Category — Knowledge Center

Photo by it’s life
Put a sweater on that girl!

Ah, winter. The season of inconvenient snowstorms, whipping winds, and booger icicles on all the good little boys and girls. What’s not to love?

Hmm, lemme try: A record snowfall killed my pre-Christmas holiday plans with The Man’s family. The air is so cold it makes my eyes water and keeps me locked up indoors like Rapunzel. The sun sets before I ever leave work for the day. Oh, and my knuckles look like I got in a fight with a concrete wall. (Wall: 1; Me: 0)

Yep, I’m talking about dry winter skin. If you don’t have it, you spend the months of December to April somewhere annoyingly warm and sunny like Arizona, California, Hawaii, or anywhere in the Caribbean. (No, I’m not jealous. Really. Swear.)

For the rest of us, icy air + forced heat = red, flaky, sandpaper skin. Sounds sexy, huh? Here are a few ways to fight back:

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photo by sachmanns.dk

Everyone needs more D. That seems to be the consensus of doctors, scientists, nutritionists, moms, and anyone else you talk vitamins with. You could say 2009 was the year of vitamin D.

Why D?
A study presented at the November conference of the American Heart Association found that the participants who had low levels of vitamin D in their blood were nearly twice as likely to have a stroke or die from one. They also had higher rates of coronary artery disease and had double the risk for heart failure.

In another study this year, researchers who measured athletes’ jumping ability found that those with the lowest levels of the vitamin didn’t jump as high as their peers, suggesting D is important for muscle health.

And in 2008 a leading pediatric group suggested kids get double the typically recommended dose of vitamin D—that’s 400 international units (IU) per day.

Also included in the vitamin D research: It protects against rickets in children, may lower the risk of type 1 diabetes, cancer, the flu, multiple sclerosis, and the common cold. Then there’s the oldie but goodie: It helps calcium prevent bone loss.

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photo by deleted.scenes
What, you don’t wear this to work out??

Yesterday I gave you some tips for preventing killer knee pain. As much as I’d love to have a fellow chronic pain sufferer (it gets lonely here in Gimpville), I don’t want any of my uninjured readers to feel the crunch, crunch of cartilage damage. So I hope you really take the suggestions to heart.

As promised, I’ve listed some stretches and exercises that can combat too-tight or weak muscles. Or both. Next time you hit the gym or open road, don’t assume running or biking or ellipticalling (Is that a word? Now it is.) or doing any other cardio workout is enough. Those exercises work muscles, but not every muscle. By strength training them you can make sure you don’t miss any key muscle groups and create imbalances.

QUAD
Strengthen It: Try leg presses. Work one leg at a time to challenge each leg separately. Do three sets of 10 presses on each leg.

HAMSTRINGS
Strengthen It: Do hamstring curls. I wrote all about it here, so check it out.

Stretch It: Lie on your back with one leg stretched out in front of you and another lifted into the air. Loop a towel around the ball of your raised foot, and straighten your leg. (Men should slightly bend the leg.) Pull the towel toward you so you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold for a count of 30. Repeat three times, then switch legs.

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photo by yuan2003

I know what you’re thinking: “You’re broken and all, but my knees work just fine. How do I prevent hobbling around like you?”

Glad you asked. If there were one thing I’d go back and tell my younger self—you know, if someone built a time machine and I somehow got a turn in it—I’d force her to focus on preventive measures. Misery loves company, but I don’t want you to join me in my chronic pain journey. Instead, I want to help you thwart future pain in your knees. Here’s how:

Get to Know Your Feet
Normal arches are actually not that normal. Go figure. Lots of people are like me, with feet that roll inward thanks to low arches. (Some have too-high arches, which brings a host of other problems.) Flat feet can change the mechanics of your whole leg; when your feet roll inward, your knees follow. And a knee that rolls inward no longer tracks along its smooth path. If you have flat feet, prevent maltracking by getting a pair of orthotics. The shoe inserts will shift your stance and help re-align the leg’s position.

Wear Smart Shoes
It’s also important to wear proper shoes. As much as I’d like to believe all shoes—even cheapo Payless ones—were created equal, my knee pain has convinced me that quality matters. A good pair of shoes can give your foot the support it needs, whether you have flat feet or high arches. Plus, ill-fitting shoes can alter the way you run, which in turn puts you at risk for injury.

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photo by markusram
Note: I’d never, ever wear these high heels with my knee injury.

Because having two bum knees isn’t bad enough, my body went ahead and broke something else: my Achilles tendon. All right, so it’s not broke broke. But, whatever. It’s inflamed, it hurts, and it is a bona fide injury. Yippee.

I learned about my new injury today when I visited the podiatrist after a couple weeks of heel pain. It started in the back of my heel, the part that rests on the couch when I stretch out my legs. I figured I was bruising my heel by constantly sitting with extended legs—at work they even rest on top of my ancient tower computer. Then the ache increased and spread to the bottom of my heel. The injury isn’t as painful or debilitating as the chondromalacia in my knee. That said, I hope to halt the pain before it turns into a major problem.

So, what’s the Achilles tendon?
It’s the largest tendon in the body and connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. The Achilles tendon makes it possible to rise to your tiptoes and propel yourself into a walk or run.

What is Achilles tendonitis?
When the tendon becomes inflamed, you can feel pain in the back of the heel or above and below it.

