Sports and Orthopedic Specialists

For most musculoskeletal problems, surgery should only be performed if the patient fails more conservative treatment which should include physical therapy.

When to Try Physical Therapy Before Surgery For many common orthopedic conditions, experts say patients should consider P.T. as a first line of defense.

A good article on stretching. The best research on stretching that we have found does not recommend "stretching" immediately before exercise. It is a good idea to do a gentle warm-up before vigorous exercise but this should not include putting muscles through their full range and holding them there for an extended period. Stretching after exercise will not necessarily reduce any lactic acid build up or discomfort. The advantage of stretching after exercise is that the muscles are warm and more amenable to being stretched. It is never a good idea to stretch cold muscles. The purpose of stretching is to try to gain optimal length in a muscle...not too short, but also, not too long. The goal is to have balanced muscular length (and strength) for all the muscles that cross over any given joint. This will maintain a balance of the forces impacting the joint and reduce abnormal strain across the joint.

How Important Is Stretching, Really? And do you need to do it before and after every workout? Here’s what experts say about when to stretch and why.

Keep moving. Every little bit makes a difference!

2-Minute Bursts of Movement Can Have Big Health Benefits A new study confirms that you don’t have to do a hard workout to reap the longevity rewards of exercise.

Buyer Beware! Many Medicare Advantage Plans are being sued by the Federal Government for fraudulent activity. They label patients as being sicker than they really are in order to get a higher fee from Medicare to treat the patient. The Advantage Plan is paid more by Medicare to cover a patient with more severe diagnoses than a patient who is healthier. They are draining our Medicare funds while paying providers (doctors and physical therapists, etc.) less than what we are normally reimbursed by regular Medicare coverage. As providers, if we accept Medicare, then we must accept these plans as well. Yes, the patient pays less, but their coverage is more restricted than if they had regular Medicare. And at what cost to the Medicare program as a whole?

Private Medicare Plans Misled Customers Into Signing Up, Senate Report Says The report by Senate Democrats points to widespread misbehavior by the plans and the marketing firms they hire.

An updated on research into water consumption.

How Much Water Do You Actually Need? Here’s how to know when you truly need to hydrate.

The Best Type of Exercise? A Blood Test Holds Clues Researchers are studying the proteins in blood to learn why some of us respond to certain forms of exercise better than others.

Interesting. You are training the nervous system first, before the muscles themselves respond fully to weight training! If you do plan to start weight training, go slowly and increase gradually so that you don't have to visit your local physical therapy office as a result!

How We Get Stronger Weight training prompts changes in the nervous system that prime the muscles to get bigger and stronger.

Sports and Orthopedic Specialists updated their business hours.

Sports and Orthopedic Specialists highly recommends Danielle Rosenman’s “Stop Your Pain Groups”. Pain is manageable with patience and the use of the proper tools.

This is quite a descent article about proper ergonomics at your home work station. If you use a lap top, you should make the lap top your screen and add a separate keyboard. Yje monitor should be lifted up to be in the correct line of vision.
Here are the OSHA standards for review as well.

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/

eTools | Computer Workstations eTool | Occupational Safety and Health Administration eTools | Computer Workstations eTool

Check out #9....Only 20% of meniscal tears need surgery. Physical therapy should always be tried first. Surgery should only be considered if physical therapy fails to help.

10 Medical Myths We Should Stop Believing. Doctors, Too. Researchers identified nearly 400 common medical practices and theories that were contradicted by rigorous studies. Here are some of the most notable findings.

New guidelines.

When to Get Your Bone Density Tested Updated guidelines can help women decide when to have bone density screening but may discourage men.

For Chronic Pain, A Change In Habits Can Beat Opioids For Relief There's a growing consensus among pain specialists that lifestyle changes can be more effective than drugs in managing chronic pain. But the alternative approach requires patient commitment.

Our patients have already received cautions from us here at SOS about prolonged standing. The best solution for the majority of people is to vary your work position between standing and sitting (in a good chair). AND to move. Deliberately arrange tasks around your work space that make you walk between "stations". Supportive and comfortable footwear is also important. This article goes to the extreme of saying that standing is NOT good. That isn't the case. Variety is the key!

Study: Standing desks could be harmful to your productivity…and your health Thinking of getting standing desks for your employees. . . or even for yourself? You might want to think again.

It is rare that a physical therapist is in harms way when treating patients.....sad ending to a very devoted therapist.

She Was Teaching Him to Walk. He Shot Her From His Wheelchair. The Afghan polio patient, who had received 19 years of treatment from the International Red Cross, opened fire on his physiotherapist. She was killed.

"However, there is another option too often overlooked that may be easier to find and is usually covered by insurance: physical therapy. In addition to a “tincture of time” to find relief from plaguing pain problems, good physical therapy can often speed recovery and, at the same time, teach people how to avoid conditions – including inactivity — that can precipitate or exacerbate their pain."

Alternatives to Drugs for Treating Pain Specialists are exploring nondrug, noninvasive treatments, some of which have proved highly effective.

This looks like a better way to jog or walk for exercise than a regular stroller. We haven't tested it, but the improved arm swing is a good idea.

Physical Therapy Equal to Surgery for Spinal Stenosis According to a new study, you can have equal success skipping surgery and going straight to physical therapy.

Sad to know that children suffer chronic pain but very important to realize that there is treatment to address this, not only in children, but adults. And, it's not about the drugs. It's about the therapy.

The strange pain that can overcome kids, especially high-achieving teenage girls This chronic condition is difficult to diagnose and can be complicated to treat.

Pace yourself. Doing a new exercise program? Go slowly and progress the intensity over time. Not only to avoid rhabdomyolysis, but also other types of injury.

As Workouts Intensify, a Harmful Side Effect Grows More Common Newbies to spin classes can land in the emergency room, as doctors say they are seeing more of the rare but dangerous rhabdomyolysis.