FyzicalElPaso: Common Causes & Solutions For Hip & Knee Pain

FyzicalElPaso: Common Causes & Solutions For Hip & Knee Pain

THE

August, 2020

NEWSLETTER

COMMON CAUSES & SOLUTIONS FOR HIP & KNEE PAIN

For many people, hip and knee pain can be a way of life. It can pose issues when trying to enjoy leisurely walks, climb up stairs, or bend down to retrieve a dropped item. It can greatly hinder your ability to perform and enjoy daily activities. Your hips are the body’s largest “ball and socket” joints, meaning that your “femur” (hip bone) fits perfectly into your “acetabulum” (hip socket.) There is a cushion of cartilage in your hips that helps prevent friction as your hip bone moves within the socket. However, it is possible for the cartilage to wear down or become damaged with age or physical exertion. It is also possible for the muscles and tendons surrounding the hip to experience overuse. If a fall or other injury occurs, the hip bone can also break or become dislocated. The knee joint is also one of the most complicated joints in the body, as it has to bear up to 6 times your body weight when running or jumping. This incredible joint has tomove over a million times each year and over 80 million times over a lifetime. This is also the reason why things can go wrong, resulting in injury and pain. (continued inside)

KneeKG has arrived! Read more inside...

THE

August, 2020

NEWSLETTER

DISCOVER RELIEF FOR HIP & KNEE PAIN INSIDE: • Camping: A Fun & Safe Way To Get Family & Friends Together Outdoors

• Healing Morning Tonic Recipe • A Balance Test Could Save Your Life • Patient Success Spotlight

Whether you have been injured or have been suffering for a long time, seeing a physical therapist at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers can help you return to a more active and pain-free life. Give us a call at the location nearest you! • Wearing properly fitted shoes. Comfortable, fitted, closed-toed shoes are a great way to relieve stress on your joints and allow relaxation in your hips and knees. • Using cold and hot remedies. Ice packs and heating pads can help in soothing your aches and pains. • Stretching. When your joints tighten up, pain can get much worse. Help alleviate and prevent this pain by doing a daily stretching routine in your legs, hips, and back, to help release any pressure on those areas. • Listening to your body. If you’ve been on your feet for two hours and you feel your knees tightening up, it may be time to take a small break. Contact FYZICAL for additional assistance! Having a regular physical therapy checkup ensures that your joints are working at their peak performance. In addition, any problems will be discovered early, preventing the onset of arthritis and joint injury. If you do have arthritis or have had surgery, then a regular physical therapy check-up is especially important. At FYZICAL, we can provide you with a joint analysis to determine any problem areas in the hip or knee joints, and treat them accordingly. Schedule a consultation with one of our expert physical therapists today to discover how you can live life with freely moving joints!

(continued from outside) If your hip or knee pain is limiting you from living the life you want, don’t hesitate to contact FYZICAL as soon as possible. We’ll help you get moving freely once again! Why am I experiencing hip and/or knee pain? There aremany reasons why you may be experiencinghipor kneepain. Someof themost common causes include: • Arthritis. Arthritis causes inflammation of the joints and can lead to a quicker breakdownof cartilage in thehips. This can lead topainor stiffnesswithmovement. • Strains. Muscles or tendons can become straineddue tooveruse and repeated activity. This causes inflammation, which can result in pain. • Fractures and breaks. As we age, our bones start tobecome brittle, increasing the probability of fractures and breaks. This is something to keep inmind as you participate in physically demanding activities and hobbies. • Dislocation. Dislocations of the hip and knee can occur as a result of a fall or other sort of trauma. If you are experiencing pain from a recent slip or fall, you may be feeling the symptoms of a dislocation. • Tears. There are four ligaments in the knees that have a possible risk of tearing. It is also possible for cartilage to tear, causing pain. • Bursitis. “Bursae” are liquid sacs that can be found between tissues. They help ease friction from tissues running together; however, they can also become inflamed due to overuse and repeated activity, resulting in pain. • Tendinitis. Your tendons are thick bands of tissue that connect your muscles to your bones. Tendinitis occurs when your tendons become inflamed, which, again, is a result of overuse and repeated activity. So, what can I do? Luckily, there are some actions you can take at home to try and soothe or prevent pain:

