Patients with diabetes have a greater chance of developing complications such as infections after knee replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgery, such as total knee arthroplasty, is commonly performed in patients with knee pain due to knee osteoarthritis. In patients with diabetes, the blood levels of certain chemicals called “glycemic markers” may help the orthopedic surgeon predict the patients that are at risk for developing a complication after total knee arthroplasty. Common glycemic markers include: fasting blood sugar (glucose) levels (FBG), postprandial glucose (PPG2), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and random blood sugar levels.
The purpose of this study was to determine if any of the commonly used glycemic markers are linked to complications such as infections after knee arthroplasty surgery in patients with diabetes. The four glycemic markers that were studied were: pre-operative fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial glucose )PPG2), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and levels of random glucose levels on 2, 5, and 14 days after surgery. The complications related to diabetes were: surgical site infection (superficial and deep infections of the surgical would), wound complications such as drainage, hemarthrosis, skin necrosis, and/or dehiscence.
This study was performed on 462 patients with diabetes. These patients underwent a total of 714 total knee arthroplasty operations. Data was collected and statistically analyzed to determine any significant relationship between the glycemic markers and complications after surgery. Statistical methods such as multivariate regression analysis were used to evaluate the data and control for confounding factors. A p-value of less than 0.05 indicates significant statistical correlation.
Study results showed that pre-operative HbA1c and PPG2 levels were best correlated with development of diabetes related complications after surgery (p<0.001). Additionally, after controlling for confounding factors, they found that the HbA1c level of 8 or higher (odds ratio = 6.1, 95% confidence interval 1.6-23.4, p=0.008) and FBG of 200 mg/dL or higher (OR=9.2, 95% confidence interval 2.2-38.2, p=0.038) were associated with a superficial surgical site infection.
In conclusion, the findings of this study show that patients with diabetes that are having a total knee arthroplasty, who have a HbA1c level of 8 or higher and/or a fasting blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher developed a superficial surgical site infection
If you have been told that you are in need of a hip or knee replacement or suffer from pain, contact our specialists at Orthopedic Surgery San Diego to undergo an evaluation.
CLASSIC LIST
Arthroscopic Acromioplasty
Without thinking about it, we use our shoulders to accomplish many day to day tasks and we know immediately when something is not working correctly. Day to day use and wear and tear of the shoulder can cause pain and tenderness. A common shoulder injury, called subacromial impingement syndrome, can cause severe pain if not treated.
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint which, if functioning properly, moves freely in many directions. The AC joint, or acromioclavicular joint, where the clavicle (collar bone) and shoulder blade meet, is a common area for pain and lowered mobility due to injury or arthritis. The acromion is the part of the shoulder blade that meets the clavicle, and between them is cartilage that allows the bones to move together. There are four muscles that raise and lower the arm which together are known as the rotator cuff.
The rotator cuff lies under the AC joint, and in between the space is subacromial bursa, which is filled with fluid that lets the shoulder glide in the socket.
When we raise our arm, the space between the rotator cuff and the acromion becomes narrow. If the acromion rubs against the bursa and the tendons in between, it can cause pain and irritation, and loss of mobility.
Sometimes and physiotherapy (PT) and injection of various medications can alleviate the symptoms of subacromial bursitis or rotator cuff tendinitis. However, at time it becomes necessary to utilize surgical methods to treat this problem. There are different surgeries used to correct the bursitis: open acromioplasty (OS) or arthroscopic acromioplasty (AS). Open acromioplasty is a procedure that involves a long open cut to the skin through the deltoid muscle to reach the inside of the shoulder. Damaged tissue is removed, part of the acromion is removed, and the shoulder is stitched back together. Arthroscopic acromioplasty is less invasive, uses smaller incisions, and a camera is inserted into the damaged area for assessment. Small tools are then used to correct the damage in the shoulder. Physiotherapy is the use of non-surgical techniques, such as analgesics and exercise to help heal the area. This has been effective in many patients with less severe damage to their shoulder.
A study was done on 87 patients to compare the different types of treatment, both surgical, and non-surgical, to understand the best course of action for those with subacromial impingement. The patients were randomly put into groups based on their treatment and all had comparable demographics. Both the OS and the AS groups had improved at a greater level than the PT group. The OS group had more strength than prior to the surgery, and all groups improved with internal rotation. In general there was no significant differences in the 3 groups, although the patients who had the most invasive surgery, open acromioplasty, versus shoulder arthroscopy, had a greater improvement over time. These findings are interesting as most dedicated shoulder surgeons do not use open acromioplasty, as the arthroscopic approach uses a minimally invasive technique.
