this link below that had a good example of the Folstein test.

http://www.utmb.edu/psychology/PRT_Courses/ClinPsych04/Mentalst.htm

3. Once all the tests results were evaluated, my Mom was placed on several prescription medications to begin the trial and error process to determine which medication(s) would work best. Medications work differently with each person. It was also explained to me that my Mom could have Lewy Body, and not Alzheimer's. The words Lewy Body were completely foreign to me. What the heck was Lewy Body? Lewy Body has the hallucinations and sleep disorders along with other symptoms and falls into the Parkinson family. A definitive diagnosis cannot be made, unless a brain autopsy is performed upon death.

4. My Mom was initially prescribed Namenda, Exelon, COQ10 (400 mg) and a low dosage of Seroquel. The Doctor had said it would take awhile for the medications to get into her system and take affect before the result could be determined. For the next few weeks, I thought I had Dr. Jeckal and Mr. Hyde living with me. My Mom didn't sleep, she thought my Dad was still living and she would scream "Where is he?" She thought my 50 year old brother was 6 with the Mumps and would scream "Where did he go, he is very sick with a high fever?" Ever few minutes I became a different person to her. She would ask "Where did the other person go that was just here?" You could never convince her that you were the same person. Or that her kids were all grown up. She lives in the past when she was a young girl and her Mom was still alive. My Grandmother has been dead for over 50 years. My Mom would go to my son's room and ask him where his parents were and how could they leave him here. She told him not to eat the food it was poisoned. My Mom rarely slept, which meant I didn't sleep. My house has lots of stairs so I was nervous my Mom would get out of bed and go roaming and maybe fall. I slept right next to her or tried. My Mom would put clothes over her pajamas when she got dressed. I became so frazzled you would have thought I was the patient. I finally called the Doctor after a couple weeks and conveyed everything to him. He said some things were symptoms of Alzheimer's and some were side effects of the medications. Now how was I suppose to know what was what. I asked if my Mom could be checked into a facility where they could monitor the various introductions of medications and behaviors to come up with which ones would work. When he said yes, that was all I needed to hear.

5. The hospital facility has a unit that is for the sole purpose of assessing a dementia patient and deriving at a treatment plan. This unit is comprised of a team of Psychiatrists, Internal Medicine Doctors, Social Workers, Physical Therapists and Nurses. The Team works with a small group of patients in an assisted care type of environment. They have a calendar of daily events that the patients participate in. For example, there are exercises, arts and crafts, brain games and afternoon movies. The patient is observed 24/7 for a period of 2 weeks. Each week the team meets to discuss each patient's progress and whether or not the prescribed medications are working or if medication modification is necessary.

6. A psychiatrist meets every day with each patient. The patients wear their normal street clothes and a wander bracelet for safety. During the first 3 days of treatment; it is recommended that family members do not visit. The purpose of no visitation is to assess the patient's true behavior. This type of program is needed and should be available in every city and state throughout America in every hospital. The program only takes patients 55 years old and up. This particular Facility's program should be used as the model to replicate everywhere.

7. At the conclusion of the 2 week stay, they were able to keep my Mom calm so she wasn't up and down and roaming all over and would sleep through the night. My Mom even participated in some classes. She thought she was in school and asked when she was getting her report card. The combination of medication this time around consisted of Namenda, Depakote, Lorazepam, Seroquel, this dosage went from 25 milligrams to a 300 mg time released formula. Everything seemed to be going well until I brought her home. She became very anxious and didn't know who I was. She thought that I was poisoning everything and was going to kill her and my son. When she bathed, she couldn't believe she wasn't turning blue. She came out of the bathroom naked. She said the audience was going to be mad at her. I immediately paged the Doctor and had spoken to him a few times prior. At this point, he said to bring her back. When we arrived at the hospital, my Mom knew something was going on and didn't want to go into the building. She ran from me. The hospital is on a busy street so I naturally panicked. After pretending, I was leaving, I got back into the car and she eventually got in. I drove to the back of the hospital where the team was waiting.

8. My Mom stayed another 2 weeks. During this time she was given a drug called GEODON, 40 mg. After seeing her on this drug, I thought she was cured. She was acting normal, and coherent, and spoke logically. I couldn't believe it. This drug along with the prior medications in 4 seemed to do the trick. My Mom acted normal with me during the remainder of her stay with me in CA. In the middle of August 2009, I transported her to St. Louis to stay with my brother. We share her jointly. I stayed in St. Louis for 2 weeks to ensure the transition would go smoothly.

