What Happens When a Knee Injury Occurs?

12 Jan

Have you ever wondered what actually happens when a player on your favorite sports team has a knee injury? Why is this so common, and why is the knee more vulnerable than the ankle or hip?

One reason is simple anatomy. Unlike the hip, the knee doesn’t have a deep socket, meaning there is less stability and they don’t have the added side protection the ankles enjoy. The knee is more like a hinge with little protection when impacts occur from any direction.

In a classic football tackle from the side (or in a “clip”), the runner’s foot is planted with the lower leg rotated inward as the player is cutting a corner when WHAM, a hit occurs. When the tissues in the knee are stretched beyond their limits, they can tear. The order in which the tearing occurs and the amount or degree of the tear is dependent on the exact mechanism of injury or the direction and force of the impact.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the innermost structure while the MCL and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) is found on the outside of the joint. If the hit is from the front, the ACL may bear the brunt of the blow while a hit from another direction may first affect the medial collateral ligament (MCL). The meniscus is a C-wedge shaped piece of cartilage that absorbs shock between the joints of the femur and tibia with one on the inside (medial) and outside (lateral meniscus). The meniscus is among the most common of knee injuries, often associated with a twist or torsional stress. This is commonly referred to as a “torn cartilage.”

In one study of 100 consecutive patients with recent ACL tears, there were also 53 MCL, 12 medial, 35 lateral, and 11 bilateral meniscus injuries. The cause included 59/100 injuries due to contact sports, 30/100 in downhill skiing, and 11/100 in other recreational activities, traffic accidents, or at work. It is estimated that there are 100,000 anterior cruciate surgeries in the United States each year!

Doctors of Chiropractic are trained to identify, treat, and rehab knee injuries both pre- and post-surgically. They frequently work with other allied healthcare professionals to optimize outcomes as quickly as possible.

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history

What is Healthy, and Can Cancer Really Be Reduced with Exercise?

9 Jan

Our basic premise is that your body is amazing. You get a do over. It doesn’t take that long, and it isn’t that hard if you know what to do. In these notes, we give you a short course in what to do so it becomes easy for you and for you to teach others. We want you to know how much control you have over both the quality and length of your life.

This month, I am answering two questions sent in by readers:
1. What is healthy, and what does that claim mean on food packaging?
2. Does physical activity really defeat cancer?

Until the late 1800s, bathing was considered unhealthy, and a thin layer of dirt was thought to protect a person from bad elements in the air that could permeate the skin and cause disease! Tomatoes—also called poison apples—were considered toxic by Europeans for almost 200 years (until Neapolitan pizza became the rage in the late 1880s).

And almonds, avocados, and salmon were found to be UNHEALTHY—wait for it—in 2015 by the Food and Drug Administration’s own calculations!

That’s right—the standards that the FDA uses to evaluate if a food is “healthy” or not are sadly misleading. Low-fat breakfast pastries fit the “healthy” definition because the standards don’t consider sugar content or how processed a food is!

And that super-healthy trio of salmon, avocado, and walnuts? They get a thumbs down because they have more fat per serving than the FDA standards say is good for you—without considering the types of fat they contain. Fat in walnuts, avocados, or salmon is not much of a health concern because the fat they dish up is super-healthy ALA and DHA omega-3s and/or a rainbow of nutrients.

The FDA says it wants to upgrade the standards, but in the meantime if you’re looking for healthy foods, don’t rely on packaging that screams HEALTHY. (Choose packaged foods with no added sugars or syrups, only 100% whole grains, only a small amount of sat fats and no trans fats.

Beware of low-fat, sweetened with sugar or syrups foods—they’re still bad for your heart, brain and metabolism.)