Shoulder pain, tenderness, and swelling is frustrating and limits basic mobility. There have been great strides in sports medicine in the last decade. Contact our shoulder specialists and seek out the best orthopedists to treat your shoulder pain.
Due to the recent NFL lawsuit surrounding concussions and head injuries, helmets used in other sports are being questioned as to their safety. Lacrosse, a popular and fast growing sport, has relied on helmets to protect their players from head injuries. Recently, two brands of helmets worn by a large percentage of high school, college and professional players, have had their certification voided by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.
Due to an alarming 32 deaths reported in 1968 from injuries to the head and neck, Nocsae was created in 1969 to set standards for helmets. The goal was to enforce regulations to make the helmets safer and reduce the number of injuries during contact sports. For years, the standards were acceptable until the recent controversy over head injuries in the NFL. In light over the concerns of concussions and head trauma among football players, helmets that are used in sports are being scrutinized closely, and many of the top name brands are not making the cut.
One sport that uses helmets that are being looked over is lacrosse. While lacrosse may not instantly spring to mind when thinking about rough sports, it actually has some of the highest reported injuries at the high school level and higher, along with basketball and track. Most injuries are in the form of scrapes, cuts, and injuries to the chest arms, and legs, but head injuries can happen, too.
Lacrosse Helmets
Popular lacrosse helmets, the Warrior Regulator and the Cascade Model R, have not met the standards set forth by Nocsae, who also certifies football helmets worn for all levels of play. The helmets had not been tested adequately to see how they hold up in high temperatures.
Both companies were More than 190,000 boys and girls play high school lacrosse in the U.S. and tens of thousands of them have been wearing the voided (but not yet recalled) helmets,
which range from $200.00 to $250.00. What is more striking is that girls at the junior and collegiate lacrosse levels don’t wear helmets at all.
A study done at Purdue University in 2013 compared 36 lacrosse helmets to 36 football helmets using a drop test. Every football helmet passed, while nine lacrosse helmets failed. The design of the lacrosse helmet, which are pointed, were ineffective for hard blows. Due to these findings, manufacturers are working hard to bring the helmets back to standard. This has caused confusion to those in the sport as to ascertain which helmets are actually, if at all, safe for the players to wear.
Orthopedic and sports medicine specialists often see patients with injuries from playing contact sports. Blows to the head, breaks and sprains, and arthritis later on in life are common for players. If a concussion or break is suspected contact an orthopedist immediately. The best way to prevent lacrosse. injuries is know the game, report any injuries, stay in shape all year, take breaks, and always wear the correct gear.
If you have questions about any sports related injuries, contact our sports medicine specialists at Orthopedic Surgery San Diego.
Total knee replacement
surgery has become one of the most common operations in orthopedic practice. Knee replacement, also referred to as knee arthroplasty, is used to treat patients with severe knee pain.
One of the issues most commonly seen with surgery is blood loss. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a medication that has helped decrease blood loss during hip replacement and knee replacement surgery. This is a drug called an aprotrinin. TXA can be given topically or intravenously. Several studies have shown that topical TXA is better than placebo. However few studies have compared the safety and efficacy between topical TXA and intravenous TXA. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of topical vs. intravenous TXA use in patients who underwent total knee replacement with cemented implants.
This was a Phase III, randomized clinical trial performed at one hospital comparing the outcomes of patients who received topical TXA (3 g of TXA in 100 mL of physiological saline solution) with those who received intravenous TXA (2 doses; 15 mg/kg in 100 mL of physiological saline solution, one dose before tourniquet release and another three hours after surgery). The primary outcome was the blood transfusion rate, and the secondary outcomes included visible blood loss at twenty-four hours after surgery and invisible blood loss forty-eight hours after surgery.
Seventy-eight patients were enrolled in this study (39 received topical intra-articular TXA and 39 received intravenous TXA. The two groups of patients were similar with regard to demographics and preoperative laboratory values.