Another noteworthy event was the flight to St. Louis. My Mom started to act somewhat crazy. She wanted scissors to cut her seat belt so she could get out. She kept fidgeting trying to get it to release. I had placed her in a window seat and made her stay seated until we landed. I tried my best to keep her distracted. Thank God we were close to landing. I think there is something that happens with the brain at high altitudes or under the condition of being in a compressed air environment. I asked the doctors, but no one could answer. Maybe the oxygen supply becomes thinner like when you climb a mountain. I believe there is a direct link with the brain and a person with Alzheimer's behavior so don't transport someone alone, like I did and if you can travel by ground do so.

9. Since my Mom has been in St. Louis and under my brother's care, she was approved as a candidate for a trial research drug program for Eli Lilly. It is approximately a 2 year program. The test medication has gone through many prior test trial programs. The programs have seen much success with the drug. This drug attacks the plaque in the brain and breaks it down. The plaque build-up is what expert believe causes Alzheimer's. My Mom receives an infusion every month. We don't know for sure if she is the patient receiving the actual medication or the placebo, but we believe that she is getting the drug. After the infusion, she becomes very alert and sometimes wakes up during the night. Since being on this trial program though my Mom has lost over 40 pounds and has more or less stopped eating sufficient meals. She is consuming protein shakes which contain 25 grams of protein along with other vitamins and minerals, bananas, berries, vegetable powder, ice cream or yogurt. She drinks these twice a day along with drinking a couple Ensures. We are not sure if her lack of appetite is due to the medication, progression of the disease, or a change in her environment. Her Doctor is okay with her current weight. She keeps asking "When am I going home, my Mother is looking for me." My Mom has incontinence and constipation and needs full assistance bathing and dressing. She has fallen a few times due to not always using a walker to steady her gait.

In conclusion, is there any real cure? No. Is there a treatment plan that can work? Yes, however, depending if you take the one doctor one drug at a time approach it may take a lifetime to find out what works and doesn't work and you may end up in the hospital from stress and fatigue. I recommend the team facility approach to expedite results. If Alzheimer's runs in you family, make sure to get a Durable Power of Attorney for Health and Finance and a Will and Living Will put in place early while you are still deemed competent for your health and finance. Also specify your wishes for facility placement should your care become too overwhelming for your family or caregiver. If you have assets, you may wish to gift them early to your heirs, the rule is 5 years or more so they are not taken for payment to get into a facility. There are also rules to qualify for Medicaid. If you are over the threshold but cannot pay 100% of a facility's monthly amount, Medicaid may kick in the difference which falls under paying for the Medically Needy. Medicaid has monthly income and asset thresholds. Check with your state to find out how much those thresholds are. You can normally find this information online.

I have a survey that I created to see if there is any correlation with a person's environment, foods they ate, cleaning fluids or chemicals they may have been exposed to. I am not a doctor or in the medical field, but I feel that if I could see all the data, I may be able to determine if there are any correlations with everyone, what is the common denominator. Doctors are working on curing Alzheimer's and not what is causing it. If you would like to participate with this survey, please email me at comments@herocardsinc.com. Or if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me. As always, let's thank our everyday Heroes, our military, firefighters, police force and especially our doctors, nurses, paramedics, caregivers, etc. Thank you!!!! Hero Cards, Inc. ( http://www.herocardsinc.com )

For more information on Alzheimer's, please go to the Alzheimer's Association website.

Important Keys to Proper Tackling in Football


Knowing how to tackle is a must for a defensive player. Offensive and special team players must also know how to perform a tackle in order to stop the other team. A good tackler should be agile, hostile, and aggressive. Therefore, it is important to install proper tackling drills and coach youth football players to be aggressive tacklers. Drilling should be performed with much repetition to come up with more confident and aggressive players.

The basic key to tackling is to lunge through the ball carrier while wrapping him up, then pushing with your legs. Proper tackling should be handled first with the shoulders and chest area, rather with the hands and arms.

The first step in tackling is to take position in front of the ball carrier with knees bent, hips low, back flat, and head up. As the ball carrier gets near, use your legs to drive through him. For better momentum, push your legs as hard as you can before lunging. Knock him over by wrapping your arms just under his butt. This gives out a lower chance of your tackle being broken. Put your head across his body and in his path to prevent him from falling forward for an extra yard.