And yes, there is plenty of data that physical activity helps you prevent cancer. One study recently published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine reviewed data concerning 1.4 million people and found that folks who got greater amounts of physical activity outside of work had a 42 percent lower risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma; a 26 percent lower for lung cancer; a 23 percent lower risk of liver and kidney cancer; a 22 percent lower for gastric cardia; a 21 percent lower for endometrial cancer; a 20 percent for myeloid leukemia; a 17 percent for myeloma; a 16 percent for colon cancer; a 15 percent for head and neck cancer; a 13 percent lower for rectal and bladder cancer; and a 10 percent lower for breast cancer. And, that was mostly regardless of body size or smoking history.

Add a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, avoid tobacco and other smoke, and stress management and you may have a great chance at living a long, healthy life.

Want more data? Another study out of Roswell Park Cancer Institute found that women who got more than just four days of physical activity a month were two and a half times less likely to develop cervical cancer than women who reported getting less physical activity.

So what do you need to do to take advantage of this great cancer-dodging news? We recommend a walking routine 5-6 days a week with a target for 10,000 steps a day. Your best bet: use a fitness tracker or pedometer; enlist a walking buddy; and get good shoes! As you increase your distance and speed, add in strength training for 30 minutes 2-3 days a week (at the gym or at home with stretchy bands or hand weights). Then, as you feel more physically confident, consider shaking it up by trying swimming, bicycling, playing tennis. And that makes your RealAge younger not just now, but for the long term.

For tips on walking and getting more physically active check out sharecare.com. And yes, look for the new book by Jean Chatzky and myself, AgeProof: Living Longer Without Running Out of Money or Breaking a Hip, to be released February 28th, 2017.

Thanks for reading. Feel free to send questions—to youdocs@gmail.com, and some of them we may know enough to answer (we’ll try to get answers for you if we do not know).

Young Dr Mike Roizen (aka, The Enforcer)

NOTE: You should NOT take this as medical advice.
This article is of the opinion of its author.
Before you do anything, please consult with your doctor.

You can follow Dr Roizen on twitter @YoungDrMike (and get updates on the latest and most important medical stories of the week). The YOU docs have tow newly revised books: The patron saint “book” of this column YOU Staying Young—revised and YOU: The Owner’s Manual…revised —yes a revision of the book that started Dr Oz to being Dr Oz. These makes great gifts—so do YOU: ON a Diet and YOU: The Owner’s Manual for teens. And, the new book by Dr Mike Roizen: This is YOUR Do-Over

Michael F. Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. His radio show streams live on http://www.radioMD.com Saturdays from 5-7 p.m. He is the co-author of 4 #1 NY Times Best Sellers including: YOU Staying Young.

WHEN Is Surgery Needed for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

5 Jan

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) often responds well to non-surgical care and there is good evidence supporting chiropractic treatment for CTS. But the question frequently arises, “When should I consider surgery for my CTS?” Let’s take a look…

CTS is basically the pinching of the median nerve as it travels through a tight tunnel at the wrist. The causes of CTS are many and include mechanical (trauma like fractures, sprains or strains, ganglion cysts, spurs from arthritis, tendonitis from overuse), metabolic (obesity, pregnancy, hormone replacement and birth control pills, diabetes, hypothyroid), inflammatory (overuse, work, playing an instrument, hobbies), and more.

When it comes to surgery, each case MUST BE individually assessed. The factors that increase one’s risk for needing surgery to resolve their CTS include: 1) EMG/NCV evidence of axonal degeneration (nerve damage); 2) muscle atrophy or shrinkage of the thumb pad; 3) acute onset after trauma (especially in fracture or dislocation of the wrist); and 4) after ALL non-surgical attempts have been tried.

Many reading this article may be surprised that CTS can actually be treated without surgery, given the popularity of surgery for this condition. Further, many may also be surprised that chiropractic can be VERY effective in managing CTS and studies have often demonstrated such care performs as well as or better than standard medical care, without the potentially serious side effects associated with some medications that may be prescribed for the CTS patient.

Non-surgical treatment offered by chiropractors may include manipulation and mobilization to the wrist (and the neck, shoulder, and elbow if nerve impingement in these areas contributes the CTS symptoms), as well as stretching exercises multiple times during the work day, taking mini-breaks,  workstation modifications, an anti-inflammatory diet with supplementation,

The BOTTOM LINE is you can always have surgery, so make sure you’ve exhausted ALL your non-surgical options before resorting to surgery!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Can Bad Backs Heal Themselves?

