Understanding the Onset, Treatment & Prognosis of Degenerative Knee Cartilage - The Unforgiving Pain

Is your knee giving you problems?

Debilitating pain combined with a progressively limited range of motion is symptomatic of degenerative knee cartilage. Also called osteoarthritis, this condition is indicated by the wearing away of the cartilage in the knee, which could be caused by old age, excessive repetitive movements, or excessive pressure.

What is Cartilage? What Role does it Play?

Cartilage is an elastic substance that covers the ends of the leg bones where they meet at the knee joint. The cartilage is smooth and slippery, allowing for proper movement within the knee, which enables a person to flex their leg without feeling pain. The elasticity allows of the cartilage to act as a shock absorber, preventing severe damage if and when there is any impact to the knees.

When this knee cartilage breaks down the cushioning effect is lost. When this happens the bones in the joint can grate against each other during any movement, causing excruciating pain.

Cartilage typically undergoes a natural rate of degeneration as the individual gets older. In effect, after a certain age, every person will experience some degree of degenerative knee cartilage; the only difference being in the severity of the condition and the impact it has on the individual's mobility.

What are the Treatment Options for Degenerative Knee Cartilage

Although typically osteoarthritis takes time to build up, it can eventually lead to the breakdown of all the cartilage in the knee. At its most severe, the only solution to the problem is surgery and radical reconstruction. This is only done when there is no other choice, however. The procedure is not risk-free and the patient may not regain anything close to the full range of motion the used to have at the joint.

For mild to moderate cases, however, there are several forms of less-invasive treatment that have proven effective for many individuals. Drug therapy using anti-inflammatory drugs have proven to be quite effective at reducing pain levels. Glucosamine and chondroitin have also proven to be quite effective at promoting regeneration of knee cartilage to some extent. (When using these treatment options you should always speak with your physician.)

The symptoms of degenerative cartilage can be very effectively managed using knee braces as a physical form of treatment. A brace is a device that is designed to wrap snugly around the knee which can provide meaningful support that can really help reduce knee pain and help maintain proper alignment.

What is the Prognosis for Degenerative Cartilage?

While degenerative knee cartilage is a progressive and incurable condition to have, the good news is it can be managed. If it is detected early enough, effective measures can be taken to prevent the condition from deteriorating even further and out of control. A brace worn over the knee will do much to hold the knee in place preventing inadvertent movement, which could cause further pain. In addition to being easily available and relatively inexpensive, knee supports are a great way to take your stability to the next level.

A Soccer Knee Brace - Support Your Knees on the Field

Question: Do you enjoy playing soccer, but your knees are giving you problems?

Introduction: If you enjoy playing the game of soccer, you already know how valuable your knees are. Without them, you are merely a spectator. While the game of soccer is still exciting from the sidelines, some of us still want to be active and play. - This free information will discuss the beneficial use of knee braces when playing soccer, and it will focus on how to save money when buying a knee brace, as well as how to choose the best one for yourself.

1.) Painful Scenarios

We asked many players when their knees hurt them the most and here is what we were told... Players knees hurt the most when they:

A.) Come to a grinding halt and have to change direction quickly.

B.) Pain or instability seems to flare when a player also has to perform side to side movements that are done repetitively.

C.) Running forwards and then quickly having to do a back peddle. In other words, changing from an offensive threat to a defensive position.

Each of these scenarios is what most soccer players have pointed to as being problematic. You may find that your situation is the same, or a little different.

2.) Is You Pain or Instability Mild, Moderate, or Severe?

Knee braces are all based on how much support you may need. It is important to determine for yourself if you have a mild, moderate or severe knee problem. - Usually it is best to error on the side of more instability or pain, because when you get a brace, you will find that more support is required when your knee hits its limits. In sum, instability and pain are categorized by mild, moderate or severe categories.

3.) Custom or Off The Shelf Braces

These days, with all the research that has been done, you will find that non-custom braces are being used more because people do not want to spend the money on a custom knee support when they can get equal support from a non-custom brace. The savings is not small either. You can save up to $1500, if you go with a well designed knee brace verses a custom made knee support! - Just remember that when you are going to be spending your hard earned money!

(This information is health oriented. It should never be a substitute for the medical advice that your physician will give you.)

Arthritis Joint Pain - Ayurvedic Remedies and Treatments That Work

About 80% of the world population is within the clutches of the ailment called arthritis. Arthritis is characterized by joint inflammation. It is a chronic disorder making mobility, day to day activities and life altogether quite difficult. Pain or arthralgia is the ruling symptom of arthritis, and there is not a single arthritis patient who would not complain of aching joints. Arthritis causes the joints to wear out. To understand the cause of the pain, we have to cast a glance at the structure and functioning of a joint in human body.