For front-on tackling, you should hit with your shoulder pads. Most players tend to hit with their helmets, which is wrong. While on tackle, you should keep your feet moving and wrap both arms tightly around the ball carrier until he goes down. Don't stop until that guy is on the ground and wait until the whistle is blown.

One important attribute of a good tackler is his vision. He has to focus on the belt buckle area of the ball carrier to keep his head up in the proper position. He should avoid lowering his head to make contact to prevent injury. It's important that he keep his head up all the way. To secure the upper body on the tackle, he should slide the belt buckle in front of the ball carrier by punching his arms around him.

For the lower body, a good strategy would be to use the same leg, same shoulder; that is hitting with the left shoulder and using the left leg to drive the ball into the carrier. This strategy helps give more force and control.

For successful tackling, there should be two tacklers. The first one should aggressively come in contact with the ball carrier, wrap his arms around him, lift him, and drive him backwards, pumping the legs forcefully. The second one strips the ball loose from the carrier.

It's always important to remember that tackling is a team effort, not a solo act. The first tackler gets the carrier and the other one gets the ball. Keep it that way to avoid mess.

Low Cost Computer Assisted Knee Replacement Surgery - Why Modern Indian Hospitals?


Computer aided knee replacement(also known as computer assisted knee replacement surgery or computer aided knee arthroplasty) is attracting a large number of medical tourist to hospitals in India. The less invasive nature of this medical procedure, will also help increase the popularity in India of the total & partial knee replacement surgeries.

In this procedure a computer is installed with a medical surgery software and is connected to a surgery infra red camera & specialized surgical instruments. This "knee surgery computer system" is used by the surgeon to perform the knee replacement. This allows for more precision & accuracy during the surgery.The surgeon can see the computer generated image real time while preforming the knee operation. The alignment of the knee replacement implant is more accurate (accuracy of 0.5 mm and 0.5 degrees) & predictable compared to how it would be when doing surgery just with naked eyes.

The system acts as a GPS for the human body helping the surgeon by providing real time navigation information and enhanced 3-D visualization. The International Society for Computer Assisted Orthopedic Surgery is a non profit organization working towards the growth of this field.

Other advantages of computer aided knee replacement surgery in India are:

- Smaller incisions as its a minimally invasive surgery

- Faster recovery

- Less bleeding and lesser chance of blood clotting.

- Less pain

- Easy on patient & doctor

- Reduces chances of human error

- Increased implant longevity as it reduces chances of bad alignment requiring revision surgeries.

The total knee replacement usually lasts about 10 to 15 years. With the computer assisted orthopedic surgery the knee replacement can last up to 30 years without needing an replacement.

These advantages are achieved as computer assisted total knee replacement is a minimally invasive surgery (also known as laparoscopic or endoscopic surgery). In these type of surgeries specialized instruments, monitors, fiber optic lights, miniature cameras and computer monitors are used to perform the surgery though a small incision unlike a traditional surgery which is more invasive.

Although the surgery is performed using a computer system, this does not reduce the knowledge & experience that the surgeon needs for a successful knee replacement. The procedure combines the surgeons skill with computer technology. In India many surgeons have this expertise and experience. Research has shows that not only does the computer aided knee replacement results are clearly more favorable in comparison to conventional knee replacement surgery, but also it significantly reduces the chances of error outliers.

With advancements in surgical robotics & the field of computer assisted surgical navigation, the use of traditional surgery means for knee replacement will reduce. Computer assisted knee replacement is the future of knee replacement surgery.

A number of people visit India for this cutting edge medical procedure. Although premier hospitals in USA, Canada & UK have this latest medical procedure available, majority of the hospital don't. The associated price & cost of the Knee replacement surgery in India, Costa Rica & Mexico is about 50~80 percent less that what is in the USA.

Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates computer assisted(aided) knee surgery in India. The typical price of this surgery in India is about 20 percent of what is would cost in the USA. This price includes the estimated travel & lodging expenses that would be occurred for a person to fly form North America to India.

