• Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty in Patients Older Than 80 Years

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    We are grower older as a nation at a rapid rate. In fact, the fastest growing age group in the US includes people 65 years old and older. Between 2000 to 2010 the growth rate for this segment of the population was 15.1% while the rest of the population grew at a rate of 9.7%.

    Among those age 65 and older, the subgroup that had the most rapid rate of growth includes those ages 85 to 94 years. This group grew from 3.9 million to 5.1 million (30%) between 2000 and 2010.

    And growth rates for those 95 years old and older were also impressive.

    From an orthopedic preceptive this means that there will likely be a hiphigher incidence of orthopedic conditions associated with age including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

    It is predicted that demand for total knee replacements will increase 673% by the year 2030 and total hip replacement demand will increase 174%. It is also predicted at there will be an increase in the number of patients that undergo joint replacement surgery who are over the age of 80.

    Perhaps not surprisingly, as we age, the risk and complication rate at the time of surgery tends to increase.

    Authors Lee Rubin, M.D. et al. in the October 2016 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon Journal reported on total hip and knee arthroplasty in patients over a 80 years old.

    Three major studies combined data comparing two large age groups and their respective post operative complication rates: over age 80 and under age 80. The researchers found that the mortality rate under age 80 was 0.3 – .08% compared to 3.2-17.1 percent for patients over age 80. (more…)

    Sports Injury FAQs

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    Sport Injury FAQsSports injuries, such as concussions and injured Anterior Cruciate Ligaments (ACLs), are common occurrences across a wide variety of sports. While both injuries are well known, Sport Injury FAQs are helpful in learning about cause, prevention, and treatment among athletes.

    One very common topic of sport injury FAQs are concussions. They are very common injuries in sports and are also difficult to diagnose. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects the way the brain functions. While the effects are temporary, concussions do have the potential to leave long term, lasting effects on the brain. Most people associate concussions with head injuries. Few know that concussions can also be caused by being violently shaken or impacted which occurs often in contact sports. Follow along for important sport injury FAQs from Louisville sports medicine physician Dr. Stacie Grossfeld.

    Sport Injury FAQs

    What is the average return to playtime in the NBA in reference to a concussion?

    Dr. Padaki, et al, published in the September 2016 issues of the American Journal of Sports Medicine that the number of concussions involving NBA players from the beginning of 2006 to the end of the 2014 season has not changed; however, what has changed is that the time a player sits out of games after getting a concussion has increased.

    While players often returned within the same game in the 2006 season, NBA players are now missing games. Players sit out an average of five games after getting a concussion.

    While concussions are common sports injuries that need to be taken seriously, they are also quite easy to recover from when not extremely detrimental and diagnosed early. An ACL injury, on the other hand, is a serious muscle injury that comes with a long recovery time regardless of if your injury is nonsurgical or surgical. Part of that recovery time includes heavy physical therapy which plays an important role in regaining strength in the muscles and getting back into your normal routine. Injured ACLs are another hot topic in Sport Injury FAQs because the ACL is not as commonly discussed as concussions are and people have many more questions about them.

    Does age influence the risk of knee osteoarthritis after traumatic ACL injury?

    Studies have shown that the risk of osteoarthritis after sustaining an ACL injury can increase by up to 85%. The question authors answered in a 2016 article published in the American Journal of Sports
    Medicine was “does age specifically influence the risk of osteoarthritis occurring after an ACL injury?”

    Dr. Victoria Jonson, et al, reported on a group of patients who had undergone primary ACL reconstruction over a 15-year period. She found that the age of the athlete in which the injury occurred did not influence the rate of incidents.

    What they did find is that the middle aged athletes were likely to encounter osteoarthritis in the endpoint soon. That could also be explained by the fact that osteoarthritis can be part of the natural aging process.

    What is the hormone, Relaxin, and does it have any effect on an ACL injury?

    There was an excellent article written in the September 2016 Journal of American Sports Medicine. Jacqueline Konopka, BS, at Stanford Medical Center looked at the hormone, Relaxin, and its effects on female ACL ligament cells.

