Hip Joint Pain Causes and Treatments - Part 1 - Causes
There are many possible causes of hip joint pain, which means that it important to consult your doctor and together work through your symptoms, and history so that you can identify the real cause of your pain and take appropriate action. Some causes a relatively minor and can be treated with some over-the-counter medication or simple rest and immobilization while others are serious medical conditions that may ultimately lead to surgery. In Part 2 of this article I will cover the common treatments for hip joint pain , but now in part 1 we look at the common causes. Typical causes * Arthritis, in its many forms is probably the number one cause of joint pain. * Osteoarthritis, which is commonly known...
The Hip Joint
The mechanical connection between the legs and the mass of the trunk occurs at the hip joints with their large socket and ball. The hip socket or acetabulum is a deep rounded structure with a rim of cartilage which closely holds the head of the femur, the large ball structure at the top of the thigh bone. As befits a joint where large forces are applied, the hip is stable, deep and has strong stabilising features. To permit fluid movement under considerable bodily loads the hip surfaces are covered with articular cartilage which confers almost friction-free motion under these loads. This is essential to the hip and the thickest cartilage is where the greatest forces are applied. The socket, head and...
Fast Relief For Gout And Hip Joint Pain
For most people, gout pain usually shows up first in the joints of the big toe. However, as gout progresses, and more and more uric acid builds in the system, it has to find other joints where it can go. This means you might get gout pain in other places that can cause even more pain than that which you might feel when it is in your toe. So its entirely possible that your gout and hip joint pain might very well be related. Of course, treating your gout can help reduce the amount of pain you have in your hips, but that can take a while. When you have gout and joint hip pain, you want to find something you can do for immediate relief. The hip joint is where the pelvis and the leg connect, so naturally...
EMS Devices and Sports Injury Rehabilitation
Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) or electromyostimulation uses an electrical current to stimulate your muscles. The impulses are produced by a device and delivered through electrodes that are placed on the skin near the muscles that require stimulation. The impulses mimic the impulses generated by the brain to stimulate muscle tissue. The result of stimulation is the toning and strengthening of muscles. How EMS Works EMS devices have become quite popular in sports injury rehabilitation. When a person has a muscle injury, the electrical current produced by the EMS machine stimulates the...
An important member of the brain injury treatment team will likely be an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists help patients improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments. This kind therapy focuses on enabling individuals who suffer from mental, physical, developmental, or emotionally disabling conditions to do, and manage, the activities of daily life [ADL]. ADL can include, just by example, using a computer, dressing, cooking, eating, bathing as well as job-related tasks. Occupational therapists are highly educated. A master's degree, or higher, in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement for entry into the field. Coursework in occupational therapy...
Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Research and Methods Increase
Each year in America, there are millions of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that severely debilitate citizens from a number of common, everyday activities that often depend on the severity of their injury. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), common TBI disabilities include difficulties with cognition affecting memory and reasoning; communication through expression and understanding; sensory processing, affecting the five senses in various combinations and ways; behavior and mental health problems ranging from personality changes to increased aggression to social inappropriateness; and TBI can also cause an individual to become unresponsive and even fall...
The Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Team: the Occupational Therapist
Copyright (c) 2008 David Bressman An important member of the brain injury treatment team will likely be an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists help patients improve their ability to perform tasks in living and working environments. This kind therapy focuses on enabling individuals who suffer from mental, physical, developmental, or emotionally disabling conditions to do, and manage, the activities of daily life [ADL]. ADL can include, just by example, using a computer, dressing, cooking, eating, bathing as well as job-related tasks. Occupational therapists are highly educated. A master's degree, or higher, in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement for entry into the field...
Rotator Cuff Injury Treatment - Physical Therapy Exercises For Full Recovery
There are different treatment options for shoulder injury, but the most effective rotator cuff injury treatment over all must be a program of physical therapy. A protocol of specific exercises for the rotator cuff 4 muscles and tendons can help them self repair and strengthen, reducing recovery times to a fraction. Such rehabilitation program is suitable for all different injuries that can occur to a rotator cuff, such as a tear or a dislocation, and is mandatory following surgery to restore strength and flexibility and prevent future injuries. A torn cuff can occur as the result of repetitive or forceful movements as performed in a sport like golf, baseball or tennis. More commonly, repetitive...