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photo by the one true b!x

If you’ve never been to a physical therapist, lucky you. That means you’re in pretty good shape. (Wanna share the good fortune with a friend?) In case you recently walked under a ladder, broke a few mirrors, and opened an umbrella in the house, I’ve written this guide to finding and making the most of physical therapy.

What is physical therapy?
The physical therapy (that’s PT in injured-human speak) specialty focuses on injury rehabilitation. The goal of PT is to improve physical functioning, like walking up a flight of stairs for someone with a meniscus tear, swinging a tennis racket for someone with shoulder tendonitis, or writing with a pen for someone with a hand fracture.

What does a physical therapist do?
Physical therapists are trained in the musculoskeletal system and will diagnose and treat injuries and muscle imbalances. A therapist’s toolbox includes exercise, physical manipulation (nothing crazy here; think moving a limb to improve range of motion), heat, ice, and some wackier devices—more on those later.

Where can you find a physical therapist?
Chances are, if you’re in enough pain to need a physical therapist, you’re in enough pain to visit a doctor. And though most states don’t require you get a doctor’s note before signing up for PT (my second didn’t need a scrip, my last did), it’s a good idea to see your doctor beforehand. Many will have a list of preferred therapists they work with and trust—mine did. Some physical therapists work in doctor’s offices or hospitals, and others work out of private practices or gyms.

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I’ve been going on and on and on about my recent treatment that I’ve barely had a moment to get down to the nitty-gritty. So if you’re sitting there, scratching your head, wondering if PRP is some sort of voodoo, read on. Today, I’m laying out the facts.

PRP is an easier-to-type acronym for platelet-rich plasma, a type of injection therapy that, in a nutshell, uses a person’s own blood platelets to heal an injury.

What the heck are platelets?
Your blood is full of platelets, particles that aid in clotting. Platelets are packed with growth factors, which are involved in wound healing and tissue regeneration.

How does PRP therapy work?
Before your body becomes a pin cushion, you’ll donate a small amount of your own blood for the treatment. Once the blood is drawn, it’s rapidly spun in a centrifuge so that it separates. Light particles like red blood cells float to the top, while heavier blood platelets fall to the bottom. Your doctor will fill a syringe with those separated platelets suspended in a teensy amount of blood plasma, and inject them into your injured area.

The idea is that the high concentration of platelets jump starts the body’s self-healing and spreads growth factors to areas otherwise untouched by blood (like ligaments, tendons, and joints). When the platelets are done doing their thing, the body will have repaired damaged muscle or tissue.

And because PRP uses your own blood, there’s no risk of rejection. In other words: The treatment is more or less risk-free. (OK, OK, there’s always a slight risk when it comes to injections. Even if you’re shooting cortisone in your body, there’s a chance of infection. Consider yourself warned.)

Which injuries does it treat?
The beauty of PRP is that its application is expansive. It’s commonly used for ligaments and tendon injuries, but also treats back pain, arthritis and cartilage injuries like patella femoral pain syndrome. Most famously, PRP was used to treat NFL player Hines Ward after a knee ligament sprain. Ward left mid-game, got injected the following day, and played in the Super Bowl two weeks later.

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Thanks to my job as a health writer, I’m up on the latest medical research, including trials on omega-3 fatty acids. So when my doctor suggested I started taking a supplement to go along with my PRP therapy, I agreed.

Research on omega-3’s affect on joint pain is slim. In a 2006 study, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center gave 250 participants 1,200 mg of omega-3 per day and asked them to rate their pain. By the end of the trial, more than half had quit the anti-inflammatories they had been taking, and 88 percent were satisfied enough with their joint pain improvement to continue with the meds. Still, when it comes to joint pain, omega-3 is better studied in rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes debilitating inflammation in the hands, knees, feet, and ankles.

Despite the lack of solid scientific evidence pointing to its joint-lubricating powers, I’ve been popping four fish oil pills (1,000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids) daily. The case for omega-3 is building and getting stronger. Research suggests it can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, lowers triglycerides—and important factor in heart health—lowers blood pressure, reduces LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, fights depression, and reduces the risk for colon and breast cancers.

Fatty fish like salmon, halibut, and tuna are especially rich in omega-3s. (I use this fact to justify the occasional 6-inch tuna sub from Subway, by the way.) Other food sources include walnuts, flaxseeds, and canola oil. I get my plant omega-3s from ground flaxseeds that I sprinkle in my morning oatmeal. Tip: Skip whole flaxseeds; they’ll travel straight through you without doing much good. Stick with ground.

Here are a few other things you should know about omega-3 fatty acids:

1. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA). The latter two are found in fish and easily absorbed and used by the body. But ALA, the type of omega-3 in nuts, nut oils, and flaxseeds, must first be converted to DHA and EPA—so it’s a less potent form.

2. Fish burps are a myth if you down your pills with dinner.

3. Just because a supplement contains 1,000 mg of fish oil doesn’t mean it has 1,000 mg of omega-3s. The ones I take have 690 mg in two capsules. I take four a day to hit 1,000 mg.

4. The thought of drinking a few teaspoons of fish oil makes my mouth water in a bad way. The brand I use (Nordic Naturals’ softgels) has a lemon flavor that masks all that fishiness.