A joint is surrounded by a protective cover called capsule. Two bone heads meeting at a joint turn on each other, and the muscles around the joint contract and relax, thereby collectively facilitating movement of the joints. The joint cavity is filled with synovial fluid which acts as a lubricating agent and absorbs the external jerks or shocks. The point where the bone heads meet, cartilages occur. Cartilages play a vital role in inhibiting friction between bones, and provide a padded surface for the free and smooth movement of bones. When the cartilages get damaged or wear out due to factors like aging, obesity, they can no more check bone friction. The bones get rubbed against each other, and may even get eroded to form spur like outgrowths called osteophytes.

The result is an inflamed and painful joint. Aging is a major factor causing arthritis. With age, the cartilages become weak, can no more resist day to day wear and tear, and start flaking. This degeneration leads to loss of cartilage and exposure of bones to friction. If body weight increases, that too can lead to painful joints. The cartilages wear out under the load of the extra body weight, causing arthritis. Apart from the above two factors, heredity, past history of traumatic joint injury or infection, may in course of time, lead to painful joints. Cartilage degeneration is the leading cause of joint pain; but also accumulation of fluids and uric acid crystals within joints can cause arthritis joint pain. Joint pain may even occur when the body's own immune system start consuming the healthy tissues at the joint. This is true in case of rheumatoid arthritis. Knee, hip, shoulder, ankle, wrist and even spine are the joints vulnerable to the attack of arthritis.

Symptoms

1. Excruciating pain at the joints
2. Swelling
3. Stiffness
4. Redness of skin
5. Deformity in the joint area
6. Crepitus or a cracking sound while moving affected joint
7. Constipation
8. Colitis

Rumatone Gold Capsule and Oil are ayurvedic remedies for reducing arthritis joint pain and inflammation. These herbal supplements and massage oil are clinically formulated to ease pain and discomfort associated with arthritis. Rumatone Gold is widely used and trusted ayurvedic remedy to get relief from arthritis symptoms.

The Health Benefits of Rowing

Slide seat rowing is the most magnificent sport there is, according to Fritz Hagerman, Ph.D., a professor in the Biological Science Department at Ohio University. Hagerman, who studies exercise physiology such as aerobic and anaerobic capacities, metabolic response, and the effects of blood lactate levels on athletes, found that competitive rowers expended almost twice the number of calories on a 2,000-meter course as a runner in a 3,000-meter steeplechase. He says the latter is considered one of the toughest events.

Doctors say there are now 1,000,000 joint replacement surgeries performed each year due to high impact sporting related activities. In 1999, 440,000 people had joint replacement surgery in the United States, with the hip and knee making up 98 percent of those procedures. For hip surgeries, the average age was 66 and for knees, the average age was 68.

Both competitive and recreational rowing are unique in comparison to most sports in that they exercise all of your major muscle groups. Everything from your legs, back, and arms are engaged while rowing. In addition, rowing is a low-impact sport. When executed properly, the rowing stroke is a fairly safe motion, providing little room for the serious injury often found in contact and high-impact sports.

The motion of each stroke is made up of four parts that flow into one another. These are the catch, the drive, the finish, and the recovery. The following is a description of the bio-mechanics of rowing.

The catch is the start of each stroke and it is the moment when you place your oar into water. The legs, hips and shoulders in use during the catch involve the following muscle groups: quadriceps, gastrocenius, soleus, gluteus maximus, and biceps brachii.

The drive
As you begin to push with your legs, you are entering the drive of the stroke. During the drive your l egs, back and arms are working with the trapezlus, posterio deltoid, quadriceps, pectorals major and biceps brachii muscle groups.

The pull
Once the legs are fully extended, you begin to pull the oar in with your arms and swing your shoulders backward, bringing yourself to the finish position. You have just utilized the rest of the entire body's muscle groups as follows: g luteus maximus, quadriceps, brachioradialis, and abdominal.

The recovery
The entire process is repeated, each movement flowing into the next, forming another stroke.

Achieve fitness goals faster A University of Stockholm study has confirmed the added benefits of recreational activities when performed in an outdoor setting. Many of us already suspected that we exercise harder with outdoor exercise without feeling as tired or even like we have worked hard. We also know that the higher the exercise intensity, the sooner fitness goals can be reached. Achieving fitness goals more quickly with the improvements that are gained such as weight loss, reduced stress levels, shaping and toning are the rewards that help us stick with our workout program and continue to see improvements.

