Women And Musculoskeletal Disorders
Women are at least twice as likely as men to develop some musculoskeletal disorders of the upper body. That’s the finding of scientists at Ohio State University.
“Women have a significantly higher prevalence –- anywhere from two to ten, even eleven times higher than men -- for many of these disorders,” says Delia Treaster, a former doctoral student at Ohio State who conducted the research. “The question now is, why? Is it biomechanical, physiological, psychological, or what? Most likely, it is due to a combination of factors.”
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affect the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints, and include such diverse problems as low back pain, repetitive strain injuries of various sorts, and joint injuries. One 1998 study found that 15 percent of the American working population suffered one or more MSDs, and that this rate could increase to 18 percent within the next 30 years.
To Treaster, the study underscores the need to prevent MSDs from happening in the first place. One way to do that is through better workplace design, equipment selection, and work practices.
“MSDs can be difficult to diagnose,” says our medical director, “and women need to be aware that they could develop these disorders, especially as they grow older. At Spine and Sports Medicine we can perform clinical tests to help determine the causes of the pain and establish a course of treatment to get you back to your normal self.”Labels: Low back pain, muscular strain, musculoskeletal disorder, NYC, spine and sports medicine
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 1:34 PM
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Plantar Fasciitis: ‘Flip-Flop Disease’
Sometimes known as “flip-flop disease,” one of the most common foot problems dealt with at Spine and Sports Medicine is called plantar fasciitis. A painful inflammatory condition caused by excessive wear to the connective tissue (the plantar fascia) that runs along the bottom of the foot, it is a common problem among people active in sports, especially runners. Because the normal foot has an arch, this tight band of tissue is at the base of the arch. In this position, the plantar fascia acts like a bowstring to maintain the arch of the foot. Obesity, weight gain, jobs that require a lot of walking on hard surfaces, and shoes with little or no arch support (think flip-flops!) are also associated with the condition. The pain usually is felt on the underside of the heel, and is often most intense with the first steps of the day.
Spine and Sports Medicine can set up a course of treatment to help keep you on the move and pain-free. Fortunately, the majority of cases of plantar fasciitis respond favorably to non-operative treatment. However, the recovery time varies tremendously from patient to patient. While some patients may be healed after 6 weeks of treatment, others may require 6 months or longer for recovery. Typically, the methods of treatment include anti-inflammatory medication, icing, stretching, heel inserts, activity modification -- and no more flip-flops!Labels: muscular strain, NYC, plantar fasciitis, spine and sports medicine
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 6:39 AM
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Sweet Dreams?
You have probably spent over 25% of your life sleeping. With that much of your life spent under the sheets, it makes sense that proper sleep and a good mattress can go a long way towards mitigating back pain and improving your health.
However, approximately two-thirds of patients with chronic back pain suffer from sleep disorders and a new study indicates that frequently interrupted sleep can make a person more susceptible to pain by altering the body's natural systems that regulate and control pain.
During the study, researchers tested the pain thresholds and pain inhibition of 32 women subjects. Those in a group that had been woken up eight times during the night showed an increase in spontaneous pain, while those in control groups who slept undisturbed did not, showing that disrupted sleep impairs natural pain control mechanisms that are thought to play a key role in the development, maintenance, and exacerbation of chronic pain.
“A sleeping disorder associated with chronic back pain should always be addressed as part of a multi-disciplinary, chronic pain treatment approach,” says Dr. Kessler. “As with any symptom of a chronic pain syndrome, the sleep disruption should not be treated in isolation without taking into account proper treatments for the chronic back pain problem that is part of the cause of the sleeping problem.”
In many cases, the right mattress can certainly help, and for those with chronic pain, getting continuous, undisturbed sleep is key to controlling the pain.Labels: back pain, Low back pain, muscular strain, NYC, pain management, sleep, spine and sports medicine
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 3:44 PM
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How To Be a ‘Beautiful Person’
The idea of sticking needles into one’s face may be hard to imagine, yet more and more people who want to slow signs of aging, particularly in their faces, but don’t want to undergo surgery or to inject chemicals, are having facial acupuncture. The aim is to tackle wrinkles, muscle tension that may be causing unsightly lines, as well as systemic issues standing between you and glowing skin. In Chinese Medicine the state of physical health, emotions, and spirit is reflected on the skin, particularly on the skin of the face.