    It is a fact that female athletes sustain ACL injuries 2 to 8 times more often than male athletes. Specific gender related factors like: anatomy, biomechanics, and hormones may contribute to the disparity in tear rates between the genders. The author specifically wanted to investigate if the female hormone, Relaxin, could affect ACL cells.

    The Study

    This was a laboratory study in which ACL cells were primed with estrogen and treated with Relaxin. The authors wanted to find out if potentially blocking the hormone could affect ligament strength. There are some completed studies that reveal that a lead female athlete with an ACL tear had higher levels of Relaxin concentrations circulating through their bodies in comparison to a female athlete without any injury. Additional studies have shown that animals treated with Relaxin had significantly weaker ACLS as measured by load to failure testing in comparison to controls.

    During the study, it was also considered that men do have significant serum levels of the hormone Relaxin. It is possible that chronic Relaxin exposure among women decreases the integrity of the female ACL which in turn contributes to the gender disparity in the ACL injury prevalence.

    Background

    Background information as to the structure of the ACL includes that it is primarily composed of Type I, Type II, and Type III Collagen.  Type I Collagen is the most abundant matrix component and is responsible for the majority of the ACL’s tensile strength. Type II Collagen is found at fibrocartilaginous areas of the ACL that undergo high levels of sheer force. The main type of collagen is Type III which is synthesized during the early stages of ACL healing.  Degradation of these important ACL matrix components could possibly lead to a higher risk of ACL injury.

    Research Process

    It is known that Relaxin promotes connective tissue degradation by decreasing levels of collagen and alpha smooth muscle actin as well as decreasing transforming growth factor beta activity by inhibiting certain enzymatic pathways.  Because of this, it has been theorized that chronic exposure to Relaxin does predispose the female athlete to an increased risk of ACL injury.  What the researchers found is that the hormone Relaxin did not bind to male ACL tissue, but did bind to female ACL tissue suggesting a differential gender dependence response to Relaxin.

    They also found that female ACL cells that had been exposed to oral contraceptive did not have similar regulation or experience the binding effect of Relaxin, so the authors concluded there may be a protective effect to ACL injuries if a female athlete is taking an oral contraceptive. There are some clinical studies that have suggested this as well.

    Results

    The result of the laboratory study was that chronic Relaxin exposure could biomechanically compromise the integrity of the female ACL by decreasing collagen level production.

    Some clinical studies in the past have revealed that female athletes with serum Relaxin levels greater than 6.0 pg/mL were found to have over four times increased risk of ACL injury that females with lower levels of the hormone in their bodies.

    The researchers felt that the goal would be to enroll the women at higher risk for ligamentous injury into  a prophylactic injury prevention program to decrease the gender disparity in the female athlete spectrum.

    These Sport Injury FAQs are much more detailed questions and elaborate answers due becuse Dr. Stacie Grossfeld wrote them. Dr. Grossfeld is a Louisville, KY orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist. In addition to her practice as an orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Stacie Grossfeld is an Assistant Clinical Professor at UofL in the Department of Family Medicine. She also assists at the Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She is a member of Baptist Sports Medicine and enjoys serving as the Team Doctor for South Oldham High School. In addition, Dr. Grossfeld is the Team Doctor for Assumption High School in Louisville, KY.

    Tommy John Surgery For Major League Baseball Pitchers

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    Predictors of the Tommy John Surgery / Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Major League Baseball Pitchers

    Can we predict who will need Tommy John Surgery?

    This is a hot topic right now in field of orthopedic surgery.  We have seen great rise in the incidents of ulnar collateral ligament injuries resulting in baseball players needing Tommy John surgery.

    There was an excellent article written by Dr. David Whiteside, et al, in the September, 2016 American Journal of Sports Medicine that specifically looked at risk factors that can predict major league baseball pitchers that would need a Tommy John surgery.

    baseball-playerResearchers highlighted background data noting that there is concern right now and actually discussion that the ulnar collateral ligament injury is almost an epidemic affecting pitchers at all levels of baseball from recreational high school players to the pro pitchers.  The ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery has been reported to impose an average of 17 to 21 months away from the MLB competition and possibly diminish their performance.  If there is a way to curtail the current trend and protect the integrity of the elbow joint in pitchers, that would be the best form of treatment would be prevention.