In a recent conversation with Dr. Grant Gainor, Chiropractor to local Olympic rowers and professional athletes, about rowing in the real world versus on a rowing machine, further advantages were clarified. According to Dr. Gainor, the range of motion required when rowing on the water is dictated by the need to shift the hands at the "catch" and "release" which require a deliberate alteration in the plane of motion in the movement. This in conjunction with the variables of the water surface and surrounding obstacles takes you into a constant state of awareness and hence pro-perceptive activity that is hard to emulate on a rowing machine. He stated that on a physical, structural level this is true but on a mental or emotional level it is even more so. He believes that the impact on us in dealing with the stress of modern society is hard to calculate, but the effect of consistent and all encompassing activity combined with the environment, in his experience, has an unparalleled impact upon helping the individual to maintain health, which to him is more that just fitness.

Rowing is also a time-efficient work out and a low impact sport enjoyed by all ages.

Reduce the health effects of stress and increased cortisol
Stress causes chemical changes in the body such as increased cortisol levels that, left unchecked, can have negative effects on both mental and physical health. High levels of stress contribute to health issues as diverse as depression, insomnia, heart disease, skin disorders and headaches. Interestingly enough, stress has been the subject of more than 20,000 scientific studies.

One 10-year study by Kiecolt-Glaser looked at the effects of stress on health of medical students. The research revealed decreased levels of the body's natural killer cells, which fight infections and tumors, during even the familiar stress periods of exams. Whether you are studying for a test or just trying to cover extra bills, stress can have a negative effect on health.

Another study from "Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association'' showed that mental stress can actually reduce blood flow to the heart. Combined with bad cholesterol and smoking the risk factor of stress on coronary heart disease patients was notable.

Even though studies confirm stress can have devastating consequences for our overall heath, we sometimes pride ourselves on working longer and harder, staying on top of the competition and working late at the office. This may set us up for the stress cycle.

To break free from the vicious stress cycle and stave off emotional fatigue and depression, try regular rowing along a local waterway. Your overall health will improve as your tension melts away with each breath of fresh, negative ion rich air.

Be environment friendly
Lastly while rowing you abstain from using an outboard motor and can enjoy the added peace of mind knowing you are not contributing the abrasive sounds, awful smell and heavy pollution levels of outboard power boating. For further information on this I recommend the book "Polluting for Pleasure" by Andre Mele. In 1993 his initial calculations showed that 50 million gallons of oil per year, or the equivalent of 5 Exxon Valdes oil spills were being released by pleasure boaters into the US waterways per year. In the end he concluded that outboard pleasure boating produces as much hydrocarbon pollution as all the road vehicles in America.

Aside from full body conditioning which builds lean muscle mass while burning 600 calories per hour, rowing allows you to release stress, lose weight and reduce your blood pressure. It's a great opportunity to enjoy movement and your connection with the water as you take each stroke. It can also be the opportunity to push yourself beyond limits you ever thought possible.

Knee Pain Relief - Sprains & Strains - Knee Braces That Can Help

The knee is the largest joint on the human body, and it is also the most used joint. Your knees take a pounding throughout your lifetime, and almost everyone suffers from a sprained or strained knee at some point in their lives.

Whether you fall awkwardly or jar your knee, spraining or straining the knee joint is a common occurrence. - We will talk about some of the symptoms of knee sprains and strains, and also how you can help avoid them with the use of a knee brace.

A sprain is a stretching of the ligaments that join your bones together. They can be painful, and depending on the severity, they can also be debilitating. If you suffer from a second or third degree sprain, which is a tearing of the ligaments as opposed to just stretching them, you can lose your mobility altogether. Sprains can take weeks to heal, and in some cases, physical therapy is needed to gain back all of the movement you had before you suffered a sprained knee. If the knee sprain is severe enough, you may have to undergo surgery to correct the problem.

Some symptoms of a knee sprain or strain include:

Swelling

Loss of mobility in the knee joint

A grating sound

Numbness

Pain

A bulge that was not there before

If you are a sports enthusiast, there is no need to quit sports in order to prevent a knee sprain from occurring. Instead, you could simply try wearing a knee brace. Nothing is perfect, but a well designed knee brace can definitely help! People will often times think that there is a certain knee brace called a "football knee brace" or a "basketball knee brace", but these are just the sports that people can use knee braces for. The truth is that many different knee braces can be used when participating in these sports.

