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Are you keeping up with your home exercise program? There is new incentive to keep osteoarthritis patients up and moving!

A new study shows that patients with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis (OA) who kept up with their self-directed, home exercise program demonstrated greater improvement in the areas of pain control and physical function than patients who did not maintain their prescribed home exercise plan.

The study, reported in the August issue of Arthritis Care & Research, involved 150 patients receiving exercise therapy for osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 15, and 60 months of follow-up.

All of these outcomes were significantly better in patients who kept up with the recommended home exercises and who were more physically active.

For more information, call 239-368-8277 or visit http://www.bone-fix.com/.

In 2006, approximately 7.5 million people went to the doctor’s office for a shoulder problem, including shoulder and upper arm sprains and strains. More than 4.1 million of these visits were for rotator cuff problems.

Shoulder injuries are frequently caused by athletic activities that involve excessive, repetitive, overhead motion, such as swimming, tennis, pitching and weightlifting. Injuries can also occur during everyday activities such washing walls, hanging curtains and gardening.

What are the symptoms and treatments available? Click here to learn more:

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00327

For more information, call 239-368-8277 or visit www.bone-fix.com

• Do you sometimes limp?
• Is it difficult to perform daily tasks like walking, housework or tying shoes?
• Does pain limit your activities and lifestyle?
• Does one leg feel “shorter”? 
• Do you have balance problems?
• Do you experience pain in the thigh, groin or buttocks?
• Does pain radiate to the knee?

It’s estimated 70 million people in the U.S. have some form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types, causing wear and tear that deteriorates the “cushion” in your joints. Because osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, it won’t get better and may get worse.

In healthy hips, the end of each bone in the joint is covered with cartilage, acting as a cushion so the joint functions without pain.

In cases of a diseased hip or osteoarthritis, the wear and tear deteriorates the natural cushion, leading to bone-on-bone contact, soreness and swelling.

For a proper diagnosis and to discuss treatment options, consult your physician or a board certified orthopaedic surgeon. For more information, visit http://www.bone-fix.com/.

• Do you sometimes limp?
• Is it difficult to perform daily tasks like walking, housework or tying shoes?
• Does pain limit your activities and lifestyle?
• Does one leg feel “shorter”? 
• Do you have balance problems?
• Do you experience pain in the thigh, groin or buttocks?
• Does pain radiate to the knee?

It’s estimated 70 million people in the U.S. have some form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types, causing wear and tear that deteriorates the “cushion” in your joints. Because osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition, it won’t get better and may get worse.

In healthy hips, the end of each bone in the joint is covered with cartilage, acting as a cushion so the joint functions without pain.

In cases of a diseased hip or osteoarthritis, the wear and tear deteriorates natural cushion, leading to bone-on-bone contact, soreness and swelling.

For a proper diagnosis and to discuss treatment options, consult your physician or a board certified orthopaedic surgeon. For more information, visit http://www.bone-fix.com/.

For many patients suffering with joint pain, non-surgical options are often used before surgery is recommended. While treatment is individualized and depends on the patient’s medical history and overall health, non-surgical treatment options generally include the following:

Diet and Exercise

       – Proper diet and exercise reduces stress on weight-bearing joints (extra pressure on some joints may aggravate your arthritis).

       – A balanced diet helps manage weight and stay healthy.

       – Strengthening or aerobic exercise.

Rest and Joint Care

       – Short-term bed rest helps reduce both joint inflammation and pain, and is especially useful when multiple joints are affected and fatigue is a major problem.

       – Individual joint rest is most helpful when arthritis involves one or only a few joints.

       – Heat Therapy (increases blood flow, tolerance for pain, flexibility).

       – Cold Therapy — cold packs, ice massage, OTC sprays and ointments (reduces pain by numbing the nerves around the joint).

Physical Therapy

The goal is to get you back to the point where you can perform normal, everyday activities without difficulty.

       – Preserving good range of motion is key to maintaining the ability to perform daily activities.

       – Physical therapists provide exercises designed to preserve the strength and use of your joints:

       – Show you the best way to move from one position to another.

       – Teach you how to use walking aids.

Walking Aids

- Your doctor may recommend a cane, walker or brace.

Medications

       Analgesics, pain relievers, may provide temporary relief of arthritis pain. Aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen are traditional pain relievers.

       Topical pain relievers are another option. Over-the-counter patches, rubs and ointments can provide quick pain relief for people with arthritis that is in just a few joints — such as a hand — or whose pain isn’t severe.

Glucosamine

Glucosamine and chondroitin may relieve joint pain.

       – They occur in the body naturally; vital to normal cartilage function.

       – Researchers are also studying chondroitin for use in making medicines more effective and helping to prevent blood clots (anticoagulant).

       – They are not FDA approved and warrant further in-depth studies on their safety and effectiveness, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

       – They may help osteoarthritis pain and improve function.

Some studies indicate that glucosamine may help as much as ibuprofen in relieving symptoms of osteoarthritis, particularly in the knee, with fewer side effects.

Cortisone

Cortisone injection may provide temporary relief.

For more information on these or other treatments for joint pain, call 239-368-8277 or visit www.bone-fix.com.