Archive for the 'Musculoskeletal' Category

Top 20 Most Inspirational Comments from Hip Replacement Patients

People write online about the challenges of preparing for (or recovering from) hip replacement surgery every day. But post-operative patients also frequently share the joy that the results of their surgery have brought to their lives. Below we have compiled 20 inspirational comments from the most popular knee replacement forum on the internet. Happily, it was a challenge to narrow this list to just 20 comments. We actually started out trying to create a top-10 list, but there were just too many great stories to share from these online forum participants for whom hip replacement surgery was simply life changing.

1.”Part of recovery is the simple pleasure from accomplishing a new milestone. I have not been able to walk upstairs/downstairs going leg over leg since September of 2008. It was such a joy this week to go up the stairs “normally” without pain!!!!” – webbie73

2.”I’ve spent so much time in pain that even the little things I do now are more than before. I can stand and fold clothes and do dishes havent been able to do that in the last year. It feels good now so I love to do it.” – mdakota

3.”Had Right THR 3 weeks ago and I’m shocked to say that I feel pretty darned good! I can walk fairly normally unaided around my house. I can play with the dog. I can get up and down the stairs with no pain and relative ease. Just wanted to let anyone know that there really IS light at the end of the tunnel!” – Janet

4.”I had my left hip done 11 months ago and the right one 4 months ago. I don’t even notice them now!” – JGosse

5.”I am exactly three weeks post op and I am off to the store, walking every day, doing house keeping, enjoying my family and friends, and feeling SOOOOO much better than before surgery.” – pt109

6.”I can’t recommend hip replacement too strongly. For me, after having both THRs this past year 9 months apart, it’s been nearly a miracle. I am pain-free in my hips and able to do things I could not do for years.” – JGosse

7.”Just went to the Operating Surgeon for 6 week check….no restrictions, just get on with it! I still haven’t got to the 90 degree point, but we’ll get there. OS suggested lots of “yoga” like stretches to get the joint as mobile as we can.” – Kangaroo

8.”I feel great! I should have done it sooner!! Although I’m still in the recovery process I feel awesome!” – Ginny

9.”Completed week 4 today and it’s hard to believe that two weeks ago I was in such terrible shape. Already planning 3rd rim to rim of Grand Canyon for 2010…doc said go for it. (age 70)” – tom w

10.”I was able to drive at 4 weeks after both surgeries and had no problems with braking or accelerating.” – JGosse

11.”Just completed week 5 and the world has suddenly become a place of: driving a car, going out to dinner, shopping, and enjoying life again. Prior to THR life wasn’t a lot of fun and certainly very little pleasure. I now feel alive again…” – tom w

12.”I had THR 8 weeks ago and feel FABULOUS! I didn’t realize how much pain I was tolerating until now! I feel hopeful about my life.” – Ginny

13.”Thanks to my fitness, I breezed through the surgery, setting a record for shortest hospital stay for bilateral THR (2 days), and recovered faster and easier than expected. I have been able to return to everything I want. I have also returned to horseback riding, after a 25 yr hiatus, and now own, love and show a lovely Hanoverian mare in eventing.” – ripanco

14.”I am practically running as I power walk in the morning these days. So great to feel good.” – Laurie

15.”I’m flexing well beyond 90 degrees. I can even almost touch my nose to my knee while stretching!” – Scott

16.”I understand being scared. But, I am 3 mos. post op right total hip replacement and I am pain free!!!!” – mambo

17.”Prior to the surgery I couldn’t even run (ride my bicycle) 40 minutes without my leg being so sore I would

have to use my hands to help lift it. I’m honestly shocked how well the hip is doing. By the time I was done (with the ride) I did 50 miles!” – Scott

18.”Its amazing how fast I’ve been able to graduate from wanting to get back to what I could do before, to wanting to do more than I ever could.” – mdakota

19.”Friday was my 6 week milestone. I must say I am absolutely amazed at how good I feel, not just my lovely new hip, but in general. I see progress every single day, sometimes massive leaps and sometimes the slightest thing, but progress it is!” – Andy-LTHR

20.”I have reached my 12 week milestone where my surgeon said I would have achieved 90% recovery. I am walking up to 3 miles a day with no pain, planning to increase to 5 miles 3 times a week. Back to all day-to-day activities with no limping. Even played a little lawn volleyball with my sons! I stood for a couple of hours at an outdoor concert with no pain. Most of the time I don’t even think about my new hip. It feels completely natural.” – GailW

Warning Dont Neglect A Hurt Knee Ligament! Reduce Your Pain and Increase Knee Stability

Are you having ligament problems with your knee?

Does this cause pain or instability?

This is article is written in a case study format for you. We made it this way because you may find yourself relating to one very strongly. Check it out.