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CAMPING: A FUN & SAFE WAY TO GET FAMILY & FRIENDS TOGETHER OUTDOORS

Camping is a funway to get family and friends together to enjoy the outdoors. Follow these tips to help ensure your camping trip is safe and healthy. Get vaccinated. Vaccinations can help protect against certain diseases and conditions while camping. Check with your doctor or nurse to see if you’ve had all of the recommended vaccines. He or she may recommend tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), meningitis, and/or hepatitis A, depending on your medical history, destination, and other factors. Prepare safe food and water. Bring safe and healthy foods along on your camping trip. Eating contaminated food and drinking contaminated water can increase the risk of developing certain infectious diseases caused by germs. Follow these steps to keep your food and water safe: • Pack foods in tight, waterproof bags or containers. Keep them in an insulated cooler. •Wash hands and surfaces often. Use hand sanitizer if water is not available. • Separate raw foods from cooked foods. • Cook foods to proper temperatures (for instance, ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees). • Chill foods promptly. Include safe physical activities. Do things such as walking, hiking, biking, or swimming to stay active during your camping trip. Be sure to bring protective gear, such as helmets, sturdy shoes, and life jackets. Avoid poisonous plants, like poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Know your limits, and take steps to avoid injury during activities. Never hike or swim alone. Watch kids closely. Adults should get at least 2½ hours a week and kids should get at least 1 hour a day of physical activity. Protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbonmonoxide is odorless and colorless and can cause illness or death in people and pets. Never use fuel-burning equipment such as gas stoves, heaters, lanterns, and charcoal grills inside a tent, camper, or other enclosed shelter. As alternative heat sources to fuel-burning appliances inside an enclosed shelter, campers should bring adequate bedding and clothing and should consume extra calories and fluids during the outing to prevent hypothermia (a dangerous loss of body warmth that can cause death). Avoid wild animals, and protect family pets. Some wild animals carry diseases that are dangerous to people. Avoid touching, feeding, and getting near wild animals. Keep foods stored in sealed containers and out of the reach of animals. Make sure your family pets are vaccinated and always keep a close eye on them. Check for ticks, and remove thempromptly. Make sure pets have plenty of water, food, and shelter.

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Fight the bug bite. To help fight the bite, apply insect repellent containing DEET to exposed skin. Be sure to follow directions on the package. Check for ticks daily, and remove them promptly. Wear long sleeves, pants, and other light-colored clothing to help prevent and spot ticks more easily. Prevent temperature-related illness. To help prevent hypothermia during cool nights, bring adequate bedding and clothing to stay warm. Use a plastic ground cloth under your tent to help keep you dry. To help prevent heat- related illness during hot days, drink plenty of alcohol-free and sugar-free fluids. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Wear layers of light-weight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing. Rest often in shady areas. Protect yourself from the sun. Use a broad-spectrum (against UVA andUVB rays) sunscreen and lipscreen with at least SPF 15. Cover up with clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses. Avoid water-related illness and injury. To help protect yourself and your fellow campers from illness, don’t swim if you have diarrhea, and don’t swallow the water you swim in. Take a shower before and after swimming. If you plan to ride in a boat, canoe, or other water vehicle, be sure to wear a life jacket. Be prepared. Before you leave, check the weather report, learn about security at your camp location, and tell family and friends your plans. Be sure to bring along a supply kit that includes a first-aid kit, compass or GPS, map, flashlight, blankets, batteries, food, water, clothes, and medications. Knowwho to contact at the camp to report issues that may come up. When you return home, check for ticks, skin rashes or sunburn, dehydration, and other problems. Make sure to check with your local recreation and visitor center before scheduling a camping trip. Find more information on changes to facilities and services in response to COVID-19 here https://www.blm.gov/.

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https://www.cdc.gov/family/camping/index.htm

METABOLISM TEA

Boost your metabolism naturally with our healingmorning tonic recipe. This Metabolism Tea will keep your hunger cravings at bay and also kick start the fat burning process.

INGREDIENTS • 1 cup warm water • 1–2 tbsp raw honey

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice • 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated, dash of cinnamon, dash of cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS Combine warm water with raw honey. Add in fresh lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Grate fresh ginger and add into mason jar. Add a dash of fresh cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Combine well with a whisk or adding a lid and shaking up.

Source: https://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes/metabolism-tea

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Patient Success Spotlight

“I am typing pretty good with both hands with no pain!!” “Before I had this rotator cuff surgery, I was told this would be almost as bad as having my knee replacements. And thought that was worse than having my brain tumor removed. Well, it had to be done. God never give us more than we can handle. He has gotten me this far. Well, after surgery, I realized I could do nothing with my right arm. First thing I did, I ordered this stand that holds your hairdryer and would use my left hand to straighten my hair, but forget about the make up no way could put eyeliner, mascara, or anything. Guys stop laughing. It’s a girl’s thing! I remember telling Alan “The first thing I want to be able to do is dry my hair”. Alan has been so fantastic working with me on my good and bad days. I also have lupus so that represented another obstacle. But the people at FYZICAL are so amazing always so