Hip Arthritis Help - If Glucosamine Does Not Relieve The Pain Of Arthritis Of The Hip, What Does?
A two year study conducted by a team of researchers at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands recently concluded that the use of glucosamine has no meaningful effect on the pain in patients with arthritis of the hip, as posted in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Dr. Rianne M. Rozendaal and colleagues randomly assigned 222 patients in the early stages of hip arthritis to either glucosamine or a placebo. The research team took careful precautions to ensure the integrity of their results, including requiring that the supplier of the glucosamine double check that the tablets were of the correct dose. In spite of the carefully controlled conditions, the treatment had no significant...
Knee Replacement Surgery and Circulation - What Are the Risks?
There are many aspects of surgery that scare most people. Going into an operation without the proper information is never recommended, so educate yourself before you go under the knife. This will help your piece of mind as you prepare for the big event and allow you to glean the most information about quick recovery. Many people fear the actual process and anesthesia. Others focus more on the pain they will face during recovery. Among these concerns, one that many pre-patients have is the connection between knee replacement surgery and circulation issues in the leg. True, circulation is decreased during knee replacement surgery because the leg or legs are immobilized. The decreased amount of blood...
Modern Hip Replacement Surgery Can Do Wonders
Advancement in medical science is making the lives of several people easier. Recently, a successful hip replacement surgery has been conducted on a girl who was devoid of any hip socket since birth. The doctors have implanted a new hip socket made of special components. The patient has already shown positive results as she is able to sit properly now. It is expected that after few months she will be able to perform all the normal activities smoothly. Every year numerous people undergo Hip Replacement Surgery. And it has been noticed that the success rate in this surgical method is almost near to hundred percent. The entire procedure of the hip replacement involves a number of steps. It is very...
Knee Reconstruction and Health
One of the more controversial health care reconstruction surgeries along with the elbow reconstruction is the other joints of the knee and the kneecap. Reconstructive surgery of any kind at one time was delicate and the long-term outcome indecisive. Many sports participants, especially when involved with hockey, football, baseball, soccer, and other sports activities. At one time, all the medical surgeons could do is to relieve the pressure and ease the anguishing pain. The health insurance industry would not cover this injury when it was experienced through sport participation. This left the individual to find help and then pay out of pocket for surgery that today is covered under most insurance...
Chronic Knee Dislocation - When Things Don't Line Up Right - Knee Braces That Can Help
How is your kneecap (patella) doing? Do you have problems with it being unstable? Chronic knee dislocation is a term often used to describe a dislocation or displacement of the knee cap. It is different from a traumatic dislocation, which is a very serious matter, usually caused by severe trauma to the knee. With a traumatic knee dislocation, the upper and lower leg bones are separated at the knee, and significant damage is usually sustained to the structures both in and around the knee joint (i.e. torn ligaments, vascular injury, etc.). A traumatic dislocation is extremely painful, generally requires immediate medical attention, and often requires surgery to repair the damage to the joint. If you...
Hip Resurfacing Advanced Training Course For Surgeons - Overview From a Patient's Perspective
It was very interesting to watch the doctors present from the doctors perspective but it is quite different coming from our side. When we look at it as OUR bodies they are cutting open, it changes the whole view. The following is my view as a patient. Vicky This overview of the conference I attended in Belgium, June 25 - 28, 2008 are notes that I took during the presentations and sessions as well as my own personal opinions and thoughts on the subject. It is in no way scientific data. To summarize the conference in two sentences, I will quote Mr. McMinn, one of the inventors of the BHR (Birmingham Hip Resurfacing device):Bad results of Resurfacings are the result of badly done Resurfacing - Derek...
ACL Injury - Skiing With a Torn ACL
When a skier falls and one of the knee (or both) twists while the foot remains planted on the ski, the skier will most likely suffer an ACL rupture. The ACL or anterior cruciate ligament is one of the four important ligaments holding the knee joint together. The ACL can tear when a skier lands on a bent knee then twisting it or landing on an overextended knee. A popping sound can be heard and the skier will have the sensation that the knee gave out. This sensation is caused by the knee joint becoming lax after the ACL quits its job of holding it together and assuring its stability. An ACL tear is a serious skiing ailment, and one of the most widespread among skiers. Because the feet are bound to...