Results showed that there were no blood transfusions in either of the two groups. Drain blood loss at twenty-four hours was 315.6 mL (95% confidence interval [CI], 248.5 to 382.7 mL) in the experimental group and 308.1 mL (95% CI, 247.6 to 368.5 mL) in the control group (p = 0.948, Mann-Whitney). Also, estimated blood loss at forty-eight hours was 1259.0 mL (95% CI, 1115.6 to 1402.3 mL) in the experimental group and 1317.9 mL (95% CI, 1175.4 to 1460.4 mL) in the control group (p = 0.837). No significant safety differences were seen between groups.
In conclusion, the findings of this study showed that topical administration of TXA was equally safe and effective as intravenous TXA. This randomized controlled trial supports the topical intra-articular administration of TXA in primary total knee replacement with cemented implants.
If you have been told you are in need of a hip replacement or knee replacement, contact our orthopedic specialists at Orthopedic Surgery San Diego.
SHOULDER PAIN
The shoulder is made up of three bones: the humerus, (upper arm) scapula, (shoulder blade) and clavicle (collarbone.) This combination of muscles and tendons keeps the arm bone fixed in the shoulder socket. The tissues which cover the head of the upper arm bone and attach it to the shoulder blade socket are called the rotator cuff.
Any injury or damage to these muscles, tendons or bones, can result in a lack of mobility and severe pain. The pain could be temporary or it may get worse and require medical diagnosis and treatment.
Some common causes of shoulder pain.
Bursitis. A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac located in joints throughout the body, including the shoulder. They act as cushions between bones and soft tissue, helping to reduce movement friction. Overuse of the shoulder can lead to swelling and inflammation causing other tissues and tendons in the shoulder to become inflamed and painful.
Tendon tears.A tendon tear is usually the result of a serious shoulder injury from a fall or a sporting event. It can also be caused by degenerative tendon changes due to advancing age and long-term overuse, or wear and tear. The tendon is often separated from its attachment to the bone, bringing a great deal of shoulder pain.
Instability. Shoulder instability occurs when the shoulder is dislocated, either partially or completely. A partial dislocation involves the upper arm coming partially out of the socket, while a full dislocation means that the ball comes completely out of the socket. This type of shoulder injury also leads to huge shoulder pain.
Arthritis. The most common kind of arthritis in the shoulder is osteoarthritis, which is related to sports injuries, an injury in the work place or just chronic “wear and tear” resulting in a painful restriction of movement.
Broken bones, such as the collarbone, arm bone or the shoulder blade, which is most often caused by a fall, a contact sports injury, or perhaps a motor vehicle accident. Fractures often result in severe pain and swelling
Treatment protocols for shoulder pain and shoulder problems.
The very first option is a visit to a medical professional to identify the cause of the shoulder problem. The doctor will schedule various specific tests to help identify the cause of the pain or problem before making a diagnosis.
Will I require shoulder surgery?
Depending on the diagnosis and the severity of the problem, shoulder surgery could be recommended.
Surgery is usually suggested for rotator cuff repair to reattach torn tendons, removal of arthritic bone spurs, and general repair of soft tissue damage.
If shoulder surgery is what you need, the San Diego Orthopedic Surgeon Center is an excellent choice for successful shoulder surgery to afford you permanent relief.
After a comprehensive orthopedic assessment and medical examination, you will be given options for the type of shoulder treatment which needs to be performed. This may include arthroscopy, which is minimally invasive.
At the San Diego Center you will also be given advice concerning pain management, and the best way to exercise so that your quality of life is restored in the shortest time possible.
Elbow lateral epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
It is a condition in which the elbow starts paining due to overuse. The tendons within the elbow and the muscles of the forearm become fatigued due to overworking of wrist and arm. Therefore, the tendons get inflamed and cause tennis elbow. The name, lateral epicondylitis, comes from lateral epicondyle that is the bump on the outer part of the upper arm bone (humerus). This part provides attachment to tendons from the forearm. This way, the pain is experienced on the outer part of the elbow as well. Apart from playing tennis or other racquet sports, one can be affected by this disease if he is a plumber, butcher, carpenter or painter.
How do I know I have tennis elbow?
You will experience pain in your elbow and find it radiating below towards your forearm and wrist. The pain starts off mildly and increases gradually to severe levels. If you are a right-hander, your right arm is affected more and left arm in cases of left-handers but this may affect both arms as well. You may experience a burning sensation along with pain on the outer aspect of your elbow. The pain seems to worsen when you try to hold something (like a racquet), shake hands or chop meat (in case of butchers). During such movements, you may feel your arm becoming weak and you may not be able to grasp things perfectly as you used to do in the past.