The non-surgical Mei Zen Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture procedure, is a holistic, natural and comprehensive skin rejuvenation program designed to restore, revitalize and relax. Mei Zen means “beautiful person” in Chinese and many are taking this route to change not only their external appearance, but also to improve total body wellness. “I like the idea of using a natural approach to ‘halt’ the aging process without using toxic chemicals like Botox and Restylane,” says an interested patient. “I've used both (don't tell anyone) and I would have loved to find a healthier alternative.” That alternative is now available, right in the New York City offices of Spine and Sports Medicine. In the past 2,000 years, more people have been successfully treated with acupuncture than with all other health modalities combined. Today acupuncture is practiced widely in Asia, the Soviet Union, and in Europe, and is now being used more and more in America. Acupuncture treatments can be given at the same time other techniques are being used, such as conventional Western medicine, osteopathic or chiropractic adjustments, and homeopathy. So, call for an appointment and “get beautiful.” Labels: Acupuncture, health, muscular strain, NYC, pain management, spine and sports medicine
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 3:49 PM
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Nursemaid’s Elbow
We’ve all heard of tennis elbow, but nursemaid’s elbow? Nursemaid's elbow is a partial dislocation of the elbow, which occurs when the lower part of the arm (forearm) slips out of its normal position at the elbow joint, caused by a sudden pull on the extended arm. Nursemaid's elbow is a common condition in young children and generally affects children under the age of five. The injury occurs when a child is pulled up too hard by the hand or the wrist. It is often seen after someone lifts a child up by one arm. (For example, when trying to lift the child over a curb or high step, or when an obstinate child is forcibly pulled along or lifted by the forearm.) Swinging a young child from the arms while playing can also cause this injury. When the injury occurs, the child usually begins crying immediately and refuses to use the arm.
The child may hold the arm so that it is slightly bent at the elbow and pressed up against the stomach. The child will move the shoulder, but not the elbow. Some children stop crying as the immediate pain goes away, but continue to refuse to move the elbow. Once the elbow dislocates, it is likely to do so again, especially in the 3 or 4 weeks following the injury, so don’t wait around. Give us a call. Labels: Elbow Problems, muscular strain, pain management, physical therapy, spine and sports medicine
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 12:44 PM
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My wife, the Fish
My wife is a swimmer, always has been. She says she actually feels more comfortable in the water than she does on land. I think, perhaps, she was a fish in her past life, but that’s another story.
Like many sufferers of back pain, she responds well to water, and some physical therapy centers provide aquatic physical therapy. Our own Dr. Kessler of Spine and Sports Medicine says, "Water supports the body and minimizes the effect of gravity, making it easier for patients to start an exercise program. Aquatic therapy can be very helpful for elderly patients and disabled patients who may not have the strength to do some of the exercises outside the aquatic pool.”
Some of the most important properties of water that make exercise easier are buoyancy, viscosity, and hydrostatic pressure. These properties can counteract gravity, provide resistance, and improve muscle blood flow.
…And I thought water was just good to drink.Labels: Aquatic therapy, back pain, muscular strain, musculoskeletal systems, physical therapy
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 6:58 PM
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Knee Problems, will it be the end for Tiger
I guess knee pain doesn’t have to be the end of a person’s active life. Take Tiger Woods. He just won the U.S. Open.
Woods, like all professional athletes, demands more from, and puts more stress on, his joints than the average person. In mid-April, Woods underwent surgery on his left knee to remove fluid build-up in the joint and repair cartilage damage. It was the latest of several procedures on the joint.
Healthy knees are lined with cartilage, which act as shock absorbers. Arthritis or injury can damage cartilage. According to our medical director Dr. Kessler of Spine and Sports Medicine, “Unlike the shoulder or hip joint which provide some degree of stability from the bone structure, the knee depends 100% on ligaments, muscles, tendons and cartilage to hold everything together. This is why the knee is so prone to injury when external forces and stresses are applied.”