2 Jan

Low back pain (LBP) from a herniated disk often leads to surgical intervention. However, there are patients with this painful malady who can successfully “ride it out” and repeat MRI imaging six to twelve months later often fails to show little, if any, evidence of the original herniated disk that was initially very obvious. How is this possible?

The proposed theory is that there must be some unique interplay between molecular signals that might explain why some herniated disks heal themselves while others do not. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center are investigating this and published a report on their progress in the January 2016 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

LBP affects 60-80% of Americans during their lifetime, and there are upwards of 300,000 surgeries for herniated disks annually in the United States alone. A disk can herniate when its outer fibers tear or give way, allowing the semi-fluid center to leak out. If the herniated disk material hits the nerve root exiting the spine, the classic sciatica, or pain down the leg, can result.

Dr. Dan Spengler states that about 50% of patients with disk herniation will improve within six weeks, and the actual herniated material may completely resorb over time. What troubles Dr. Spengler and other researchers is why this doesn’t occur with everyone.

Looking specifically at the molecules that are frequently present when disks herniate, researchers have identified a group of proteins called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Certain MMPs have the ability to act like “Pac-Man” and literally chew through other proteins making it highly suspect that MMPs may be at the forefront of why some disks resorb while others do not! Additionally, when a disk herniates, bleeding occurs and white blood cells—specifically macrophages, which are immune system cells in our blood that ingest foreign materials and bacteria—also flood into the area.

What most surprised the authors was the interplay between the macrophages and the MMPs. They found that when the blood/macrophages and one of two specific MMPs interacted in a very specific manner, disk resorption occurred and they were even able to replicate this process in a lab. They concluded the following, “These enzymes are more complicated and interesting than we originally thought. Rather than being big bulldozers, they’re a fine pair of scissors that cut certain things.”

The TAKE-HOME MESSAGE here is unless you are having progressive neurological loss (meaning muscle weakness or sensory pain that is progressing, and/or especially bowel or bladder weakness), there is NO RUSH to run and have surgery! Doctors of chiropractic can offer natural, non-invasive treatments to manage pain while you let your body manage the herniation!

 

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder 4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102 Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Walking vs. Running – What’s the Best?

26 Dec

The focus on aerobic exercise is all around us. You can’t pass a magazine stand without being inundated with cover pictures of people walking, running, cycling, or doing some form of exercise. So the question begs, is walking good enough? Let’s take a look!

A GREAT plus about walking is that it can be done virtually anywhere and at any time, indoors or outdoors. It can be mixed into a routine that may include stretching, strengthening, balance training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and more. The options associated with combining walking with other forms of exercise are limited only by one’s imagination!

Though walking may not be as “sexy” as some other sports, scientific evidence continues to grow regarding the benefits of walking when compared with other more physically intensive activities.

It appears the trend of walking is catching on! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that from 2005 to 2010, 20 million more people initiated the habit of walking for at least ten minutes once a week. With this increase, New York, Chicago, Cleveland, and Boston and many other cities have transformed busy traffic routes into pedestrian-friendly pathways. A trend of changing from walking as a sport or separate activity to walking as a necessity such as to get to work, school, or to shops and grocery stores IN PLACE OF driving is gradually becoming more popular!

Doctors, insurance companies, and public health personnel have been promoting walking because, quite simply, “it’s good for us!” Some have described walking as “a wonder drug” without a prescription or cost because of its MANY benefits—­a few of which include: 1) weight loss and maintenance; 2) stimulates energy (especially a couple hours after eating due to a drop in blood sugar levels); 3) it lifts our spirits (in just ten minutes, it boosts the mood for up to two hours!); 3) it strengthens our memory (in an elderly study group, 40 min. walks, three times a week resulted in a 2% average increase in the size of the hippocampus vs. a 1.4% loss in size in those that utilized only stretching; 4) heart disease protection (lowers BP by at least 4.2% and heart disease risk by 4.5%); and 5) may reduce cancer risk (in those with colorectal cancer, those that walked for six or more hours a week were 60% less likely to die from the disease than the sedentary patients. One hour of daily walking may reduce a woman’s likelihood of a breast cancer onset by 14%).

