-
LADDER SAFETY
It’s time to hang lights and decorate Christmas trees, and it’s also a time when orthopedic surgeons get busy with ladder-climbing injuries! It never fails. I’ve always said that what makes your orthopedic surgeon money, is often something you shouldn’t be doing. All of us intuitively know climbing ladders is dangerous. I climb them all the time! But every time I do it, I know I’m taking my limbs, and potentially my life into my own hands. My first recommendation is to get someone else to do it, especially if you’re older, have poor balance or lack the proper ladder. If you’re going to ignore that solid recommendation, coming from…
-
THE REAL PAIN OF GARDENING: IT’S NOT ABOUT THE PLANTS
Now that I’m retired and don’t see patients as a source of blogging material, I have to look elsewhere, or into my archives. I’m finding plenty of sources on Nextdoor, where neighbors are asking for doctor referrals and help with household needs. And this week a neighbor asked about finding someone to help to pull weeds… I hate weeds…and I love them. There’s something amazing about the strength and beauty of weeds. Would that we were that tough. Humans are more like orchids; hard and slow to grow. But weeds? Green in the middle of a drought. Blooming when it’s 105 degrees outside. They’re resilient to the toughest means of…
-
36 BOTTLES OF…WATER
As any of you who have followed my blog will know, I often post regarding conditions I see frequently, especially if they come in threes. Last week I saw three patients who injured themselves lifting those humongous shrink-wrapped-36-bottle packages of water. If you haven’t tried to pick one up, don’t try. But if you drink bottled water, you most certainly have tried to wrangle one, because IT’S CHEAPER! But at what cost? I wonder how many rotator cuffs and biceps tendons have been torn over the years as a result of the marvelous idea of packing 36 bottles (or more) into one package. How many wrist and finger strains? I’ve…
-
WHAT I DO: DON’T SIT ON MY FOOT AND ANKLE
Last week I had a couple of female patients tell me they felt a twinge in their knee when they sat down on their bent knee. Women do this all the time, and I honestly believe it’s built into our ancestral neuromuscular memory, because almost all of us do it, and it’s hard to stop unless you have a stiff knee or hip. You know what I’m talking about. You go to sit down on a couch, and like a giraffe, your leg comes up under you as you dump your weight down into that cushion. You’re getting in bed, and here comes that leg. Why do we do this?…
-
PART 11: STAYING PAIN-FREE DURING COVID-19 – DON’T LET THE SUN SET ON THESE PAINFUL CONDITIONS
This series presents a great opportunity to talk about stopping pain before it gets ramped up…before the sun sets. There are some conditions which if addressed on the first day you feel pain, a lot of misery might be avoided. They would simply be a forgotten whisper of discomfort, rather than the scourge they become. I’m not talking about trauma. When a bone is protruding from the skin, and blood squirting about, it is necessary to do something on day one. I’m talking about repetitive strain disorders, the result of cumulative, minor insults to our bodies, which we often ignore, thinking the pain will go away on its own. They…
-
WAYS TO MINIMIZE RISK OF FOOTBALL INJURY
Playing football can be a great way to work out, to meet new people, to spend time with friends and to improve your fitness levels. However, anyone who plays football runs the risk of injuring themselves – it’s simply part of the game. Football carries the unfortunate title of the sport that gives its participants the highest rate of injury, and some of its injuries can be severe. A sports injury can be debilitating: it can both limit a player’s everyday life as well as impact their involvement in sports. As a player, you should ensure that you are well prepared for your games and that you know the risk…