    There has been some effort made to help reduce the risk of ulnar collateral ligament injury such as limiting the amount of pitches per game.  Currently in the MLB, there is a maximum of 100 pitches per game.

    Major Risk Factors For Tommy John Surgery / Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair

    The particular study detailed above identified the risk factors for professional baseball pitchers sustaining an ulnar collateral ligament injury resulting in a Tommy John procedure.  The researchers found six risk factors that led to increased incidents of Tommy John surgery.

    1. Fewer days between games.
    2. Fewer pitch types employed.
    3. More pitches per game.
    4. Greater pitch speed.
    5. A less pronounced horizontal release location.
    6. A smaller stature of the player.

    The authors noted that the current findings supported the theory that recovery periods after MLB pitching are critical for reducing injury, a point previously specified at the youth level.  This also endorsed the rationale for multi-pitcher rotations in MLB.  They also found that if an extra day between games reduces the UCL injury, the value of a six man pitching rotation as opposed to the conventional five, and/or larger bullpens is obvious.

    Another interesting and statistically significant finding that the researchers reported was that a pitcher’s odds of undergoing a Tommy John procedure decreased by 33% for each unique pitch type that he possessed in his repertoire. This means that pitchers that throw different types of balls/pitches would have a lower incidence of injury to their ulnar collateral ligament.  They did note that one of risk factors was speed which obviously is not going to be changed among the pitchers, that would be considered a non-modifiable risk factor. (more…)

    10 Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    carpal tunnel syndromeCarpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes numbness, tingling, weakness, and other discomforts in your hands and fingers. A pinched median nerve in your wrist causes these discomforts. The median nerve, along with other related tendons, travels from your forearm to your hand inside a small space called the carpal tunnel. This nerve supplies feeling and movement to your thumb as well as your first three fingers. When the median nerve is under pressure or becomes pinched, it is called carpal tunnel syndrome.

    Carpel tunnel syndrome is the most common type of entrapment neuropathy and is sometimes confused with other illnesses such as hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes. Repetitive movements, such as typing, texting, using a computer mouse, and oddly enough, even pregnancy, can cause some common carpal tunnel symptoms. These include things like swelling, tingling, and numbness in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and half of the ring finger. If you are experiencing these symptoms in your little (or pinky) finger then this is a good indicator that your symptoms are not related to carpal tunnel syndrome.

    Carpal tunnel symptoms can be confused with other medical conditions or illnesses, so consult a qualified medical doctor for a complete examination. Read 10 carpal tunnel symptoms as detailed by board certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine physician Dr. Stacie Grossfeld.

    10 Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome You Should Know

    Numbness

    This is the first indicator that something may be wrong. Pressure on the median nerve causes numbness or tingling in your hand and fingers. Usually the numbness related to carpal tunnel will wake you up in the middle of the night.

    Tingling

    Like numbness, carpal tunnel can cause a “pins and needles” feeling to your hand and fingers.

    Pain

    Carpal tunnel can be somewhat painful, making repetitive movements more difficult.

    Stiffness

    Usually people with carpal tunnel will experience stiffness in the hands, fingers, and wrist. This stiffness is usually more severe in the morning.

    Weakness

    The compression in your wrist, hands, and fingers may cause weakness. Carpel tunnel syndrome often makes holding objects or writing more difficult.

    Elbow Pain

    It is not uncommon for people with carpal tunnel syndrome to have pain or tingling in the elbow.

    Difficulty Falling Asleep

    Carpal tunnel syndrome causes tingling and pain which distracts the mind and makes it harder to fall asleep. The constant pins and needles feeling may make it difficult for you to relax and get a good night’s sleep.

    Pain in One Hand More than the Other

    Generally people with carpal tunnel will experience more severe symptoms in one hand than the other. This is due to repetitive movements and left or right hand dominance.

