Knee pain sufferers, especially those with osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK), experienced dramatic life changes including the ability to work, exercise and stay in their homes, according to a recent survey conducted by the makers of Synvisc. More than 20 million Americans are estimated to have osteoarthritis, and more than 10 million suffer from OAK, making it the most common form of arthritis in the United States.
Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon and author of “FrameWork – Your 7 Step Program for Healthy Muscles, Bones and Joints,” offers these preventative tips for maintaining healthy knees:
Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com
A diet loaded with cooked vegetables and olive oil helps reduce the pain, swelling and discomfort of rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study from Harvard School of Public Health.
Before this study, there was no really good evidence that diet had anything to do with the course of rheumatoid arthritis. One popular misconception is that the nightshade vegetables, which include potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers can make arthritis pain worse; there is no scientific support for this theory.
Read the rest of this entry »
Many sports injuries cause a progressive permanent osteoarthritis that will prevent a person from exercising to cause the very diseases that a regular exercise program is supposed to prevent. Sports medicine surgeon James Garrick, writing in the medical journal Lancet (Dec 2005), explains why.
You are supposed to exercise. It makes you stronger, faster, healthier and may even prolong your life. However, every time you exercise, you risk injury and many sports injuries last forever.
Read the rest of this entry »
Doctors often inject cortisone-type medications into painful damaged joints and tendons. Single injections can relieve pain and swelling and appear to be safe, but many studies show that repeated injections can damage joints and delay healing. Most doctors will recommend having no more than three injections into the same joint in a lifetime.
Read the rest of this entry »
One of the most difficult problems for athletes is knowing when you are training too much. You make a muscle stronger only by stressing that muscle, feeling sore on the next day, and taking easy workouts or days off until the soreness goes away.
Then you are supposed to take a hard workout again. If you do not feel soreness on the day after a hard workout, you have not injured your muscles, and they will not become stronger. However, if you try to work hard when your muscles feel sore, muscles do not recover and will feel sore all the time.
Read the rest of this entry »
Stretching should always be done after your muscles are warmed up. Warming up raises muscle temperature to make them more pliable and resistant to injury. Resting muscle temperature is only about 97 degrees, but a slow jog around the block or any similar warm-up activity will raise muscle temperature to more than 99 degrees. Then you can do your stretches, or you can stretch after you finish your workout.
There’s no good evidence that stretching prevents injuries, but stretching that is done properly can help to make you a better athlete.
Read the rest of this entry »
Runners with high arches are at increased risk for suffering stress fractures, small cracks in the bones of their feet and lower legs; and those with low arches are at increased risk for knee cap pain. When you run at six miles per hour, your foot hits the ground with a force greater than three times body weight. The faster you run, the harder your heel strikes the ground. This force can break bones, damage joints and tear muscles.
The human body is designed so you never land flatfooted when you run. You land on the outside bottom of your heal and roll inward toward the big toe. This helps to distribute the force of your foot strike throughout your foot and leg and protect you from injury. The further you roll inward, the greater the protection against this force. However, when you roll in too much, your lower leg twists inward excessively, causing your kneecap to rub against the long femur bone behind it and cause pain. This is called Runner’s Knee.
If your favorite sport causes chronic pain or an injury that does not heal, you should probably switch to another sport. Two recent studies from the Argentine Tennis Association followed players with knee and shoulder problems (British Journal of Sports Medicine, May 2006).
In the first study, men who had anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears showed a great drop in their tennis performance. The knee is just two sticks held together by four bands, called ligaments. Two ligaments are located on the outside of the knee and two ligaments cross in the middle of the knee joint. Read the rest of this entry »
When you have arthritis, your joints hurt you wake up, but you force yourself to get out of bed and as you keep on moving, the pain lessens. Is your body trying to tell you something when you feel better after you start to move? Many studies have shown that bed rest worsens the pain of arthritis, and a strength training program can help to control it.
Most people with arthritis think they should rest their muscles and joints, but resting is the worst thing you can do. When you move around, the cartilage in your joints acts like a shock absorber. Resting weakens cartilage and increases its likelihood to break. Resting also weakens muscles so they can’t control the joints, allowing more wobble of the joints with each movement and increasing cartilage damage. Read the rest of this entry »
Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise and participation in the sport is growing exponentially.
A large part of running’s appeal is that it is easy to get into; requiring only minimal equipment and can be done almost anywhere. For the most part, people run (usually in an effort to stay in shape and/or relieve stress) without giving the activity enough consideration.
Getting started: Things to consider
Beginners and/or runners who are coming back from a long layoff, often do not fully appreciate the possible consequences of the sport. On the other hand, there are also a whole slew of overlooked benefits of running that go beyond just staying in shape or relieving stress. Read the rest of this entry »
© 2006-2008 The Final Sprint, LLC | Privacy Policy | Design by The Blog Studio
The Final Sprint, LLC is owned and operated by Adam Jacobs
The Final Sprint