For example, if you need A sports knee brace should be used in conjunction with the injury that you have, or one you are trying to prevent. Knee braces can help to support the knee, and prevent injuries from occurring. They are fairly inexpensive, if you go to the right provider, and they can be found online. (One tip for finding a good vendor is that you should see if they have brace credentials, and are not just online salesmen.)

Weight lifters also use knee braces quite a bit. It only makes sense, really, since they are asking their bodies to lift an above average amount of weight. With almost any exercise that weight has to be carried, a knee brace can be a logical conclusion.

How To Do Alpaca Shearing On Your Own

Alpaca Shearing is only needed once a year, yet good cutting is essential for being able to market your fiber as the highest quality. If you are a new alpaca owner, you will need to balance the need to be frugal with the need to offer a quality fleece cut in the way that mills or artisans need in order to spin strong yarn.

First off, shearing is done in late spring, this allows the alpaca to stay cooler as summer comes along and to have the fleece growing in by the time colder weather comes. If timing allows, one of the best investments of your time and money would be to attend a shearing workshop. Nothing beats seeing and hearing actual shearing going on. Many farms offer workshops as a way to supplement their farm income. Once you become an expert, you could offer workshops as well.

Good equipment is key. If you have dull blades or do not have them set correctly, you will be hacking up your good fiber as well as building up your frustration. So the shearing blades you use should always be cleaned and well oiled. You also need a well sharpened comb to use with your shears. When you first place your comb onto your shears, let the shears run for at least 30 seconds. The vibrations serve to actually settle the comb into line with the blades and your first cut will be sharper. This is one area where you really should buy the best of the best, as low quality and low powered shears will clog, dull and rip up your fiber.

If your new blades won't cut, then the blade set is not correct. The tension needs adjustment or the protective coating is still on the new blades.

You should have a nice thin but strong bag to put your fleece into. Use one bag for each alpaca. You should have index cards, or tags or something to use as a label for each bag. You should put the date, the name of the animal, and the quality of the fleece as a first or second. You should never mix the two. Also write any other notes you want to know or your buyer may want to know about your fleece. Try not to bag your fleece if it is damp. Simply let it air dry before you bag it.

You can shear using a mat on the ground, standing or a shearing table. If using a mat, it can be very hard on your knees and back if you are doing multiple animals. If using a table, it can be difficult to secure the animal on to the table. A tilting table may be the solution. The key to shearing no matter what position you are going to use is control of the legs. Alpacas can and will kick and depending on their temperament may struggle and even scream. If you are using a table, the leg restraint cords will be positioned well. The rope should be above the first joint, not too tight to hurt, not too loose to allow slippage or escape.

If you stand your alpaca, it is helpful to secure the head and to position it against a wall to help you keep it in one spot. Alpacas will often drop down to the cush position at some point, so be prepared to follow it down and perhaps up again. If shearing on the ground, two strong helpers taking each end are invaluable.

For any position of shearing, you will want your cuttings to be as long as possible. This means you will want to be as close to the skin as possible. A comb with more teeth will allow you to cut closer to the skin as it lifts and separates the fiber. Placing a tarp on the ground under the shearing table or alpaca will help you to keep your fiber cleaner and allow you to collect all as quickly as possible. Clean your area after each animal to keep the fiber pure.

Long and smooth cuts will give you the best fiber. Start with the upper part of the rear leg, pull the skin slightly toward the outer leg and cut up and then toward and then along the belly. This will be considered thirds, but will allow you clean access to the more valuable fiber. Then you repeat with the front leg, cutting up the leg and then along the belly toward the cut you just made. Now you can finish the tops of the legs and you can bag these as seconds. You should have cut up to and maybe a small way into the blanket area. Now cut from the top of the hind leg forward and up over the whole blanket.

Start your cuts from the belly area and working your way up to the spine. The longer you can cut the fiber and the smoother you can run each cut the better. This can be bagged as prime or first cut if you are able to cut it long. If you cut it shorter and have to go back and make another cut, then you should label this as seconds.

You can now shear up the neck. Take care here as well, as the legs are prone to being nicked. The chest area of the alpaca is very easy to nick, and your best technique is to shear upward. This may be seconds or thirds, depending on how many guard hairs and how long the fiber is. Now you can trim off all the rest. It is customary to leave a puff of hair on the crown of the head and to just trim the tail a little. Repeat on the other side. Note some shearing professionals call the cuts "blows".