willing to help with anything. So now I can dry and straighten my hair put my eyeliner and mascara on, clean my house, put dishes away in the cupboard work in my flower and vegetable garden. I am a Sales rep for a Packaging co. So I can work from my office at my house, but I am on the computer all the time. It was very hard at first to position my arm on the table and type left handed, but God is good, and I am typing pretty good with both hands with no pain! Now I need to work on my strengthening my arm, and Alan is working on this. I will soon be good as new. I can’t say thanks enough to everyone for being so caring and helpful during my therapy you guys do a fantastic job.” - Maxine H. A BALANCE TEST COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE “Use it or lose it” are true words for many of life’s desires. And that includes your balance. While deteriorating balance is most often a function of age, the reality is that our balance system matures at about 13years of age. According to a study at Johns Hopkins, by the age of 40, more than a third of the population has an inner ear (vestibular) disorder affecting balance. For people over 80 years of age, more than 85 percent have a balance disorder (1).

“Oftentimes a client tries to do a simple task that requires good balance, like getting up fast to answer the phone or turning too quickly in the kitchen and falls,”explains Brian Werner, PT, MPT, physical therapist and balance expert. “Their mind says, ‘I can do this activity,’ but their body and balance system disagree.” Time won’t fix the issue of poor balance, and brushing it off as just being clumsy is a dangerous mindset. But there are ways to improve your balance, which prevents your risk of falling. “The balance systemonly gets weaker and weaker with disuse, increasing your risk of falling,” says Werner. “Your life depends on improving your balance, particularly if you’re older. About one in five hip fractures turns fatal within a year, so it’s imperative to get your balance assessed and your body properly retrained.” If you want to prevent falling, exercise helps. But if you’re already balance-challenged, you might be afraid to work out at the gym, take a bike ride, or go for a vigorous walk around the neighborhood. This is when a physical therapist can help you. A PT can properly evaluate your balance issue, prescribe appropriate exercises, and help you regain your balance and your confidence. For a lot of people, balance disorders can be reduced or eliminated simply by doing specific exercises and getting back in shape. According to the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, one out of three adults aged 65 or older falls each year, but less than half talk to their healthcare providers about it. If you don’t talk about it, it will only get worse. Here are a few tips to prevent falls and stay safe at home from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the Mayo Clinic: • Keep moving and include gentle exercise daily that is a mix of cardiovascular, balance, and stretching. • Review your medications with a health specialist because some may impair sight, walking, and balance. Together, you can map out a plan

to keep you safe. • Remove hazards from walkways, such as loose rugs, electrical cords, and boxes. • Get a balance assessment.

The most common risk factor for falls is increasing age. And like an underused muscle, if you don’t work on your balance as you age, it will simply weaken over time, increasing your risk of falling and being seriously injured. The good news is – whatever your age –there’s help. You can restore balance in your life with a treatment that’s drug- free, non-invasive, and that works. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about a balance assessment today.

So if you haven’t been balance tested, what are you waiting for? We would be happy to schedule you a FREE balance assessment at any one of our FYZICAL clinics.

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I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT BEFORE! I SHOULD AVE D E IT !

Ask For A Knee Kinesiography Today! KneeKG TM is a 3D High-Tech Dynamic Knee Assessment. This device can help with: • Understand your symptoms and their causes • Take back control of your pain and your life

Go Beyond Management Of Symptoms. Knee Kinesiography with KneeKG TM is an effective way to assess knee function objectively 1 . KneeKG TM is performed in-clinic in parallel to a musculoskeletal assessment. 1 KneeKGTM is FDA 510(k) cleared, Health Canada Licensed, CE Marked, to assess the 3D motion of the knee of patients who have impaired movement functions of an orthopaedic cause. Knee Kinesiography with KneeKG TM Designed to be for the Knee what an EKG (electrocardiogram) is for the Heart. kneekinesiography.com The knee system is fitted and attached. You will then walk on a treadmill to assess your knee in movement. Allow about 30 minutes of your time for this exam with your healthcare professional. GO BEYOND management of symptoms kneekinesiography. Knee Kinesiography with KneeKG TM Designed to be for the Knee what an EKG (electrocardiogram) is for the Heart. kneekinesiography.com AND YOU? WHY LIVE WITH KNEE PAIN? ASK FOR A KNEE I SIOGR PHY TODAY A WHY LIVE WITH KN E PAIN? ASK FOR A KN E KneeKG TM is a 3D High-Tech Dynamic Knee Assessment Understand your symptoms a d their causes Take back control of your pain and your life › › Understand your symptoms and their causes Take back control of your pain and your life › ›

DESIGNED TO BE FOR THE KNEE WHAT AN EKG (ELECTROCARDIOGRAM) IS FOR THE HEART. KINESIOGRAPHY TODAY KneeKG TM is a 3D High-Tech Dynamic Knee Assessment

SCHEDULE A KNEEKG TM TODAY! CONTACT A CLINIC NEAREST YOU!