If you find that your symptoms have shown no improvement even after rest taken after discontinuation of your strenuous activities you need to check your orthopedician.
How will your doctor examine you?
Your doctor will ask the details about the type of pain you experience and the sites where you have it. He will ask you about your occupation or even the type of sport that you play mostly. With the description you provide, the doctor will be able to make out your problem almost exactly.
You can help your doctor by providing him every detail of any previous medical problem you had like rheumatoid arthritis or any nerve disorder. Your doctor may conduct few physical tests to make an exact diagnosis of the disease. An Xray may be required to rule out other conditions like arthritis. MRI is performed to check if the pain is due to any neck problem. EMG may be required to investigate for any nerve impingement as it also causes similar symptoms.
What are the various treatments available?
Non-surgical treatment methods are:
1 : Appropriate rest and quitting the work or sports (if there is sports injury).
2 : Administration of NSAIDS like Ibuprofen which are effective painkillers.
3 : Change of racquets (if due to tennis or other sports that require racquets) to a lighter form that is less straining to the arm.
4 : Physiotherapy like ultrasound and exercises that can stimulate the damaged muscles.
Surgical method:
Surgery is always the last treatment option doctors think of. It is only thought when a person does not get relief after at least 6 months to one year of treatment with non-surgical methods. The main idea is to remove the injured part of the muscles and connect the bone with the healthy portion of the muscles. After the surgery your arm may be immobilized and protected with a splint for a period of one week or so. With the help of exercises, gradually your arm is made able to function normally.
If you have been told that you have elbow lateral epicondylitis, please contact our sports medicine specialists at Orthopedic Surgery San Diego.
Sunblock
Although fertility is outside the scope of my practice as a sports medicine specialist in San Diego, I advocate the use of sunblock during outdoor activities. As a result, I want to make sure that my patients are well aware of issues that may arise from sunblock.
With the strange weather many areas have been having in the US lately, many people keep heading to the beach. And, just like during the summer, they’re taking to exercise, cycling and running, especially in San Diego. With an active lifestyle such as this, using sunblock for protection is a must. But, a new National Institutes of Health study shows that we should all be aware of what’s in the sunblock products we use.
For years, experts have recommended sunscreens to help protect us from UV rays. Now, according to the study, the chemicals responsible for filtering out those rays may be causing other problems. These chemicals may actually lead to fertility problems in men.
Studies Show Sunscreen Chemicals May Cause Male Infertility
An even larger study was involved, the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment. It examined the connection between fertility and environmental chemicals. 500 couples were chosen from this study, and followed around as part of the smaller National Institutes of Health study. Urine samples were collected from these couples. They were also asked to keep journals until they’d successfully conceived, or had unsuccessfully tried to for 12 months.
The study authors took deep looks at the data behind the couples who took the longest to get pregnant. They all seemed to have one thing in common:
Two chemicals responsible filtering UV rays, 4OH-BP and BP-2, were found in the urine of the men. Both chemicals, which are common in sunscreens and sunblocks, were in high concentrations in their systems. These same two chemicals can also be found in many shampoos and moisturizers.
How to Protect Your Fertility from Sunblock Chemicals
The lead author of the study, Germaine Buck Louis, admits that there hasn’t been much studying done in relation to this. She stated:
“Right now, it’s thought (these chemicals) are safe for use — in preventing ionizing radiation and sunburn, but what about better health?”
Louis adds that no one knows for sure exactly how these two chemicals affect the increasing infertility in men.
Protecting Your Healthy Skin VS Protecting Fertility
So, does this mean that any man with an active lifestyle now has to make a choice between worrying about infertility issues and keeping skin healthy and cancer-free? Well, according to scientists, there isn’t very much consumers can do about it right now.
They do agree that it may help to wash these products off after you’ve completed your day of exercise, cycling and running in the San Diego sun.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine reports that in about 40% of couples with fertility issues, the man is either a major contributing cause or the sole cause. What an alarming fact in light of this research study.
If your routine of daily exercise, cycling and running in the San Diego sun hasn’t helped your joint pain, you may need medical help. Dr. Robert Afra of San Diego can identify the root causes of your discomfort. Contact him at his Orthopedic Surgery San Diego clinic for an evaluation today.