Here's a good tip. In order to have as little contamination in your fleece as possible, it's a good idea to shear from light colors to darker colors and from fine fiber animals to the coarser fleeced animals.

If you go into your first shearing knowing you will bungle the cuts, you will trip over your cords and all sorts of other little mishaps. You need to be relaxed and the alpacas will realize you are relaxed. They will be easier to work with and less stressed.

Your first shearing may take up to an hour. That's ok, as you go along, you will be able to knock this time down to 5 to 10 minutes for an alpaca. Alpaca shearing on your own can be a struggle at first, but it does get easier with each animal.

Brandon Roy: Comeback Kid

One of the greatest things about sports is an inspirational story. Obviously, people watch sports for the actual sporting events themselves. But, there is also another magical part of the sporting world that can relate to anyone, no matter what their level of sports knowledge or actual interest is. The stories that develop with players and teams we love to love, and just as much, love to hate. These stories are the things that make names who wouldn't be so well known, such as Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin last year, valid topics of discussion in our daily lives. Seriously, think back to the last year in sports. You could not turn on ESPN or go to any sports website without seeing some mention of "Tebowing" or "Linsanity". It is moments like this that make the world of sports such an incredible world to be a part of.

Another moment may be on the horizon for us during the upcoming NBA season. After the sudden retirement of Brandon Roy before last year's NBA season, he will be lacing the sneakers back up to hit the hardwood once again during the upcoming season.

One of the absolute worst things that can happen to an athlete is injury. When you're playing sports, no matter what regulations are set in place, injuries are an inevitable element. Some injuries come and go, but others can linger and haunt an athlete for an entire career. It appeared that Roy was going to become another helpless victim on the long list of great athletes who's potential and dreams would be taken away. When dealing with injuries, one of the most cringe worthy phrases to hear is "career ending." This is the exact phrase we heard just over a year ago when it related to Brandon Roy. The doctors went as far as to say Roy "can't do this" and that he "might end up not walking." All scary thoughts for any person to hear, especially for a 27 year old. Roy went through a series of knee problems throughout his career. Without any cartilage in his knees, it is hard to believe Roy will even be making a comeback.

Brandon Roy first entered the league in the 2006 NBA Draft. Roy was fresh off his senior season with the Washington Huskies, where he lead his team to a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Besides averaging 20 points per game, Roy was bestowed with the award of Pac-10 player of the year. Going in to the draft, Roy was known for his slashing ability and great shooting. He was considered by many to be a "sure thing" in the NBA, and considered by many to be the top prospect in the draft class. With the sixth pick in the 2006 NBA Draft (My inner David Stern just came out.), the Timberwolves selected Brandon Roy. The Timberwolves would not be the destination for Roy for very long, as he was traded to Portland. The Blazers draft night in 2006 may have taken top honors for the night, not only did they add Roy to the team, but they also added LaMarcus Aldridge to the roster.

I don't think there is any doubt that Brandon Roy not only lived up to the hype, but he far exceeded it. Roy went on to average 17 points per game, along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds. These numbers were not only good enough for a place on the rookie squad of the annual Rookie/Sophomore game during All-Star weekend, they were also good enough for Roy to earn the year's NBA Rookie of the Year award. Although Roy had fantastic numbers throughout the season, it wasn't a season without injury. Roy missed 20 games early on with a left heel injury.

The next season was another excellent season for Roy. Some players have a sophomore slump, but not Brandon Roy. It was more of a "sophomore skyrocket." The reason this term is fitting is because it seemed the possibilities were endless for the young player. In the previous season, he was a member of the Rookie team during All-Star Weekend. This season, he returned to play for the sophomore team during the Rookie/Sophomore game. This wouldn't be all for Roy during the coveted weekend, as he was also chosen as an All-Star reserve for the Western Conference. For only his second season in the league, it was a great honor for Roy to be chosen by the coaches in the NBA to be apart of the Western All-Star team. Besides these accolades, Roy increased his points per game to 19 points, paired with a slight increase in the rebounds and assists categories as well.

The breakout season of Brandon Roy was bestowed upon us in the 2008-09 season. In just his third season in the NBA, Roy increased his points per game once again from 19 points, to nearly 23 points a game. The 22.6 points per game stat was enough to make Roy a top ten scorer in the NBA, coming in at number ten. An excellent comparison to show how great of a scorer Roy had become from the previous season to this one can be showcased through his 30+ points games. In the previous season, Roy only had two 30+ points games. In this season, Roy had ELEVEN of them. Not to mention, Roy delivered a 52 point game against the Phoenix Suns. Besides the stats, he also kept adding more and more accomplishments to his record. At season's end, Roy was named to the All-NBA Second Team. He was also 9th in MVP voting for the season. Impressive stats and accomplishments for a third year player in the league.