NORTHEAST OFFICE 4758 Loma Del Sur El Paso, TX 79934 P: (915) 755-0738 F: (915) 593-5187

EAST OFFICE 8111 N. Loop

WEST SIDE OFFICE 4646 N. Mesa El Paso, TX 79912 P: (915) 313-6331 F: (915) 533-9672

JOE BATTLE OFFICE 2270 Joe Battle Blvd

El Paso, TX 79907 P: (915) 593-4985 F: (915) 593-5187

El Paso, TX 79938 P: (915) 855-7780 F: (915) 855-7781

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Discover A GAME CHANGER To Pain Relief! Have you ever struggled with a problem for a long time only to find a “decent solution,” then, go on to discover something that would have totally changed the game for you back then? I have. For me, that discovery was the KneeKG™.

Luis Zuniga PT, DPT, CHT, MTC

Like most of my entries this one is personal. My wife had a long history of knee problems and we tried all of the traditional approaches to alleviate her pain, but, to no avail. Looking back now, if we had access to the KneeKG™ biomechanical evaluation system things may have been completely different. Her knee problem started as many do, a slight discomfort. Being the hard-working woman she is, she ignored it and tried to tough it out. Over time osteoarthritis set in and the condition worsened with each passing year. The thing is, with knee dysfunction and injuries, the longer you allow it to be a problem, the worse it gets. This condition, unattended, will likely result in a knee replacement surgery. Over time, the osteoarthritis pain can leave you debilitated and your quality of life decreases dramatically. No one wants to live in pain. This is unfortunately what happened to my wife. One weekend we were visiting my son in Chicago. Our hotel was in the center of the block. In cities like Chicago and New York, when you catch a cab you walk in the direction you’re going to travel in to avoid the traffic. As we leave the building I remember saying to Mary, “Let’s go down a block to the corner to catch a cab heading in the right direction.” She looked at me and said “...I can’t.” My wife couldn’t walk half a block. She told me her knee was absolutely killing her. Sure enough, when I looked at it, it was swollen like an orange. Her knee condition had progressed to a point where she couldn’t walk that half a block to catch a cab! She was now struggling to do what she loved and that was walking the city with her son. Things had to change. Later that evening I expressed to her, “The condition has gotten worse. Your knee is now at the point where it is stopping you from doing what you love to do and I think we have no option but to have the knee replacement as soon as possible.” Fast forward and she had the knee replacement surgery. I have a lot of experience treating knee replacement patients and I know it’s a big operation. Fortunately, my team and I are good at recovering these cases. Great surgery, outstanding rehab, equals supurb outcomes! She is doing great now. After watching her go through this experience from start to finish I thought to myself “there has to be a way to measure or monitor her knee to better guide me so I can help her reduce some of this tremendous pain.” I dug into the research and discovered the KneeKGTM system. This technology is simply amazing. I cannot promise that it would have kept her from having the surgery but it could have certainly improved her quality of life leading up to it. I strongly believe that utilizing the

KneeKGTM would have helped us better treat her condition in the years leading up to that Chicago trip. This is why I’m thrilled that Fyzical El Paso is now able to offer our patients this evaluation and diagnostic technology at all of our clinics. TheKneeKG™ is aimedat directing your physical therapists’ understanding of the real time movements that are causing you knee pain. Put simply, the KneeKG™ is a new examination tool that identifies the cause of knee pain, and measures movements of the knee that aren’t detectable to the human eye. Once we know the cause of the pain, we can implement the appropriate treatment to solve the problem and get you back to doing the things you love to do. This technology measures motion in 3 planes - front to back, side to side, and rotation of the bottom of the leg around the thigh. The reason this is so important is these movements can’t be detected by the eye and they may be where your pain is coming from. These small changes are detected by KneeKG™ and used by your therapist to tailor a custom treatment plan targeting the specific pain causing issues. Treating these changes in how your leg absorbs energy when you walk, saves your joint from abnormal forces, and advancing osteoarthritis. In short, this is huge news! Because of the information we now have from using this device, we’re aware of all the information we didn’t have before. That’s why we’re embracing this technology, and why we truly believe that it can benefit so many of our patients. I can only imagine what my wife’s experience would have been had we been able to use this technology as part of her treatment. My patients reaching their goals and overcoming painful obstacles so they can return to what they love doing is what’s important to me. I strongly encourage you to try the KneeKG™ out for yourself in any of our offices, and end your summer off on the right foot!

- Luis Fyzical El Paso

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