Concussions are at the forefront of many of discussions involving football injuries these days. And, rightfully so! Football is a dangerous sport no matter how we look at it. The object of the game is to prevent the other team from moving down the field by any means necessary. This results in players being hit, shoved, thrown into each other and down on the ground. Sports injuries such as bruises, cuts, scrapes, and muscle pulls are a natural part of the game along with the occasional broken bone. Every so often, we hear about more serious injuries such as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears. ACL tears have our attention, however. The beast lurking in the shadows is the closed head injury, or concussion.
In 2013 over 4,500 former NFL football players successfully sued the league for concealing the long-term dangers of blows to the head and repeated concussions. Many of these players now have dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy due to head injuries during their career. The long-lasting neurologic deficit seen among pugalists/boxers is lovingly referred to as ‘punch drunk’.
If these types of injuries can happen to seasoned and trained professionals, what are the impacts of head trauma of those playing youth football? In order to identify the risks involved with impacts to the head a study was conducted by the Wake Forest’s Kinematics of Impact Data Set, also known as KIDS
. They chose 24 youth football players, ages 16-18 to assess over a season. Before the study, the players had MRI scans, known as diffusion tensor imaging, which shows the inner structure of white brain matter, called axons, which transmit information in the brain.
During the season, the players were given helmets mounted with accelerometers called HITs (Head Impact Telemetry System) that detected the number of times the player was hit, the direction the of the blow, and its severity. Based on the data from the helmets, the youth were put into one of two groups: heavy hitters, of which there were 9, and light hitters, the other 15. When the season was over, the players had another MRI to detect any changes that might have occurred in their white brain matter.
Those that were considered heavy hitters had much higher abnormalities of the white matter in areas usually found after traumatic brain injuries. This was shocking in that not one of the players had a concussion during the season.
brain
Those players that were termed “light hitters” or those who did not get hit as much or as hard as the others, also had brain changes in their MRI, although not as significant as the heavy hitters. Out of all the blows, 66% of the impacts for youth football players, occurred during practice, rather than games. Study author, Joel Stitzel, professor at Wake Forest University and chair of biomedical engineering, notes the grim fact that most, if not all, youth teams are lacking a medical professional, such as an orthopedist, who is trained to look for concussions.
Because not all concussions result in loss of consciousness, a player may not even realize he has a concussion.
Signs of a concussion can include nausea, vomiting, confusion, memory issues, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, and blurred vision. If a concussion is suspected, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine is the best bet for care and answers.
Meniscal Repair
Can a Meniscal Repair Surgery Heighten a Patients’ Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)?
OA (Osteoarthritis) is also commonly known as wear-and tear-arthritis. This is a disorder which occurs when the cartilage (the natural cushioning between joints) wears out. It is the most common type of arthritis. When it occurs, the bones of the joints tend to rub more closely against one another owing to the reduced shock-absorbing benefits of cartilage. The rubbing causes swelling, stiffness, decreased mobility and, in some instances, the development of bone spurs.
What are the risk factors associated with OA?
Although age is a major risk factor for knee osteoarthritis, younger people can also get it. For some people, it may be hereditary while for others it can result from knee injury or infection or even from having excessive weight. Arthroscopy is one of the surgical options used to treat knee osteoarthritis and knee replacement may become necessary in severe cases.
What is a meniscal tear and how is it treated generally?
A meniscus tear refers to a common injury caused to the cartilage that ensures the knee joint is appropriately stabilized and cushioned. Surgery to repair meniscal tears has been popular and the kind of the tear is what determines whether meniscus repair can be done. However, recent research indicates that it is likely to increase the risk of osteoarthritis and cartilage loss in some patients. Thus, according to researchers, there is need for careful consideration before the decision of surgery can be made so as to avoid hastened disease onset.
Can Meniscal Repair increase the risk of knee OA?
Meniscal tears are among the most prevalent knee injuries whose pain is alleviated and joint function improved by surgery. However, according to Frank W. Roemer, M.D., from Boston University School of Medicine in Boston as well as the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany there has been growing evidence suggesting that meniscal surgery might be harmful to the knee joint when used to alleviate knee pain.
A study was conducted by Dr Roemer and his team on patients with an average age of 60.2 years, and who were mainly overweight with a BMI of 28.3. Roughly, two-thirds of the patients were women. The team studied MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) examination of 355 knees that developed osteoarthritis in the course of 5 years, and a control group which matched for age, sex, the severity of arthritis in both knees as well as BMI. Out of all the knees, 31 had meniscal surgery in the preceding year before the arthritis diagnosis, and 280 knees showed signs of meniscal damage on MRI but did not undergo surgery. The researchers evaluated the risk of developing arthritis and cartilage wear during the following year for the different groups.