ACL Knee Braces - How Can They Help Your Injury?
There are four major ligaments in your knee. They are the Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL, Medial collateral ligament (MCL), the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) Ligaments are flexible bands of tissue that connect bones together and give strength and stability to the joint. When a ligament is damaged, you may experience pain and swelling. One of the ligaments in the knee that people injure most often is the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL. The ligament known as the ACL, is located in the middle of the knee. It controls rotation and forward movement of the tibia (shin bone). The most common way you can hurt your ACL is playing sports. You may stretch or...
Breakthrough In Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis
There has been a promising outcome based on a study usinghome-based neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to enhancequadriceps fitness in older people suffering from Osteoarthritis of theknee. Symptoms of this "wear-and-tear" arthritis can be alleviated bystrengthening the muscle around the affected joint or joints. Exercise isknown to lessen the symptoms, severity and impairment resulting fromthis disease. In some cases where sufferers are normally sedentary,exercise may result in muscle damage, particularly in women. The NMES Study Laura Talbot of The Johns Hopkins University engineered the study usingneuromuscular electrical stimulation as another method of treatment for Osteoarthritis of...
A New Medieval Treatment For Knee Osteoarthritis
It sounds like something out of medieval times. Using leeches to treat every disease and condition known to man. But as it turns out leeches are actually very powerful for treating a wide variety of ailments including knee osteoarthritis. Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that results in the breakdown of the cartilage between the joints in the knees. This leads to pain, loss of range of motion and bone damage. There appears to be several origins of knee osteoarthritis including joint deformity, repeated injury, or excess weight. There is no cure for osteoarthritis so the focus is on treatments for the pain and reduction of continued damage to the joint. And this is where leeches...
Smoking Proved to Worsen Condition of Knee Osteoarthritis in Old Men!
Smoking has, in a number of places attained the state of an epidemic. Especially in the countries like the USA it has been formally declared as an epidemic with more and more children taking up this injurious habit. The efforts that have been taken up towards the goal of spreading awareness against this fatal addiction have not shown any desirable result as of now. It is hard to tell how many smokers have been influenced by the campaigns against this dreaded disease. Nevertheless, doctors and scientists are working incessantly to know this addiction better and thus rescue the human population and also the human environment from this lethal addiction. Surveys and studies on smoking are being carried...
Severe Knee Osteoarthritis - Ways To Reduce The Pain
Severe knee osteoarthritis is a condition that can affect anyone but most often will affect someone who is older or someone who enjoys an active life playing sports. Sports can be hard on the knees and many older people, especially men, will experience severe knee osteoarthritis. Severe Knee Osteoarthritis Pain Symptoms? This can be an excruciatingly painful condition. You will feel agonizing pain when you move your knee or knees and sometimes even when standing still. The pain can stop you from really enjoying activities that you used to. In many cases, someone who enjoys a particular sport will take an indefinite break from the game because of the severe pain. A trip to the doctor is definitely...
Viscosupplements for My Knee Arthritis - What are They?
In osteoarthritis, the cartilage in the joint gradually wears away. During the course of cartilage degeneration, there is inflammation and resultant stiffness and pain. Osteoarthritis may be caused by or aggravated by excess stress on the joint from deformity, repeated trauma, or excess weight. It most often affects middle-aged and older people. A younger person who develops osteoarthritis may have an inherited form of the disease or may have experienced problems as a result of injury. In rheumatoid arthritis, the joint becomes inflamed and cartilage may be destroyed as well. Arthritis not only affects joints, it can also affect supporting structures such as:o muscleso tendonso ligaments...
Knee Arthritis - Hydrotherapy Can Help!
Arthritis in knee joints can be very painful. People suffering from this problem experience not only pain but stiffness, weak muscles and less confidence in walking and get out and about. They may walk with a limp and be afraid to use the knee in a normal manner. What can be done about knee arthritis? The most important thing you can do is exercise to maintain the strength of the knee joint muscles and stretches to maintain the range of movement. Exercises can be done using weights or resisted bands to increase the strength but in some cause people prefer to perform exercises in water. Hydrotherapy is very useful for people who suffer with arthritis in knee joints. As a starting point, walking in...