    Shoulder Pain

    Many people with carpal tunnel syndrome have even experienced pain, tingling, or numbness running all the way from their shoulder down to their fingertips. Where you feel pain completely depends on where the pressure on your nerve is located.

    Decrease in Grip Strength

    Along with weakness in hand and finger muscles, carpal tunnel syndrome may make it difficult for you to hold relatively easy to grasp objects and open containers.

    Carpal tunnel symptoms can be unnerving, pun intended! If you are experiencing any of these symptoms regularly and if everyday activities are becoming difficult, it is worth a visit to your doctor’s office. A thorough physical exam will identify carpal tunnel syndrome.

    Most of the time home treatment options for carpal tunnel syndrome are successful. Change activities that are causing pain along with physical therapy. You may also be prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation. If your condition worsens, surgery may become an option.

    It is best to treat this early before any carpal tunnel symptoms lead to long-term effects. For more information about this condition or to schedule an appointment in Louisville, Kentucky, with a board certified orthopedic surgeon, call Dr. Grossfeld’s office at 502-212-2663.

    Dr. Grossfeld Attends Bingham Fellows Program Class of 2016 Graduation

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    Bingham Fellows Program in Louisville KentuckyDr. Grossfeld was privileged enough to be invited to the Bingham Fellows Program Class of 2016 graduation at Actor’s Theater in the Victor Jory Theatre. Dr. Grossfeld serves on the Board of both the Louisville Sports Commission and the YMCA at Norton Commons, and the CEO and President of both organizations were a part of the 2016 graduating class. Dr. Grossfeld elaborates:

    It was an enlightening experience and it exposed me to some amazing organizations in Louisville Kentucky that I did not know about. It was amazing to see both of the organizations that I work with be brought together under the same umbrella for this event.

    The Bingham Fellows Program was created by the Leadership Louisville Center in 1979, and it is regarded as one of the region’s most valuable resources for leadership development and civic engagement. In 2011, the Leadership Louisville Center has been recognized as one of the top seven community leadership programs in the U.S in a benchmark study by the Center for Creative Leadership.

    Along with the Bingham Fellows Program, the LLC also sponsors Focus Louisville, Ignite Louisville, Leadership Louisville, and Encore Louisville.

    The mission for each Bingham Fellow class is determined every year. This year’s project was titled “Empower Citizens to Live Healthier Lives.” The goal of the Class of 2016 Bingham fellows is to foster a culture of health and greater health equity. Louisville, unfortunately, has the distinction of being rated as 48 out of 50 of the largest metro areas in the U.S. in terms of fitness. Louisville is also ranked as the fifth unhealthiest city in America.

    There were 36 people chosen this year to participate in the Bingham Fellows Program. Participants included: doctors, vice presidents of Fortune 500 companies, religious leaders and local small business owners. All of the participants in the Bingham Fellows Program had a unique background along with a different talent that they brought to the table.

    Louisville 2016 Bingham Fellows Program Includes 5 Unique Groups

    The Bingham fellows were broken up into 5 groups: Louisville Active, SaturPlay, Smoketown Family Wellness Center, Smoketown Laundry and Healthy Teen Break-Up Summit.

    Louisville Active was created to start a culture of active lifestyles by creating new urban walking groups as well as expanding existing ones. Louisville Active will partner with the Louisville Sports Commission to broaden programming along with healthcare organizations, social service organizations and local businesses to share best practices. These ideas will all be implemented into a city-wide marketing campaign. Louisville Active will remain as an ad hoc committee of the Louisville Sports Commission. I am the current chairperson of the Louisville Active committee, and also member of the Louisville Sports Commission executive committee.