Although Roy was on the rise in the 08-09 season, it was also the awakening of his knee problems. At the beginning of this season, Roy underwent a 20 minute surgery to remove a piece of cartilage from his knee that was causing irritation. The doctor described the knee problems with, "He's just got a basketball player's knee." This was not the first time that Roy had underwent surgery, though. In 2001, surgery was performed on his left knee while he was in high school. Just three years later in 2004, Roy had another knee surgery on his other knee during his Junior season at Washington. After the surgery in 2008, it was hopeful that Roy would be perfectly fine and go on to be the face of the Portland Trail Blazers for years to come. Sadly, it was just wishful thinking.

Before the 2009-10 season began, Roy was signed to a five-year contract extension with the Portland Trail Blazers. Speaking money, Roy was only earning $4 million dollars in the last year of his rookie contract. In the first year of his newly extended contract, Roy would be making $14 million dollars. A pretty solid jump financially for a 25 year old. Roy had an average of 21 points per game and was showing no signs of slowing down. But, in April just before the playoffs, Roy had to have surgery once again on his right knee. The injury was expected to cause him to miss the entire first round of the playoffs, but Roy returned 8 days later to play in game four of the Blazers' first round series against the Phoenix Suns. Roy didn't have much scoring input in the last 3 games of the series he played, scoring just 10, 5, and 14 points respectively. The Blazers' were eliminated from the postseason in six games.

The 2010-11 season began, and little did anyone know that it was soon to be the last season before Roy's retirement. In January of 2011, Brandon Roy had to undergo another knee surgery. This time, the surgery was performed on both knees. During this season, Roy only ended up playing in 47 games and averaged 12 points per game. 12 points per game was definitely a dramatic decrease in scoring production for Roy, and it was obvious that the knee problems were becoming an issue for him. The 2011 postseason was a rough one for Roy. He played limited minutes in the first round series against the Dallas Mavericks, and even had to fight off tears. Roy said himself "There was a point in the first half, and I was thinking 'You better not cry.' I mean, serious. I mean, there was a moment where I felt really sorry for myself. Then I was like, nah, you can't be sorry for yourself. I'm a grown man, but there was a moment there that I felt sorry for myself. Especially when I think I can still help."

All of the knee injuries culminated to the unfathomable. The retirement of Brandon Roy just after five seasons in the NBA. Roy had the following to say after announcing his retirement.

"This is a very difficult and painful day. I love the game, I love the Portland Trail Blazers and I love our fans, but after consulting with my doctors, I will seek a determination that I've suffered a career ending injury, pursuant to the rules of the collective bargaining agreement.

"My family and health are most important to me and in the end this decision was about them and my quality of life. I want to thank Paul Allen, Larry Miller, Coach McMillan, the entire Trail Blazers organization and our fans for all of their love and support during my time in Portland. It was a great ride."

Fast forward to present day, and Brandon Roy will be making his return to the NBA.

"After a few months of sitting out, I decided, 'Hey, I don't want to stop playing basketball,' " Roy said Tuesday at a news conference at Target Center after signing a two-year, $10.4 million contract. "I wanted to continue going forward. It was never a situation where I said, 'I'm done forever.' It's just more of a pause."

The question I'm sure many people are asking is, what is going to allow Brandon Roy to return? He has had six different knee surgeries throughout his basketball career. Roy had a procedure performed by the name of platelet-rich plasma therapy. While it is medically unproven, it is a procedure that Kobe Bryant has had performed in the past. A simple explanation of platelet-rich plasma therapy is the injection of your own blood into the body to help the joints.

"I'm not saying I'm Kobe Bryant, but my body felt really good. I've been working out ever since, and there hasn't been any swelling. I'm excited I got it done," Roy said.

The season is only weeks away. One of the things I will be watching the most is the play and production of Brandon Roy. Will he be back to his old ways, scoring 20 points a game? Or, will the knee problems be too much for him? The inspirational story is something that sports will always have. Hopefully, the Brandon Roy return will become one. A man who has undergone multiple knee surgeries returning to the NBA in top-notch form, what could be better than that? It will seem kind of like a homecoming for Timberwolves fans, as Roy was originally drafted by the team. It will also be a homecoming for Roy, though. A homecoming to the basketball court, and that could be the best homecoming of all.