Unlike with a corticosteroid shot, which is injected into the joint, the anesthetic that is injected for a nerve block stays outside the joint. "We want to target nerves before they dive into the knee," says Dr. Bolash. "If I wanted to cut off electricity to your house, I wouldn't go around to every lamp. I would cut it off before it gets into the house."
Pain Management
New ways of treating cancer may lead to autoimmune diseases.
A few years ago, Cleveland Clinic rheumatologist Casandra Calabrese, DO, began seeing patients who were being treated for cancer and had developed the type of joint pain and swelling seen in rheumatoid arthritis. She isn't alone. Rheumatologists around the world are treating such...
Pain Management
Using a cane, walker or rollator can keep you active.
When using an assistive device, you should keep the alignment of your body as normal as possible. If you bend forward at the hips, it decreases your ability to push off and propel your body forward. The exception is people with pain in the low back that radiates down the legs,...
Pain Management
Find out what a nutrition specialist eats, and why.
I often have leftovers from the previous night's dinner, like stew or vegetables. It usually contains some beans, tofu, chicken or fish. Or an avocado, sprinkled with salt, or a bowl of homemade soup and a couple pieces of fruit. Afternoon snack consists of nuts (any and all...
Pain Management
Stay active and exercise to maintain and restore muscle strength.
"The important thing about resistance training is you have to ease into it," says Calabrese. "You have to gain strength first, and then endurance." This requires patience. "A common problem is people stick with it for a few weeks, and when they don't feel any different they stop,"...
Pain Management
People with osteoarthritis in the knee who add hip-strengthening exercises to their exercise regimen can walk more easily and may have less pain, according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (February 2019). The researchers pooled results from...
Bones
The number of osteoporosis drugs and the different ways they are taken can be confusing. There are pills, injections and infusions, taken weekly, monthly or at other intervals. Your doctor chooses the best drug based on a variety of factors. A small percentage of people who take...
Pain Management
When knee osteoarthritis worsens to a point where it can no longer be managed with nonsurgical measures, many people turn to joint replacement surgery. But there may be reasons to delay or avoid surgery. If that’s the case, you aren’t necessarily out of luck. A genicular...