Knee Arthritis - Osteoarthritis and Knee Replacement
Do you suffer knee pain? Do you notice abnormal knee swelling after walking or light physical activity? Do you have osteoarthritis and are avoiding the doctor because you don't want knee surgery? Surgical knee replacement is a highly successful treatment for arthritis. Many patients regain up to 90% of mobility and quality of life after surgery. You may suffer from cartilage tears (meniscus tears). There are two menisci in your knee, made up of tough cartilage conforming to your bones. If these tear or wear down, the bones rub against each other and cause severe pain. If cartilage tears are caused through age and not traumatic injury, the symptoms can appear arthritic. Whether you have a meniscus...
Knee replacement surgery is very common and usually done to reduce pain. Many people, particularly the more active arthritis sufferers, are also concerned about their level of function and how it will impact on their quality of life. For this reason it is good to have an understanding on the effect of surgery on knee range of motion and what you can do to maximize your outcome. Knee replacement surgery is a significant operation and is only recommended when pain and loss of function are having a noted negative impact on lifestyle. This ensures that the benefits will outweigh the risks of surgery. Modern prostheses are very durable and both surgery times and admission lengths are much lower than...
Unilateral Knee Replacement Surgery Abroad Unilateral Knee Replacement What is a knee replacement ? A knee replacement is a procedure to remove your damaged knee joint and replace it with an artificial one (a prosthesis) – this is made out of metal and plastic. Afterwards your knee should be much less painful and the joint should move more smoothly... Why do I need a knee replacement ? Over time, the surfaces on the knee joint can start to wear. This can be caused by osteoarthritis or a previous injury to the knee. Osteoarthritis is painful as joints become stiff and inflamed when the smooth lining between the joints gets damaged or wears away. Without the protection of this lining...
What Are the Biomechanics of a Golf Swing?
Biomechanics of a golf swing refers to the study of how a body moves while swinging a golf club. A right Biomechanics of a golf swing will result to a perfect swing. Bad biomechanics however will result to a swing failure and a person can have an injury and chronic aches like low back pain. The golf swing has six phases namely, the address stage, backswing, transition, downswing, contact, follow through and finish. The address stage is about the body's position and the proper grip. The backswing is the start of the body movement and positions the body before beginning the downswing. It creates the power that is applied to the golf ball. The transition phase is the completion of the backswing. The...
Learn the Biomechanics of the Golf Swing
The golfer with a clear understanding of the biomechanics of the golf swing will have a huge advantage over the golfer who doesn't have a clue. First, the definition of biomechanics - "The study of the action of external and internal forces on the living body, esp. on the skeletal system." Anyone who has played this great game of golf knows intimately the external and internal forces on the body when you swing a golf club. I soon realized the complexities in not only understanding these external and internal forces in a sound golf swing, but also in the managing of these forces. After much study and much play, I realized the secret to a sound golf swing is first you must understand how these forces...
Importance of the Biomechanics of a Golf Swing
Many people may wonder what biomechanics is and what it has to do with the game of golf. Biomechanics is the study of the human body structure and its reactions to certain motion. Golf is all about motion and having knowledge of biomechanics can be a very helpful tool to a player. There are a few tricks that one can learn about golf through biomechanics and one doesn't require a PhD in biology to learn them. Without getting deep into a lot of the technical jargon, this article should help you understand golf more and hopefully teach you just how you can achieve a lot in your golfing game while reducing the risk of getting injured during a swing. The position at which one places their shoulders and...
How a Woman Can Respond Differently to Hip Replacement Surgery
In many cases a woman will have a different reaction to a type of surgical procedure than what a man can deal with. This is something that is also the case with hip replacement surgery. The response that a woman will have to deal with here is important for any woman to see. First the pains that a woman may deal with can be more severe than what a man can handle. This can cause a woman to work with greater amounts of medication in order to get one's pains handled. In addition to this the pains can easily impact a woman's ability to get to sleep in a proper manner. Another thing to see is that a woman is going to be more likely to have a difficult time with getting to stay in one place with a new hip...