    SaturPlay: building healthy bodies and strong character in kids aged 9-13 through a cooperative partnership with the YMCA, Dare to Care, Metro Parks, and the Shawnee Boys and Girls Club.  This program is run over a six week period at the Shawnee’s Boys and Girls club. There is fun, physical play in a safe environment along with two servings of a healthy snack that kids help to prepare.  One snack can be eaten on site and the other snack can be taken home with them to prepare at a later time.  Dare to Care supplied a registered dietician and chef to help teach the kids about healthy eating and easy healthy snack preparation. (more…)

    Dr. Grossfeld Picked for Pumpkin Decorating Contest

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    dr-grossfeld-next-to-pumpkin-from-pumpkin-decorating-contestMetro Specialty Surgery Center in Louisville, Kentucky is having a pumpkin decorating contest and guess who’s face they chose to decorate as a pumpkin? Dr. Grossfeld!

    The Details to Making Dr. Grossfeld

    The nurses decided that they wanted to decorate a pumpkin that looks like one of the doctors. They felt that Dr.Grossfeld’s wardrobe, jewelry and glasses would be somewhat iconic. Plus, they said they really wanted to do a female surgeon and since Dr. Grossfeld is the only one, she became the model for the pumpkin.

    Patty Morgan was instrumental in determining the supplies to use for the pumpkin decorating contest. Confetti was used to make the curly hair because that gave volume to the hair underneath an operating room cap!! Though it was difficult to find cat eye glasses, they popped out the lenses of some sunglasses and dazzled the rims.

    And of course, Dr. Grossfeld’s look-a-like pumpkin also includes lots of pretty beads (from the Family Dollar) and pink lipstick (which actually worked surprisingly well).

    Quick Facts About Football Injuries

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    Attn. Football Fans…This excellent review article about Football Injuries was published in October 2016 by the American Journal of Orthopedics, and authored by Paul Rothenberg, M.D. and colleagues. Follow along for 18 interesting facts about football injuries!

    18 Facts To Know About Football & Football Injuries:

    1. Football is the most popular sport in the U.S.
    2. The number of males who played football is greater than the combined number of males and females who participate in track and field or basketball. Football facts, Football injuries
    3. Football has the highest injury rate among popular American sports.
    4. Football injuries are more likely to occur during games and to require surgery.
    5. Knee injuries are the most type of football injuries.
    6. Three of the more common knee injuries in football include the medial collateral ligament injury, ACL injury and PCL injury.
    7. Football players are four times more likely to sustain an ACL injury than athletes participating in other sports.
    8. Football ACL injuries are higher energy injuries that in other sports.
    9. Football ACL injuries are frequently associated with damage to additional structures including the meniscus and other ligaments in the chondral surface.
    10. The incidence of ACL injury increases with the level of competition in football.
    11. The most common position that is at high risk for ACL injuries are running backs, linebackers, tight ends and wide receivers.
    12. Return to play after ACL surgery in football ranges from 40 to 80%.
    13. The medial collateral ligament is the most common injury sustained to the knee in football players.
    14. When it comes to football injuries, most MCL injuries are treated non-surgically.
    15. The more severe the MCL injury, the more likely it is associated with additional ligament injuries to the knee. The most common being an ACL tear.
    16. The PCL is a much stronger ligament then the ACL. PCL injuries occur secondary to an ACL injury when the athlete has their knee hyperflexed or they experience a direct blow to the tibia/shin in a flexed position.
    17. In football, PCL injuries typically/most commonly occur secondary to a contact mechanism.
    18. The PCL injury is typically caused by a contact injury which means commonly there are other associated injuries such as ACL, and MCL.

    Making an Apple Watch Birthday Cake

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    Apple Watch Birthday CakeTalking about baking the Apple Watch birthday cake, Dr. Grossfeld explains that she really only bakes once a year outside of an occasional batch of cookies and apple or cherry pie.

    I wouldn’t even come close to calling myself a baker. I also start with the mindset every year a couple days before Adam’s birthday that baking cake can’t be much more technical than performing a rotator cuff repair and I can perform a great rotator cuff repair.

    Discussion of the process:

    The birthday cake making process started with going to Google Images and searching “apple watch cake.” Dr. Grossfeld explains:

    I found several ideas that I combined. The next step was finding the best recipe. By googling “best moist chocolate cake” I found what sounded like the perfect recipe plus it had an icing recipe attached. See below for both recipes. When making the cake I applied similar principles that I use in the operating room . For example, mixing all the ingredients is just like mixing the cement used in a total knee or hip replacement.

