| I am only 54 years old, but already I’m noticing changes in the way I walk. I can’t seem to put my full weight into my left hip without twinges of pain. Is there anything I can do about this? I don’t want to lose any more ground.
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| The natural aging process does cause increased stiffness throughout the body, but usually this is equal on both sides. When you have pain or symptoms in one joint, you may be experiencing more than just natural aging.
Early degenerative arthritis of the hip, called osteoarthritis, can bring about changes in the way a person walks. The body compensates in order to take pressure off the problem joint. The stride gets shorter, so the person takes shorter steps at a slower speed. Sometimes the number of steps taken per minute decreases, too. It may be wise to bring these changes to your doctor’s attention. He or she will evaluate you and determine if anything more serious is going on. If you have early arthritis, it is important to keep up exercise and physical activity. Your doctor may recommend a physical therapist who can help you find just the right program for your condition. The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Naples Orthopedic Surgeon – Dr. Robert J. Zehr The Zehr Center
Walking hurts – is it aging or is it osteoarthritis?
July 28th — adminDoes the size of a rotator cuff tear affect the success of surgery?
July 23rd — admin| I have a very large tear in my rotator cuff, and I’m going to have surgery to fix it. Does the size of the tear make a difference in whether the results of surgery will last?
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| It’s possible that the size of the tear will make a difference in the surgery’s success. A recent study followed patients who had this kind of surgery at age 55. Ten years after surgery, researchers checked on patients’ pain, level of function, and shoulder strength.
All of the patients who had small or medium-sized tears had excellent results from surgery ten years later. Patients who had large tears also had good or excellent results. These numbers changed somewhat for the 11 patients with massive tears. There were seven excellent results, one good result, and three unsatisfactory results. From this study, it looks like the chance of having an unsatisfactory result goes up slightly as the tear gets bigger. However, there’s still a good chance of having a positive result. Ask your doctor what kind of results you can expect, given your age and condition. The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Elbow injuries in Major League Baseball players on the rise
July 22nd — admin| In baseball, what kinds of injuries are the most likely to keep players from the game?
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| A group of researchers studied injuries in Major League Baseball over five years. They looked specifically at what kinds of injuries kept players from the sport. Twenty-eight percent of these were shoulder injuries. Twenty-two percent were elbow injuries.
Injuries to the knee, wrist, hand, and back were also reported. However, these injuries weren’t as common. And they were less likely to keep players from the game. Elbow injuries seemed to be on the rise. But injuries to other areas stayed about the same over the five-year period. The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Can hyaluronin injection help my knee osteoarthritis?
July 15th — admin| My doctor explained that the aching and swelling in my knee is from osteoarthritis. She told me about an injection that can lessen my pain and help me get around easier. What kind of medicine is in the shot, and does it work?
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| Healthy joints are lubricated and cushioned by fluid inside the joint. Osteoarthritis causes the joints to become sore and stiff because the joint fluid loses its ability to lubricate and cushion.
Doctors have observed good results with a material called hyaluronin, a substance that imitates the fluid in your knee joint. The fluid is injected directly into the sore joint up to three times over a period of several weeks. Some people find that the benefits begin to wear off. When this happens, additional injections can be given every six months. Many patients who have had these shots report less pain and find it easier to do their activities. However, people with more advanced knee osteoarthritis don’t always benefit from the shots. The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com |
Surgeon Experience Critical Component in Successful Hip Replacement Surgery
July 10th — adminI am having a hip replacement. My surgeon has good training but said he doesn’t do a lot of these procedures. Should I be worried?
Research has shown that patients have better outcomes from hip replacement when their surgeons do many of these procedures per year. This may be especially important in smaller hospitals, where there are fewer hip surgeries overall.
A recent study looked at 59,000 Medicare patients who had hip replacements. Researchers examined the results 90 days later. Complications were rare. But patients whose hip replacements were done by surgeons who did more than 50 procedures a year had fewer dislocations than those operated on by surgeons who did fewer than five procedures a year. Patients with “high load” surgeons also had less infection and pulmonary embolism.
It’s important that you’re comfortable with your surgical care. Talk with your doctor about your options.
The information contained herein is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all diseases, physical conditions, ailments or treatments. The information should NOT be used in place of visit with your healthcare provider, nor should you disregard the advice of your health care provider because of any information you read in this topic. For more information on this subject, visit www.zehrcenter.com
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