Case Study: Treatment For A Injured Knee Ligament

A study of 3 patients, each of whom underwent different treatments for ligament issues, revealed different outcomes to their respective treatments. People have several treatment options available to them when they are suffering from a hurt knee ligament. However, the best option for any individual is determined by taking into consideration several factors.

Patients who present with a hurt ligament often are given the following options:

1.) Physical therapy treatment

2.) Knee surgery

3.) Conservative Treatment

Heather, Dave and Rick were the three patients who all had a hurt knee ligament and who underwent these various treatments.

Dave – Physical Therapy

Dave hurt his knee on the job and went to see his family doctor who referred him to an orthopedic surgeon. The surgeon diagnosed the hurt ligament and advised physical therapy as a way to deal with the pain as well as help to heal his knee problems. He also advised Dave to wear a brace to keep the knee in proper alignment and also to keep it supported. Dave unfortunately developed a dependency on pain medication in previous years and decided against pain killers at this time.

Using a knee support and attending physical therapy really worked well for Dave. He uses the knee brace whenever the knee hurts and continues with the exercises he learned in physical therapy. Each of these treatment methods did work well for him and he was able to refrain from using any pain killers.

Rick – Knee Surgery

Rick was overweight and excessive pressure on the knee had caused him to injury his knee ligaments. His physician suggested that he lose some weight but also offered surgery as a way to repair the damaged ligament. The surgery was expensive and also required a period of rehab. Rick was unable to lose weight despite the surgery and after a short while, found that his knee began to hurt again. He is currently using a conservative treatment method and takes his weight more seriously.

It is a wise choice to speak with your physician when you have a hurt knee ligament. Have the condition diagnosed and also make sure that any underlying conditions are also addressed at the time of the diagnosis.

Heather – Conservative Treatment

Heather played basketball for her college and hurt her knee one day during a particularly strenuous game. After an examination by her doctor, it was determined that she had a hurt knee ligament. The doctor prescribed an ice pack, rest and pain pills and recommended that she wear a knee brace while walking. After a week of this conservative treatment, Heather felt much better and got right back into the swing of things and even participated in the inter-collegiate basketball championship.

Heather was fortunate; She fortunately had otherwise good health on her side and no reason for her healing to be impeded. The brace really helped to provide meaningful support which gave her back confidence. She knew the brace would help her a lot, but it would not be the magic cure for her knee problems. It did provide great support that helped to promote healing though. It was no where close to being as costly as surgery either! After a short while she was able to heal naturally and praised the brace for helping her to protect against any further injury.

From these three case studies, it is obvious that surgery should not always be the first option when it comes to treatment for a hurt knee ligament. Conservative treatment should be considered first and pain killers should always be discussed with your physician prior to using them. Using a knee brace and doing select (doctor approved) exercises that do not aggravate the condition are among the best ways to help treat a hurt knee ligament.

Is the Fibromyalgia Guaifenesin Treatment Right for Me?

In the world of painful diseases there is a list of those that are considered to be the most painful. These include rheumatoid arthritis and a slipped disk in the back. For those that suffer these types of disorders they know how painful they can be. Fibromyalgia has now joined these disorders at the top of the pain list. For many years people who suffered from fibromyalgia had a hard time justifying their pain because the medical community didnt always accept that they did indeed have something wrong with them. The pain of fibromyalgia is very real and many people are driven to try and find any cure or treatment to relieve their symptoms. One of the treatments that shows some promise is the fibromyalgia guaifenesin treatment.

The fibromyalgia guaifenesin treatment was initially pioneered by Dr. Paul St, Amand. Dr. Amand derived the guaifenesin treatment from regular cough syrup and used it to help people who suffer from fibromyalgia treat and even entirely rid themselves of the symptoms. There have been success stories of differing degrees of people from all over the world successfully using the guaifenesin treatment to relieve their painful symptoms. As happens with any medication there are side affects to you must consider. For this reason it is important to discuss any side affects that may accompany the use of the guaifenesin treatment with your doctor.

The side affect that seems to be reported most when it comes to people using the fibromyalgia guaifenesin treatment is weight gain. Up to eight pounds of weight gain, mostly from water retention, in just a few weeks has been reported by many people undertaking this treatment. Other side affects reported include a lack of sexual desire which leads to no interest in sex, which can be a problem for those in a relationship. Another issue that some people who have used this treatment have is that for some it has taken up to a year for the side affects caused by the guaifenesin treatment to go away.

Fibromyalgia guaifenesin treatment has worked for many people and if you currently suffer from this condition it may be a treatment option. By talking with your doctor you can decide if it is indeed the right way to go, but do be aware that it can have side affects and you need to be aware of them and report them to your doctor if you experience any of them.