    Adam and my husband are dark chocolate fans so I substituted Dark Hershey’s chocolate for the regular chocolate cocoa that was recommended.

    Still not 100 percent sure how I was going to fashion and piece the apple watch birthday cake together while I was mixing the ingredients I decided that more baked cake to work with would be better. So I doubled the recipe for the cake and the icing. Once the cakes were baked I got out my Apple Watch and looked it very closely trying to decide what were the distinguishing feature of that watch versus any other watch.

    I did not have the 9 inch cake pan like the recipe called for but had three 8×8 inch pans from the prior year’s cake so I greased and floured all three of them up. Again, because I am not an experienced baker I was not exactly sure how much batter to put in each pan without it rising as it baked to spill over the side of the cake pan. it worked out well. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.

    Last year was the first year I used Fondant icing . Fondant is a ready-made colored icing that can be rolled out with a rolling pin and comes in different basic colors. It has the consistency of play dough. Fondant is great for cutting out shapes and decorating the major downside is it also tastes like play dough .

    As the cakes were cooling Adam and I picked out nine apps that looked like there were fairly easy to make out of the Fondant icing and were ionic to Apple . We then started the cut and paste process of using the different colored fondant and cutting tools. When purchasing the Fondant at Walmart I noticed they sold a set of relatively inexpensive cutting tools and knowing that in the operating room not having the right tool can make or break you so i tossed them into my shopping cart.

    As we made the apps we glued them together with water. As they were finished I  laid  hem out on the back side of the the upside down empty center cake pan to make sure they fit properly . I tried to organize them so that the different colored apps were evenly spread out.

    I then covered a larger wooden cutting board with aluminum foil and saran wrap as my base plate. The next step was to cut the different cakes up into pieces of the Apple Watch and connect them with toothpicks and the chocolate icing I made. I applied the same principles like I do in the operating room when internally fixing a fracture with hardware or applying a cast in the office. Just slightly different materials …similar basic principles.

    Using Adam as my critic each step on the way on the cake construction the parts came together fairly well. The icing was applied and them the fondant apps and strips on the watch band .

    The apple watch birthday cake made it successfully to the party. An unseen issue was the kids were fighting over what app they wanted as their piece of cake . No worries it was worked out successfully and everyone got their app or at least half of the app they requested.

    Extreme Chocolate Cake (used to make an Apple Watch Birthday Cake) and Icing Recipe:

    www.allrecipes.com

    Recipe by: RACH56 (per the website) Thank you RACH56 you are a recipe genius!

    2 cups of white sugar

    1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour

    3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ( I substituted Dark Hershey Chocolate powder here)

    1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

    1/1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

    1 teaspoon of salt

    2 eggs

    1 cup of mile

    1/2 cup of vegetable oil

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    1 cup of boiling water

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

    2. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans

    3. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar/ flour/ cocoa/ baking soda/ baking powder and salt

    4. Add the eggs , milk, oil and vanilla

    5. Mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer

    6. Stir in the bowling water by hand

    7. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans

    8. Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted comes out clean

    9. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely (more…)

    What is SI Joint Pain and What Causes it?

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    The sacroiliac joint is responsible for connecting the sacrum bone at the bottom of the spine to the pelvis. While small, this joint is very strong as it provides stability and absorbs shock to this area. It is triangular in shape and is formed by the fusion of several vertebrae during development. You can even see these joints on the surface of your back as they look like two small dimples on each side of the lower back and above the buttocks.

    The sacroiliac joint allows your hips, legs and spine to function properly without pain or added pressure. If you’re experiencing pain in this joint, it can be tricky because it is often caused by too much activity or too little activity. Usually if you feel pain in the lower back, hips and groin, this means that your SI joint is being overworked. Yet if the pain is centralized to your lower back and buttocks and travels down your leg, the SI joint pain could be caused in part by inactivity.