Labels: Knee Pain, muscular strain, musculoskeletal systems
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 6:46 PM
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A pain in the Neck
My neck pain extends down into my shoulder. I know bad posture has something to do with it. It’s not nearly as drastic as the hairdresser’s situation, but it causes me discomfort nonetheless. According to the doctors at Spine and Sports Medicine, physical therapy will help me restore the range of motion, relax my muscles and strengthen my postural endurance.
The pain in my neck from sitting too long at work with my head craned forward staring at the computer screen is nothing like the pain suffered by a trampoliner in the UK who was enjoying an outdoor barbeque party and a turn on the trampoline at a friend’s house when she suffered an accident that broke her neck. A former hairdresser, she was paralyzed and told she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
With the Fourth of July coming up and a sweet barbeque on the agenda, I’m hoping that my neck pain will be better soon. Like the hairdresser who is now actually walking on her own, hopefully I’ll “bounce back,” too. But, just to be on the safe side, I think I’ll steer clear of any trampolines.
Labels: muscular strain, neck pain, posture
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 6:14 PM
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Pain and Posture
It’s one of those things passed on from parent to child without even thinking. I’ve even found myself saying it. “Sit up straight… Don’t slouch.” My kids hate it as much as I did when I was young, but over the years I’ve seen there’s more than a little truth to this age-old nag.
Bad posture alone doesn’t cause severe back pain, and the kind of sloping, slouching, shoulder droop my kids sometimes exhibit as they’re sitting in front of the computer isn’t going to land them directly in the emergency room, but it’s bound to have an impact on their musculoskeletal systems.
"Everyone can benefit from good posture," says our medical director Dr. Kessler. "Poor positioning of the body can be improved and it’s never too late to start trying to correct postural problems."
The spine is a complex arrangement of bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, discs, a spinal cord and nerves. In a healthy spine the vertebrae, facet joints and discs are vertically stacked, held together by a system of ligaments that help support the alignment while allowing movement within a safe range. Comprised of three natural curves that form an S-shape, the spine is properly aligned when a person’s ears, shoulders, and hips are in a straight line. Without support from strong, flexible muscles, the back loses its three natural curves.
When poor posture sets in, muscles, joints and ligaments take more stress and strain than intended, causing fatigue, muscular strain, compression of blood vessels, and pain. In addition, faulty posture can affect the position and function of major organs.
Time, old injuries and bad habits take their toll on the spine as a person ages. But new treatments and better diagnostic tests can help keep back pain at bay throughout an entire lifetime.
"The spine goes through the aging process just like any other part of the body," says Dr. Kessler. "For patients with a history of back pain who are currently experiencing symptoms that are interfering with activities, the first step is proper diagnostic testing to determine the cause of the symptoms and the severity of problem. A series of imaging tests over a period of time can help determine the correct course of treatment.”
Computer use is one of the common causes of difficulties related to posture and positioning. One of the first things that happens with computer use is the user's head starts to move forward. Once the head moves forward, posture is thrown off and the body compensates for the shift. The neck moves forward, the shoulders become rounded and a compensatory sway in the back develops. The result of this poor posture is pain, muscle aches, tension and headaches.
Unfortunately, many of us adopt these habits in a whole variety of everyday positions - not only sitting at a desk, but also standing, walking, carrying things, even lying in bed. High heeled shoes, boots, tight clothing and wide belts can also shift our center of gravity and move us out of normal alignment.
Treatment goals for correcting postural problems include restoring range of motion, increasing flexibility and strengthening weak muscles. These goals can be accomplished through exercises and practice. Muscle relaxation techniques, massage and stretching exercises are also used to relieve pain and muscle tension.
"Of all the things that happen to our body," Dr. Kessler says, "poor posture is one of the easiest to correct."
Try telling that to my kids.Labels: back pain, muscular strain, musculoskeletal systems, posture
Posted by Spine and Sports Medicine on 8:56 AM
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