Get Attention Through Exercise


When you see someone walking, wherever it may be, with their head high, shoulders back, a look of accomplishment upon their face, in their eyes, and not in a rush-just sure of where they are going-you can't help but look on. It's magnetic! Perhaps, you know a person who commands attention, or maybe you are one yourself, every place they go-before they have even said a word! Is it merely physical attractiveness or is it something more? Generally good looking people have a self assuredness; because they have been told all their lives that they are...well, good looking, which gives them their air. It's no secret; people are drawn to other people who 'look' like they are completely confident in what they are doing-even if they don't.

Here is the thing; any of us can have that aura! It all starts with a little thing I like to call EXERCISE. Yes, it is that simple. Physical exertion releases endorphins, our bodies natural high, which helps us to feel better about ourselves. Working out also increases self confidence, many studies are proof of that, but let's look at the surface of the issue a bit more. The characteristics I mentioned in the first sentence were a reference to POSTURE; head high and shoulders back. When you slouch at work all day long, not only will it inevitably lead to chronic or acute injuries; people will view you as someone of less importance! That is just a fact of life. By integrating postural movements into your program you can change the way you look, feel, and the way people perceive you.

The first step is identifying your postural imbalances. Obviously, you can have a professional do this for you; however, if you know what you are looking for you can do a basic self assessment. The only tools you need are a full length mirror or a camera, so you can view yourself from front and side profiles, and a realistic and honest set of eyes.

10 common signs of poor posture:

1. Head juts forward

2. Shoulders are rounded forward

3. Shoulders are an uneven height

4. Upper back is rounded

5. Too much arc in lower back or extended stomach

6. Flat back

7. Hips are an uneven height

8. Hyper extended knees

9. "Knock knees" or bow-legged

10. Feet angle inwards or outwards

There are many great chiropractic sites online that will give you forms, check lists, visuals and/or other aids to help guide you. Chances are that unless you have a job as a dancer, or something similar, you will have some work to do.

Don't wait for headaches or back pain to occur before you decide to take the necessary steps. Improve your HEALTH, CONFIDENCE; and TURN HEADS wherever you go by exercising to improve your posture!

For more information on exercise visit fabscyberfitness.com.

Really Painful Knees Avoided With Knee Braces! - Improved Support Can Help Reduce Pain


Do you have really painful knees?

Maybe you do not have the pain all the time, but when it kicks in the discomfort can get really intense. -Maybe you can relate?

We hope you are just reading this article as a way to help your friend that has knee discomfort,...but hey let's face it, you are probably the one with pain problems. Aren't you?

Everyday activities such as walking, jumping, and running can all contribute and lead to soreness or pain in the knees. Such discomfort will be even more apparent in people who may have had a previous knee injury or who excessively exercise. Knee discomfort can increase quickly and can hinder an individual so bad that they can not move about as they used to. Often times people have trouble getting up from a sitting or laying position, and in some instances can not stand on their feet for extended periods of time due to their pained knees.

When you experience discomfort like this or even begin to experience mild discomfort, you should immediately take a good hard look at your lifestyle and find the source behind your really painful knees. If you have experienced really painful knees then you know it can be a living nightmare! So, Let's do something about it.

How a Knee Brace can Help Really Painful Knees

A knee brace is a simple tool that can be purchased by anyone and can either be slipped on or wrapped around the knee. Once in place the brace will help protect the structures of your knee and will provide additional support, which in turn can actually help prevent many common knee pains and soreness. When used on a regular basis or while taking part in strenuous activities such as exercising or sporting events, a knee support can assist in preventing further injury.

If you do not suffer from really painful knees yet, but know you need careful then you should also consider these supports. They are very unobtrusive and are also very affordable. Taking preventive measures to protect your knees now, will save you from experiencing really painful knees in the near future.

It is always a good idea to discuss your condition with your physician of course. Sure we all know that is true, but if you think that you could benefit from improved support then you should seriously consider what this article has mentioned thus far, it could be the moment that your knees started to feel better without having to go in for an invasive surgical procedure or a trip to the ER down the line...

Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Wear and Tear Degenerative Arthritis


Osteoarthritis is a condition of the joints that occurs in any number of locations, but is commonly found in the knee. The most common symptom is pain and stiffness of the affected joint. As humans age, more cartilage is lost than formed, and pain may result after a certain amount of cartilage is lost.

The pain can be magnified first thing in the morning and later in the evening. In very serious cases of osteoarthritis of the knee, the total loss of cartilage can result in bone-on-bone friction that causes severe pain and limited mobility. Symptoms are different for every person, but it is common for people to not have any physical pain from osteoarthritis in the knee for years.

One of the main causes of osteoarthritis in the knee is being overweight or obese. The extra weight causes the knees to experience undue stress because they are constantly forced to support a weight that is too heavy. The disease can also be caused by repeated injuries or surgeries.

Over time, the knee experiences degenerative cartilage damage that can cause the knee to become bent inward or outward. This bowlegged curvature can eventually cause people to limp or have limited walking ability, and often leads to the need for a total knee replacement.

Diagnosing Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the knee is commonly diagnosed with a simple x-ray. The x-ray can identify loss of cartilage, bone spurs, and the narrowing of joint space. The method is also used to exclude causes of pain and help with the creation of a treatment plan.

Arthrocentesis involves removing fluid from the joint. The fluid is then analyzed to exclude infections, gout and other causes of arthritis. Often times, corticosteroids are injected into the knee joints to relieve pain and inflammation.

Arthroscopy is a surgery that is used to detect knee damage and other abnormalities. In some cases, arthroscopy can be an effective way to repair knee damage caused by osteoarthritis in the knee.

Treating Osteoarthritis of the Knee

There are several treatment options for osteoarthritis of the knee. They range from commonly used mainstream supplements such as glucosamine and pain medication, to prescription drugs, weight loss and exercise regimens, and surgery.

It is important to see a doctor to properly diagnose osteoarthritis and create a treatment plan moving forward. In any case, signs and symptoms like those discussed above should never be ignored. Left untreated, the pain can get worse and cause serious damage. Talk with your health care provider today.

ACL Reconstruction Knee Brace - After Surgical Repair it is Important to Use This Knee Brace


3 Things We Already Know About You...

A.) You do not want to get bored when reading this article.

B.) We know you do not want to mess around with your knee after an ACL reconstruction. - You will want the support it takes to make sure your knee does not continue to have problems!

C.) You do not want to spend way too much money on a brace.

We got you covered,... Let's get down to business.

After a surgical repair of your knee, you will want to support your knee in the correct way. - In order to do that, we need you to ask yourself 2 questions. You will understand why in a moment...

1.) What is your knee pain on a scale 1-10? On this subjective scale, 10 is the highest your pain could be... Please record the answer you get.

2.) What is your knee instability on a subjective scale 1-10? 10 is again, the worst. Again, please record the answer you get.

(If after reviewing your numbers and you find that you have moderate to severe knee pain or instability, then this article was written for you. If you have mild knee pain or instability this article can still help you, and you will see how at the end of this article... )

Taking Your ACL Reconstruction Seriously

Let's face it. Sometimes you have no choice but to have surgery. Other times it is more of an elective procedure for an ACL reconstruction, but either way, you will need to protect your knee after surgery.

There are:

(A) "Post-operative" knee braces for the moment you get out of surgery,

and there are

(B.) knee braces you can use for the rest of your activities, once your physician has cleared you to get active again.

When it is time to get your functional knee brace (one that was not used directly after surgery) you will need to get the best one possible (at an affordable price) and here we will talk about a few things to remember. This part can save you some serious time and money!

Lightweight Design

Many supportive knee braces avoid being bulky and heavy by using a quality material called, 6061-T6 aircraft aluminum. This material is both lightweight and strong. If you want to get a bulky brace or make your leg feel heavy you might want to think about other materials...

Non-custom vs Custom Knee Braces

Money Saving Time! - Some people are tricked into thinking that any knee brace has to be custom made in order for it to be effective. This is not the case! In fact, many times you might pay up to $1500.oo for a custom knee brace, when you could have paid less than 1/3 of that for an equivalent non-custom support. - Trust us, we are licensed brace specialists. We are honestly trying to save you some cash here...

Prophylactic Use: Whether you are an active adolescent or adult, and you like to play contact, extreme, and/or water sports a well designed knee brace can help support and protect your knee from further or future injury. If you are concerned that you might hurt yourself, or hurt yourself even more than you currently are now, then a knee brace can help you maintain proper alignment and help promote healing!

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Symptoms and Treatment of an Unstable Kneecap - Get the Knee Stability That You Deserve!


Symptoms And Treatment Of An Unstable Kneecap

Often, people who participate in a lot of heavy duty sports suddenly find themselves afflicted with an unstable kneecap. This condition is characterized by abnormal movement of the kneecap and a sensation of not being able to balance well. This is due to the kneecap not sliding properly within its central groove on the femur. In order to properly comprehend an unstable kneecap however, it is necessary to first understand the structure of the kneecap.

Structure Of The Kneecap

The kneecap actually covers the end of the thighbone. It sits atop the end of the thighbone with a layer of cartilage in between. This allows the kneecap to slide smoothly over the bone. In a normal kneecap, there is a central groove in the kneecap that fits over the end of the thighbone. This keeps the kneecap sliding straight up and down, allowing the knee to function normally. With an unstable kneecap, however, the kneecap no longer slides normally.

Symptoms Of An Unstable Kneecap

o Kneecap slides to the side
o Knee is no longer able to support weight and buckles
o Knee catches and locks when being moved
o Cracking or creaking of the knee
o Swelling
o Stiffness

If you suffer from one or more of the above symptoms, then it is possible that you have an unstable kneecap.

Dangers Of An Unstable Kneecap

For some people, an unstable kneecap is no more than a minor inconvenience. In others, it can be a problem that causes excruciating pain and leaves them bedridden. For those who do not suffer to such a severe extent, however, having an unstable kneecap poses great dangers. In a normal knee, where the kneecap sits firmly atop the end of the thighbone, it is quite difficult for the kneecap to move in any other direction.

With an unstable kneecap, however, the normal mechanisms that keep the kneecap in its proper place have already failed. This means that the kneecap is very easily dislocated. A dislocated kneecap is a very serious injury that also causes unbearable pain. This can occur if a twisting force or large impact is applied to the knee joint. Often, this happens as a result of a fall.

Necessary Precautions

One of the precautions that many doctors will deem necessary, if you suffer from an unstable patella, is to wear a knee brace. Braces can vary in complexity from a simple cloth sleeve that is worn over the knee to complex devices constructed from some lightweight metal, cloth, drtyex and other materials. The type of knee brace you choose to wear should depend on the severity of your condition. The main purpose of wearing a knee brace, in this situation, however, is to prevent your kneecap from slipping too far out of its normal position.

A knee brace will support your knee and perform some of the function that is usually performed by the knee. This takes some of the pressure of supporting your body weight off your knee. If you have an unstable knee, then this is very important to prevent your kneecap from becoming dislocated. It also helps to prevent your knee from sustaining other serious injuries.

If you have problems with a dislocating knee cap then you should seriously consider a knee brace today. These supports can really help to keep your patella aligned.

Can Your Own Stem Cells Regenerate Cartilage?


Lay media attention on stem cell (SC) therapy has generally focused on two areas:

1. The promise of embryonic SC
2. The proliferation of charlatans preying on the dreams and fears of helpless patients.

While embryonic SC, in theory, appear to potentially be the best option for tissue regeneration, the hype has exceeded the hope. Because of political and ethical concerns, research efforts using these cells has been disappointing.

At the same time, news articles and television commentaries have also dealt with controversial areas of SC therapy. An inordinate amount of time has been devoted to exposing the seamy side... individuals involved in obvious hucksterism, the possible abuse of SC therapy by practitioners, as well as the implication that all SC research conducted outside academic centers is suspect.

As a result, there has been neglect regarding of some fascinating and promising work, particularly in arthritis treatment.

One of the more intriguing studies was recently published by Korean investigators (Pak J. Regeneration of human bones in hip osteonecrosis and human cartilage in knee osteoarthritis with autologous adipose-derived stem cells: a case series. J Med Case Reports. 2011; 7: 296)

The Korean physicians treated four patients. Two (a 29 year old woman and a 47 year old man) had osteonecrosis of the hip. Two other patients (a 70 year old woman and a 79 year old man) had osteoarthritis of the knee. They were all given a mixture of autologous stem cells (the patient's own stem cells) derived from fat along with platelet rich plasma, hyaluronic acid, nanogram amounts of dexamethasone, and calcium chloride.

Pre and post treatment MRI scans were obtained in all subjects. In the case of patients with osteonecrosis, new bone formation was noted. In the patients with osteoarthritis, new cartilage formation was seen.

Along with the MRI findings, both subjective pain measures and functional outcomes improved.

I found these findings to be extremely interesting for a number of reasons.

