Boyd W. Haynes III, MD If you know, you know!  Most anyone who suffers from osteoarthritis of the knees knows what our title is referring to – that icky, Rice Krispies® and milk sound you hear and the grindy, snapping, popping, crackling, or catching feeling you get when you bend or move your arthritic knees a certain way.  The clinical name for this phenomenon is crepitus, and it is a sound or sensation that occurs when bone surfaces move against cartilage or against one another. Tiny bubbles of nitrogen work their way through soft tissue into the joint capsule and when they get pop ..read more

Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD, MBA, CPE, FAOOS It’s the beginning of another new year and like most of us, I tend to think of what I can do personally and professionally to challenge myself, to learn a new skill and grow mentally, or how I can improve my health and overall well-being.  Maybe that means exploring a new hobby, reading a new book once a week, taking an on-line class, joining a gym, walking a mile every day…you get the picture. As an orthopaedic physician, I often write articles about topics that will benefit my patients.  With New Year’s resolutions in mind, I compiled a list ..read more

Raj N. Sureja, MD Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide, significantly reducing quality of life and leading to other health problems such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. Natural remedies are becoming increasingly popular due to concerns about the side effects of medication and the addictive nature of some drugs. In this article, I will review ten natural pain relievers. Acupuncture – is an ancient Chinese therapy that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body. It has been used for centuries to treat chronic pain and has gained popularity in W ..read more

John D. Burrow, DO In Parts I-III of this series, Dr. Boyd Haynes has worked his way up the leg from the feet to the ankles, shins, and calves to discuss common musculoskeletal problems that can cause limping. I am going to pick up the discussion with the knees and review the most often seen issues that can cause limping. Our knee joint is composed of the large femur bone that runs from our hip to our knee with the two lower leg bones, the tibia and fibula.  The knee also has the patella or the kneecap that articulates with the knee joint which runs along a groove in the bone.  Ther ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD In the last article, we discussed common issues with the toes and feet that can cause limping.  In this part of the series, we’re going to look at the ankle, and talk about the injuries and conditions that contribute to limping and how I go about treating those so that you can walk normally again. The ankle is comprised of three joints that connect the foot to the two bones of the lower leg. These three joints function together as a universal joint to give the ankle complex, multi-directional movement.  With all this mobility, there are many ligaments and tend ..read more

Jenny L. F. Andrus, MD In this three-part-article series, I’ll discuss a pain-relieving workhorse, ibuprofen, which is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug or NSAID.  It works by reducing the amount of pain and inflammation-causing hormones circulating in the bloodstream, commonly known as a COX inhibitor.  It appropriate for mild to moderate levels of pain and can be administered in low doses in anyone above 6 months of age.   Ibuprofen is a relatively new drug, discovered by two researchers at the British Pharmaceutical and Retail Chemists firm, Boots UK Ltd ..read more

Jenny L.F. Andrus, MD If old wives could tell tales, they might let you know that your joints could predict the weather and let you know when rain is coming, or a cold spell was getting ready to move into the area.  As physicians, we typically would say that it was coincidental that our patients felt more pain whenever the weather worsened.  However, there is evidence that lends credence to this as well as simple common sense.  In this article, I’m going to discuss how cold weather can increase your pain and the steps you can take to remedy this issue. As an Interventional Pain ..read more

Boyd W. Haynes III, MD A very common complaint I hear in the office, especially from my older patients, is “my knee is feeling weaker and weaker and sometimes it just gives out when I’m walking.  Why is that happening to me?” When arthritis of the knee progresses, the cartilage in the joint space erodes.  Cartilage acts as a cushion and a glider against which the bones move.  When the cartilage goes away, the bones of the knee start to shift and rub against one another.  We call this “bone-on-bone” arthritis.  Because this erosion typically doesn’t happen in an even p ..read more

Andrew L. Martin, PsyD Chronic pain profoundly affects a basic human task – movement – changing it from something we take for granted into a source of anxiety and frustration. We have to move, but we naturally don’t want to hurt. Here are a few concepts for deciding when and how to move in order to reduce pain, frustration, and anxiety, and to get more accomplished.   Hurt versus Harm. “Hurt” means I am experiencing pain. “Harm” means my body is being damaged. On a deep level, our brains don’t know the difference between the two. As we think about moving, the brain often tells us, “no ..read more

Jeffrey R. Carlson, MD CPE In the last two articles, I’ve reviewed the reasons why bone fracture can go untreated and what happens to the human body as a result.  In this last segment, I will address what can be done for those fractures that are finally given proper medical attention. Non-union – this means that the bone just doesn’t heal completely and is typically caused by an under-the-radar infection, lack of blood supply to the bone, instability of the fracture, patient smoking Treatment: After a complete physical examination, diagnostic imaging (x-rays, possibly a CT or MR scan), b ..read more