Gait and Gait Analysis
Travelling short or medium distances for us is easily accomplished by walking, which is convenient and easy but needs our muscles and joints to be in good condition and to be pain free. Having enough muscle power and sufficient joint range of movement in the legs is necessary for efficient walking. As walking progresses one leg gives the body support while the other swings through to be placed forward and in its turn to take weight. The swing and stance phases are the easiest way of understanding where either leg is at a particular point. The process of going through all the stages and getting back onto the same foot again is known as the gait cycle. Both feet are down on the ground for about 10% of...
Knee Replacement Surgery - New Range of Motion
There are so many concerns that you will be thinking about before going into an evasive surgery such as knee replacement. You will need to become as educated as you can about the subject beforehand. That is probably why you are here. Writing down all of your concerns so that you have a reference will keep a tight checklist of things you should ask your doctor about. Watch as many videos as you can and keep up with articles and news about your procedure so that you'll have peace of mind. The surgery itself is just one part of the things you'll need to consider before talking to your doctor. You will have to get information on your recovery time, pain management and the equipment you'll need to have...
E.M.S. And Sports Injury Rehabilitation
Electronic muscle stimulators, or EMS devices, have been used in hospitals and rehab clinics for quite some time. After a while, it was found that athletes could benefit from electronic muscle stimulation. They benefit because the low-level electrical current stimulates the muscles and helps them heal after a strenuous workout. Nowadays it is not uncommon to find EMS devices in medical facilities, gyms, and even in homes to help individuals who have had some kind of muscle injury. Sports injuries are amongst the most common injuries in which EMS devices are used to rehabilitate the affected muscle groups. EMS and rehab It has long been known that EMS devices are effective in rehab environments. When...
RICE Fitness Injury Treatment
If you're active you will eventually run in to a minor injury. Sprains, strains tears and bruises happen to the even the most cautious of us. We can do our best to prevent injuries like warming up, stretching and resting in between workouts but when preventative measures fail, remember this acronym: R.I.C.E. R-Rest Take time off your workouts to allow the injury time to heal. Working out over an injury slows the healing progress and adds to pain and damage. I-Ice Putting ice on an injury immediately after it happens will reduce swelling. Swelling actually causes more pain. Don't put ice or an ice pack directly on your skin. You will give yourself frost bite! Instead, cover the ice or pack with a...
Fast Ankle Ligament Injury Treatment that Works
An ankle ligament injury happens about 25,000 times a day in the US alone. You may know it under it's commoner name : a sprained ankle. With a ligament injury to the ankles, the ligaments have either been torn or stretched beyond a healthy length. This usually occurs because a force is placed on the ankles during movement that cause the ankle to twist in an aberrant way which causes the ligament damage. So, presuming this has happened to you or a friend or family member, what do you do? Well, most people will tell you to rest and ice the injury. The issue with ice is that it contains swelling for approximately a couple of days. After that, ice has not shown much clinical benefit, so it will not...
Workplace Leg Injury Treatment
No matter what your line of work happens to be, it is possible to fall victim to an injury. One particularly serious form of injury is a leg injury. If you suffer from a leg related injury while working it can be difficult to know what steps to take next. By knowing what steps should be taken following a leg injury accident, it is possible to care for yourself and those around you in a time of need. Steps for Treating Leg Injuries From breaks to amputations, there is a wide range of leg injury types that can befall workers. However, no matter what injury is endured, it is possible to follow these steps in order to facilitate a healthy recovery. · If the victim is unconscious, immediately call for...
During your rehabilitation process from either a hip or knee replacement, you will have been presented with a host of exercises to complete to assure your success. The exercises should be presented in an orderly fashion taking into consideration the date of surgery, your overall medical condition and age. In the hospital immediately after surgery, most of the exercises you will have been given will be what is known as isometric in nature. The frequency and duration that you will be advised to complete these type of exercises will depend on either your surgeons protocol or, the acting physical therapist assigned to you. After leaving the hospital, you will then be assigned to either a skilled nursing...
Total Knee Replacement, How to Know When the Exercise is Too Much
During the rehabilitation process after surgery, one of the best pieces of advice you can receive from your rehab professional is, to listen to your body. Your body will tell you if you are rehabilitating in the proper manner or, you are over doing the exercise program. Most people get confused because for every neighbor, nurse, physical therapist or, orthopedic surgeon you talk too, you will get a different response when it comes to exercise do's and dont's. There is no cut and dried sure fire way to rehabilitate your knee. Your job as a patient is to find what works for you then proceed with it full steam ahead. Your rehabilitation professional if they are on top of their game will understand that...