First, the mixture used in the Korean report is similar to the one that we use at our center, with one exception. The exception is this: In addition to the SC, we also use bone marrow derived stem cells.

And, while our center has had excellent results with knee osteoarthritis (more than 90 per cent success), our experience with both hip osteoarthritis as well as hip osteonecrosis has been disappointing.

Why the difference between hip and knee? I suspect it's because the mechanical forces are different. The anatomy of the hip joint allows extreme rotation as opposed to the knee joint which is primarily a hinge joint with some rotation and some gliding. Activity level and body weight may also be contributing factors.

Nonetheless, this report from Korea underscores what we believe to be true... the use of autologous stem cells, also known as repair stem cells, will prove to be a fruitful area of progress in osteoarthritis research for years to come.

Knee Injuries - Why They Are So Common in Children


Knee injuries are a familiar reason why professional football stars are often out of action. They are also the reason many children and young people have to sit on the sidelines, missing out on the sports they enjoy. Knee injuries are extremely common in children and young people, especially as they undergo growth spurts, putting their joints under additional strain.

So it is well worth parents having a working knowledge of the knee joint so that you can help prevent sports injury in your child.

Knee injuries are, in fact, the most common sports injuries experienced by school children, as they often occur during the kinds of sports activities that take place at school - especially rugby, football and hockey. All of these put pressure on the knee joint through running, jumping and, twisting and landing - as well as the inevitable occasional collision!

As the largest joint in the body, the knee sits in the middle of three bones - the shin bone (the tibia), the thigh bone (the femur) and the knee cap (the patella). The ends of the patella and the femur are cushioned by cartilage, so that they do not rub against each other.

There are extra pads of cartilage called menisci above the tibia, to help absorb the weight of the body. Each knee has two of these - an inside meniscus (medial) and an outside meniscus (lateral).

So, in other words, there are quite a few parts that can go wrong!

And this is quite apart from the muscles, tendons and ligaments that all work together to help the knee move.

The muscles involved in moving the knee are the quadriceps at the front of the thigh and the hamstring behind the thigh. Tendons connect the muscles to the bones, whilst ligaments connect bones to other bones or to cartilage. There are no less than four ligaments in the knee, connecting the tibia to the femur.

These are the medial collateral ligament, on the inside; the lateral collateral ligament, on the outside; the anterior cruciate ligament, at the centre and the posterior cruciate ligament, at the back.
Most lay people have no idea that such a simple thing as a knee joint is actually so complex and has so many different parts!

The most common injury in a child is a knee sprain. This is the term used to describe a stretch or tearing of a ligament.

The arterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most common knee ligament to be damaged in a sports injury, usually by a sudden twist or landing badly after a jump.

It can be very painful and is often accompanied by a snapping sound in the poor child's knee when the injury happens

Another common injury is a strain. This is when the child has torn a muscle or tendon. Again, it will be very painful and in this case you may see bruises around the knee.

Then, there is also the risk of tendinitis. This can happen when a tendon gets inflamed or irritated. This very common sports injury most often leads to pain on walking or trying to extend a leg.

If you have a young boy, aged around 10-15, you may be unlucky enough to encounter Osgood Schlatter Disease, as it is very common in growing lads in this age group. Typically, the youngster will feel pain just below the front of the kneecap on the tibia, and this gets worse with activity.

For most knee injuries, the best advice is to rest the knee and apply compression. In many cases, a knee brace can help.

If you are very unlucky, surgery may be necessary. However, that is made easier as these days as an orthopaedist can perform arthroscopy. This is a form of surgery that means the orthopaedist can make a very small opening and look straight into your child's knee joint, using a tube with a tiny video camera on the end. That way, he can exactly identify the precise nature of the problem and the whole process can be made more straightforward.

As ever, however, prevention is always better than cure! So always encourage your child to wear protective equipment for sport, such as kneepads and shin guards. Knee support including knee straps and knee braces can also help prevent further injury if your child's knee has been injured previously, making it more vulnerable.

In addition, stress to your child that it is really important he or she always warm up and cools down before and after sport or other vigorous activity. Many children do not understand why this matters, so they are less inclined to make it is a vital part of their routine.

Increasing awareness about knee injuries, knee support and sports first aid can help your child stay fit, avoiding unnecessary pain and the misery of having to stay on the sidelines.