    While too much activity and not enough activity can be causes of SI joint pain, pregnancy is also a common cause of this condition. The added pressure and weight can cause the SI joint to align abnormally. This is the reason why many pregnant women experience SI joint pain.

    Symptoms of SI Joint Pain   

    joint pain, lower back pain, SI joint pain

    SI Joint pain is often felt in the back or buttocks. Sometimes SI joint pain radiates down one or both legs, all of the way down to the foot. This pain is often confused with a herniated disk or issues with the spine. Unfortunately, this pain tends to make sitting more difficult.

    Diagnosis

    If you have been experiencing this type of lower back and buttocks pain, SI joint pain is a possibility. You should consult a qualified physician for a thorough examination and accurate diagnosis. SI joint pain is typically associated with inactivity and over-activity, so if you have recently started an intense workout program or have been sitting more than usual lately, your pain could be linked. It is best to seek medical attention with this type of pain to rule out other medical conditions and to get the treatment you need to feel better.

    Your physician will complete a historical and physical exam to understand your symptoms. He or she will then check your posture and will likely examine your walking gate. You may also have lab exams or X-rays to determine whether your pain is related to the SI joint. (more…)

    The Real Dangers of Concussions

    Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists

    Sports are a great outlet for children to be active, develop social skills, and learn the importance of teamwork. According to The Boston Globe, three out of four American families with school-aged children have at least one playing an organized sport. This is a total of roughly 45 million children. It’s important that kids are allowed to play the sports that they love, and do it in the safest way possible. Unfortunately, injuries come with the territory, and some are more serious than others. Concussions are one of the most important sports injuries to recognize.

    Concussions, soccer, football, concussion symptoms

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a concussion as a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head.  Concussions may also occur during impact to the body, causing the brain to shuffle back and forth within the skull. It’s reported that about 175,000 children per year are treated for concussions due to sports-related injuries nationwide.

    Common Concussion Symptoms to Recognize

    Concussion symptoms come in many different forms and have serious physical, cognitive, and emotional side effects. Some common symptoms of a concussion include: pupil enlargement, drowsiness, recurring headaches and slurred speech. In addition, many people suffering from concussions experience numbness, vomiting, confusion, and even loss of consciousness.If you are a parent, coach, teacher, or some other kind of caregiver to children, it’s important that you pay close attention to your child’s behavior after an injury. If symptoms seem to worsen, take them to the emergency room immediately. You should also seek qualified medical attention if symptoms do not improve in a timely manner.

    Every athlete is different, but depending on the individual and the severity of the concussion, athletes are sometimes required to wait days, weeks, or even months before returning to athletic activities.Though good treatment for concussions is available, if possible it is always best to try to avoid these risky head injuries. Follow along for 7 best practices to help avoid concussions.

    7 Best Practices for Avoiding Concussions

    1. Wear the Required Gear. Wearing the right protective equipment is often the difference between a minor versus a major sports injury. Be aware of the equipment that’s needed to ensure that your child is safe.
    2. Respect the Rules of the Sport. Rules are important. Game rules are put in place for a reason and it’s important that these rules are followed. Avoid illegal hitting and/or tackles to make sure that everyone stays safe.Concussions, soccer, football, concussion symptoms
    3. Teach the Basics. The best way to avoid sports-related concussions is to know the fundamentals of the game. By mastering certain techniques, it will help the athlete play the sport correctly.
    4. Build Neck Muscles. Studies have shown that by building neck muscles you can avoid a concussion. Young athletes who practice strengthening exercises for their neck will make their head less vulnerable to injuries.
    5. Stay Hydrated. Hydration is a key component in sports. Remember that athletes who want to perform at the top of their game need to drink lots of water. There is a direct relationship between concussions and dehydration.
    6. Listen to the Child. If your child is complaining of headaches or nausea after a hit, it is very important that you listen to them. If these signs are caught early on, you can make sure your child receives the medical attention that they need.
    7. Get Educated. Both parents and coaches are responsible for educating athletes on concussions and how to avoid them.

    Preventing concussions should be a priority for (more…)