The scientists established that those patients that did not have knee osteoarthritis but who had meniscal surgery had a greatly increased risk of developing both osteoarthritis and cartilage loss in the next year as compared to their counterparts who did not undergo surgery.
The study found that all the knees that had meniscal surgery during the previous year developed osteoarthritis as compared with 165 of the knees which had meniscal damage but did not undergo surgery. Besides, cartilage loss was much more widespread among those knees that had undergone surgery. Hence, 80.8 percent of knees that had undergone operation showed loss of cartilage as compared with 39.5 percent of knees that had meniscal damage and no surgery.
There is a potential bias in this study. Those patients that did not undergo the knee arthroscopy despite their ongoing knee pain, may have been less physically active as a result. The lower level of aggressive physical activity may have led to decreased overall trauma over the years, and thus lower risk of osteoarthritis. Further studies are necessary. At this point in time, orthopedic dogma mandates that a repairable meniscus tear undergo a surgical repair.
Conservative management has been found to be an alternative to surgery and it involves prescription of physical therapy in helping to maintain and restore muscle strength and scope of motion. Ice and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are commonly used to treat the symptoms.
Running
is one of the most effective types of exercise for those trying to shed some weight and achieve fitness goals. It helps people maintain a proper weight, which is vital to preventing pain from developing in the hips and knees.
Runners are less likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition that can lead to hip- or knee-replacement surgery. A recent study involving active, older people found that running reverses aging to a greater degree than walking, the New York Times reported in its “Well” blog.
Walking is worthwhile, the newspaper noted, because it lowers the risk of obesity, arthritis, heart disease and diabetes. People who take daily walks also tend to live longer. But researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder and Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., found evidence that running is better.
They assessed 30 men and women in their mid- to late-60s or early 70s. Fifteen of the study participants walked at least three times a week for 30 minutes or longer. The others ran three or more times per week for the same amount of time. The volunteers walked or jogged on biomechanics-measuring treadmills at the University of Colorado’s Locomotion Laboratory. They wore masks that recorded their oxygen consumption and other data.
The scientists determined that the runners exerted less energy to move at the same pace as the walkers. They also found that 70-year-old runners walked as efficiently as the average college student.
“Older walkers, on the other hand, had about the same walking economy as people of the same age who were sedentary,” the Times reported. “In effect, walking did not prevent people from losing their ability to walk with ease.”
The biomechanics of the runners and walkers were about the same. Runners and regular walkers took a similar number of steps, with comparable strides, while walking.
Justus Ortega, an associate professor of kinesiology at Humboldt University who led the study, said intense aerobic exercise like running increases muscle cells’ mitochondria. That gives the cells more energy, permitting people to exercise longer and move more easily. Runners’ muscles might be more coordinated than those of walkers because their form of exercise entails the contraction of fewer muscles, so less energy is required.
The study concluded that runners experience less severe declines in walking ability as they age. Ortega noted that people who find it easy to exercise, without pain, are more physically active than others. He said it’s never too late to start, pointing out that “quite a few of our volunteers hadn’t taken up running until they were in their 60s.”
Running makes the heart work harder, which promotes blood circulation. It is considered an aerobic, as well as cardio, exercise because it results in additional oxygen being pumped into the muscles. Running also increases enzymes and hormones that stimulate muscles and the heart.
Multiple studies have shown that the odds of suffering heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers are reduced when a person runs regularly. The activity boosts the body’s immune-response system, builds muscle mass, improves bone density and fights inflammation.
Failing to get the kind of exercise that running involves puts people in danger of becoming overweight. That results in excessive strain on their hips and knees, which causes long-term deterioriation of cartilage that cushions the joints’ bones and tissues.
This condition, osteoarthritis, gets worse with age. It is one of the leading reasons that older adults become disabled. In some cases, patients must get hip or knee replacements to relieve pain and regain mobility.
If you are experiencing joint pain, it is necessary to identify the cause of the discomfort to determine the appropriate treatment or surgery. Schedule an appointment for an evaluation by the nationally renowned sports medicine surgeons at Orthopedic Surgery San Diego to learn about your options.