India offers World Class Medical Facilities, comparable with any of the western countries. India has state of the art Hospitals and the best qualified doctors. With the best infrastructure, the best possible Medical facilities, accompanied with the most competitive prices, you can get the treatment done in India at the lowest charges. Some common procedures for which international patient often travel to India are: A total hip replacement: - also called a hip arthroplasty- is an advanced surgical procedure that re-structures the hip joint region. Under this procedure the head of the femur (the bone that extends from the hip to the knee) is removed along with the surface layer of the socket in the...
Best Knee Brace - ACL Injury - Top 4 Things to Help You Find the Right Brace!
The Best Knee Brace For You Have you ever hurt your knee ligaments? Perhaps your ACL? Are you looking for a way to find the best knee brace for your needs? Introduction : This free article will discuss the top 5 things to ask yourself when you are trying to find a quality knee support. After you have read this all the way through, you will be much more ready to go and get the right knee brace. But first, you will need to do a little homework... Let's go... The Top Questions To Ask Yourself A.) How Bad Is Your Knee Instability? We realize that this level might vary, but it is important for you to think of all the times when your knee feels the most unstable. After you have rated this instability on a...
Let's do some myth busting! Custom vs. Non-Custom Knee Braces Question : Do you want to blow a lot of money on the wrong knee brace? - We did not think so, and that is why we are writing this article for you to read. This is genuinely in your best interests, if you want to save some money. Besides pointing out the pros and cons of custom vs. non-custom (off the shelf) knee braces, we would basically like to make the point that USUALLY, custom knee braces are a premium cost, and you should not necessarily get tricked into thinking they are always better than a non-custom brace! Quality Many people are mistakenly tricked into buying a custom knee brace because either their friends told them that is...
Cost effective orthopedic surgery in India with exciting medical tourism
Medical tourism gives you access to high quality, low cost Orthopedic surgery in India such as knee replacement, hip replacement, hip resurfacing, etc and arrange all of the logistics for your surgery abroad. India has one of the best qualified professionals in the field of orthopedic surgery and this fact has now been realized the world over. Regarding medical facilities, India has the most competent doctors and world class medical facilities. With most competitive charges for treatment, India is a very lucrative destination for people wanting to undergo orthopedic surgery. Hospitals providing Orthopedic surgery in India have state of the art facilities, equipped with state of art infrastructure...
New Ankle Ligament Injury Rehab
The most typical type of ankle sprain is commonly known as an inversion sprain where the ankle turns over so that the sole of the foot faces inwards. When this kind of ankle sprain happens, the outer, or lateral ligaments are stretched too far and damaged. About 90% of ankle sprains are an ankle ligament injury. Agony is always on the exterior of the ankle, and there is customarily no pain on the inside of the ankle joint. Why does this happen at all? Typically, ankle ligament injuries happen because the ankle is feeble and inflexible. The best way to guard yourself from an ankle sprain is to reinforce the ankle joints with exercises and stretches so it is able to bear numerous movements and uneven...
Is your knee stop you from doing the activities you want to do? Is Your Knee Waiting? Waiting for something to improve? Do you want to be rid of the occasional \"wince\" due to pain in your knee? Do you ever say to yourself : \"I just want to do my thing without having these painful issues with my knee?\" Do you want to protect your knee from future injury? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should very seriously consider the use of a well designed knee brace! The DonJoy Enhanced Drytex Playmaker knee brace is excellent for helping to control all types of knee instability. It is specifically designed for individuals with moderate ACL, PCL, MCL, and LCL instabilities. While helping to...
The Golfer's Best Friend - How Glucosamine Helps With Hip, Shoulder, and Knee Arthritis
Golf... a contact sport? There may be no bone crushing tackles or sprints toward home, but golf - like any sport - comes with unique physical demands and risks. As more and more people discover the joys of golfing, they are also coming face to face with the reality of any active lifestyle - a reality that includes injury. Playing through eighteen holes of golf requires great stamina. Walking, standing, swinging and bending... retrieving balls... all of this movement puts added stress on the joints, particularly the joints of the elbows, shoulders, knees and hips. Repeated use of these joints wears away the cartilage cushion in the joints - the cushion that keeps bones from rubbing against each other...
Hydrotherapy For Knee Arthritis - What If I Can't Swim?
Many people can't swim, are uncomfortable around water, or have an outright fear of water. Does this mean that they cannot benefit from hydrotherapy? Firstly let's consider why hydrotherapy is good for arthritic knees. The two main reasons are the effects of heat and the support of body weight. Stiffness is aggravated by cold and eased by heat. This is why winter can be a miserable time for arthritis sufferers. Osteoarthritis is also mainly a disease of the weight-bearing joints. Just as increased load tends to aggravate pain (through being overweight for example), a decreased load can lead to less pain. Waist deep water is usually enough to exercise in. Most people can build water confidence by...
How to Slow Down Or Prevent Knee Arthritis
Arthritis unfortunately has become a way of life for many people not only in the United States but around the world. We know there are over a hundred different types of arthritis that affect humankind but, one that seems to prevail more then others is osteoarthritis. Known also as OA it has become prevalent over the years due to our life spans increasing and the obesity factor that has its grips on western society. Our diet also has been help somewhat responsible for the rise in arthritis over the years and, it costs the healthcare systems millions of dollars to treat each year. There is a multitude of information on arthritis today that can keep you well informed. Exercise is just one of the...
Valgus - What Does This Mean in Osteoarthritis of the Knee?
p>'Valgus' is a term used by the medical profession to describe joints that form an angle different from the usual. It does not apply only to the knee. Valgus means that the part of the body furthest away from the torso is angled away from the midline position. In simple terms, if the knees are described as valgus, they are 'Knock-kneed.' Valgus knees indicate that the arthritis is mainly on the outside of the knee. The wearing down of the cartilage lining on the outside of the knee has led to a change in the angle through the joint. The terminology a doctor would use would be to describe being knock-kneed as having a valgus deformity, or the latin phrase 'genu valgum.' Doctors approximate the angle...
Osteoarthritis of the Knee - Does Osteoporosis Play a Role?
First, lets distinguish between the two. Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease that results in decreased bone density and an alteration in the bony architecture. It does not directly cause pain. A more simple definition would be " a bone disorder that results in decreased bone strength and an increased risk of fracture." Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by the loss of articular cartilage and results in pain, stiffness and decreased mobility. Because both are common in the older age group, the two often get confused. Many times I have heard people blame their pain on osteoporosis when this is not the case. The concerns with osteoporosis are the increased risk of...
Varus - What Does This Mean in Osteoarthritis of the Knee?
Doctors have very little time with each patient these days so it pays to be able to speak a little of their language. Of course you should always try and clarify any points you do not understand before making major decisions but this is easier said than done. 'Varus' is a term used by the medical profession to describe joints that form an angle different from the usual. It does not apply only to the knee. Varus means that the part of the body furthest away from the torso is angled towards the midline position. In simple terms, if the knees are described as varus, they are 'Bowlegged' Varus knees indicate that the arthritis is mainly on the inside of the knee. If the doctor says your knees have...
Osteoarthritis of the Knee - Why Does Hydrotherapy Help?
The main difficulty facing arthritis sufferers is that they are told exercise will help but exercise very often increases their pain. Our natural instinct to avoid pain makes us more likely to do less activity, resulting in weaker muscles that don't support our joints. To break out of this cycle you need to exercise these supporting muscles to make them stronger. The pay-off is less pain but the road is not easily travelled. The most difficult part is getting started. There needs to be a bit of 'trial and error' - gently testing various exercises until you stumble across one that lets you fatigue the muscles without aggravating your knee pain. The best way to do this is to seek the advice of a...
EFT - Osteoarthritis Knee Pain Uncovers Unresolved Grief
Stella (not her real name) came to see me in September 2008 because she had osteoarthritis in her right knee, swelling due to a Baker's cyst (a benign swelling found behind the knee joint); and she had quite a bit of pain. Her family doctor told her all that the only thing that could be done was to take analgesics for the pain, and ice on the knee. She could also have a steroid shot in the knee. Stella was taking the analgesics, and her stomach was feeling terrible. She wanted to know if she could get relief with EFT. I told her we could work on the emotional components of her pain and arthritis and that it might or might not be a one minute miracle. We've been having sessions once a week since mid...