If a more intense exercise effect is desired, interspersing short, intense bursts of high-intensity activity for short time periods can add additional health benefits. For example, try walking for five minutes at a leisurely pace (2.5-3 miles/hour on a treadmill) followed by five minutes at a brisk pace (3-3.6 mph)—walk as if you’re late for an appointment, followed by a 30 second really fast walk (4.5 mph) and then taper back down in reverse order. Increase the ‘sets’ gradually as you’re able to.

There are so many ways you can walk! The bottom line: Whether you walk, run, or mix it up, the evidence is clear—ALL approaches far outweigh none. Plus, you’ll live a longer and happier life!

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all healthcare concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a healthcare professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.

Whiplash – Is it Muscle, Ligament, or Both?

19 Dec

Whiplash is caused by the rapid back and forth motion that occurs in the classic rear-end collision, in some sports, and during slip and falls. The initial symptoms associated with whiplash often include muscle tightness and pain. But where is the pain coming from?

First, the mechanism of injury that is involved in a rear-end collision is important to understand. In the first 50-100 milliseconds, the body below the neck is pushed forward in relation to the neck, resulting in straightening of the neck. Between 100-200 msec, the lower half of the neck extends while the upper half flexes, after which the head accelerates backwards, where it is hopefully stopped by the head rest. This is followed by a forward rebound where the head and neck accelerate forward, hopefully limited by the seat belt and/or air bag. This entire event is completed within 300msec, which is faster than what we can voluntarily brace or guard against, even if we see it coming!

Factors that contribute to injury that are more difficult to calculate include the angle and springiness of the seat back, the position of the headrest, the build of the person (tall slender females are at greater risk than a husky male), whether the head was turned at the point of impact, the slipperiness of the road, the size of the two vehicles, etc.

So what’s causing your pain? Is it muscles, ligaments, or something else? There are many symptoms associated with whiplash and hence the term ‘whiplash associated disorders’ or WAD that is applied to these cases. There are four categories of WAD: 1) few symptoms/no exam findings; 2) more symptoms/positive exam findings but no nerve pain; 3) nerve pain—numb/tingling and/or muscle weakness; and 4) fracture/dislocations.

The term “cervical sprain/strain” refers to ligament/muscle injury, respectively. Muscles move bones and joints and are more elastic while ligaments firmly hold two bones together at a joint. The muscles attach to bone by tendons, and a strain refers to a muscle and/or tendon injury. Both sprains (ligaments) and strains (muscle/tendon) are graded as one, two, and three or, mild, moderate, and severe, respectively, depending on how much tearing occurs. The rate of healing is dependent on the amount of tearing and how “nice” you are to it after injury. Pain can last a long time if you keep “picking at the cut” or in other words, not respecting the healing process.

What makes the neck so unique are the many layers of muscles that exist. Like an onion, there are layers upon layers of muscles that do different jobs, but unlike an onion, these muscles run in many different directions. The muscles on the outside tend to be long, large, and strong while the deep ones are short, small, and are important with fine motor control and coordination. The deep muscles are NOT voluntary (the larger/stronger outside muscles are), so to exercise them, we have inhibit the outside muscles to get the deep ones to work. The deep neck flexor muscles are always weak in those of us with neck pain (from any cause) and need to be isolated and strengthened in order to feel and function better.

Doctors of chiropractic are trained to teach you these important, specific exercises in addition to others as well as provide you with pain relief with treatment, education, and job/work modifications.

FOR A FREE NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION CALL 717-697-1888

Dr. Brent Binder
4909 Louise Drive, Suite 102
Mechanicsburg Pa, 17055

Member of Chiro-Trust.org

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →