From the February, 2012 Issue
When Your Hip Pain Isn’t Arthritis
More than 7 percent of American adults experience chronic hip pain, according to a 2011 government report. Although the source of the pain might appear to be an arthritic hip, the cause might be something completely different—and something more serious. “If you do have hip discomfort, be cognizant of the fact that it could be a sign of arthritis of the hip or lead to arthritis of the hip,” says A.J. Cianflocco, MD, an orthopaedist with Cleveland Clinic Sports Health. “But hip pain can also be related to bursitis, a hip fracture, or even a problem in your lower back.”
Current Issue
A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Thwarting Back Pain
Physical therapy and stretching can improve your back’s flexibility. Exercises can strengthen the spine. And medications can relieve the pain of a backache. But what you do in your daily routine is just as critical to the health of your spine. So be cognizant of your spine as you go about your everyday life. By taking some practical measures, you can avoid spinal problems before they occur.
Best (and Worst) Exercises You Can Do to Boost Bone Health
Regardless of age, the condition of our bones is always changing — for better or for worse. Until about the age of 25 the news is generally good. Our bodies manufacture new bone tissue faster than old bone breaks down. After 30, we begin to lose more bone tissue than we gain. What can you do about it? Exercise to increase bone mass and strengthen it, but do so with physical activities that don’t cause further damage. “In order to strengthen bones, you need to put more load or impact on them than usual,” says Maribeth Gibbon, PT, a physical therapist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Cleveland Clinic.
3 Ways to Maintain Balance, Prevent Falls
Falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults. In fact, as many as one-half of people age 65 or older will experience a fall this year. But falls are not inevitable. Getting regular hearing and vision exams, talking with your doctor about medications that could affect your balance, wearing non-slip, thin-soled shoes, making sure your living area is well-lighted, and removing clutter in your home and workplace are all steps you can take to avoid falls.
Harnessing Blood’s Healing
If you’ve ever had an injury involving swelling, you’ve seen firsthand how blood flows to the injury site to promote healing. Your blood’s own natural healing capabilities form the basis of regenerative injection therapy, specifically platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. In these treatments, a sample of blood is removed, its healing properties are concentrated, and then it’s injected back into an injury site to hasten recovery.
Opioids Prior to Knee Replacement Not Advised
Patients who are dependent on opioids (narcotic pain relievers) for pain management before knee replacement have much more difficulty recovering, a study recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery has found. These patients tend to have longer hospital stays, more post-surgical pain, a higher rate of complications, and are more likely to need additional procedures than patients who are not opioid-dependent.
