shahzaib1578 - Orthopedic Surgery San Diego

08/Mar/2014

The march of medical technology is swift; constantly punctuating the industry with clever new ideas. As a specialist in San Diego knee surgery, I am particularly attuned to any mention of medical devices that might save patients the discomfort and commitment of the need for surgery.

One such device has been receiving a good deal of press recently. Designed to help patients who suffer with knee pain maintain mobility without wearing a cumbersome brace, the product is comprised of tights that contain rigid guides:

Opedix has struggled to differentiate itself from another type of garment that’s popular with runners and looks very similar: compression tights. What sets Opedix tights apart, Mr. Gustafson says, are the bands of stiff fabric that descend down the leg from the hips, wrap around the knees and extend to the ankles.

It is a promising idea, and a nice reminder that we still have much to learn and invent in the field of sports medicine. But until such devices are clinically proven, your best bet to relieve chronic knee pain is to visit a San Diego knee surgery expert today.

shahzaib1578

08/Mar/2014

Scheduling a San Diego knee surgery appointment with an experienced orthopedic surgeon shouldn’t have to take days. Nor should it take weeks to be seen. Many practices have succumbed to the pressure to see tons of patients to make ends meet. Patients, as educated consumers of medicine, know better. They know when they are being cattled-hearded through the practice. In contrast, we very intentionally have opted not to take the easy way out. We take our time with patients at each and every visit; we listen to what patients feel is necessary to share to aid us in making a proper diagnosis and render the treatment that is right for them as an individual (as an athlete, as a professional, as a mother, etc). The process should be seamless from start to finish, especially if you already have a primary care physician who can offer good advice and pass along a few names.

But for many San Diego patients who suffer with chronic knee pain or stiffness or for those who sustain an acute injury on the soccer field or elsewhere, entering this world can seem like a daunting enterprise. For them and for you, I have created this quick guide to walk you through the steps of planning a knee surgery procedure here in San Diego.

1. Get the Best Diagnosis

Good sports medicine starts with effective, careful diagnosis. Although you may have heard differing opinions from your neighbor, friend, or masseuse, you will want to check in with credentialed professionals who can evaluate details such as your range of motion, pain level and medical history. At my San Diego orthopedic surgery practice, we offer assistance with every part of this diagnostic process, up to and including help with imaging.

2. Exhaust the Other Options

Knee surgery is a fairly involved undertaking, even if your surgeon uses minimally invasive techniques– despite how seemingly easy everyone and I mean everyone makes it appear. Yes, it’s easy to do a mediocre job; achieving excellent results takes diligence, attention, and most importantly, care. That’s why it is wise to exhaust the full range of medical treatments before you commit to surgery, including taking anti-inflammatories, if indicated, as well as physical therapy, rest and even accupuncture. At times, injections may be warranted. Injections come in different flavors, based on the problem at hand. Sometimes we use injectable medications to decrease inflammation; other times we might use injectable concoctions that promote an inflammatory process, such as platelet rich plasma (PRP). If you continue to experience distress despite the best efforts of the right medical personnel, then it’s time to move onto the next step.

3. Find a Great Knee Surgeon

Orthopedic knee surgery is a skill, like any part of medicine. The physicians who achieve the best outcomes tend to work in cutting-edge facilities and boast experience and credentials from some of the world’s finest medical institutions. I am proud to say that I am the former Chief of Sports Medicine at UCSD, and that I specialize in cartilage, ligament reconstruction, and kneecap issues, advanced surgical areas on which I speak throughout the country. Many surgeons are able to perform knee arthroscopy; however that is not the proper question to ask. On point, it is the sports medicine surgeon who has developed the mastery of arthroscopy. It is the sports medicine surgeon who accomplishes the task with minimal damage to the surrounding healthy structures in the knee; which minimizes the postoperative pain and accelerates the recovery process.

4. Get Started

If your knee pain has begun to interfere with your life, it’s time to intervene. Feel free to contact my San Diego knee surgery center for more information today. We will do the right thing for you in the right way!

shahzaib1578

01/Mar/2014

It is rare to find a folk remedy that cleanly defeats modern medicine in a head-to-head test of efficacy, but that’s precisely what sesame seeds recently pulled off. In a study published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, researchers announced that the humble sesame seed outperformed OTC stalwart Tylenol in a controlled experiment involving arthritic patients:

The researchers divided 50 people with arthritic knee pain into two groups. One received 2,000 milligrams of acetaminophen and 500 milligrams of glucosamine daily, while the other got 40 grams of sesame daily. After two months, those who had taken the sesame seed had significantly less pain and better function than those taking the drug. Other scientists have found that sesamin has a beneficial effect on cartilage (Glycoconjugate Journal online, December 2013).

It is a provocative finding which underscores just how little we still know about the science of inflammation, and how it impacts chronic joint pain. At minimum, this study should give pause to physicians who reach for the standard painkillers every time a new symptom arises.

Other holistic and naturally occurring anti-inflammatory foods include fish oil, turmeric, cherry juice, and devil’s claw. Many mature athletes have found knee pain relief with the use of glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM. To learn more about effective treatments and procedures for knee pain, please contact my San Diego orthopedic surgery offices today.

shahzaib1578

01/Mar/2014

Stem cell therapies are hardly new. In fact, they are perennially on the cusp of finding their way into mainstream orthopedic medicine. The problem has long been a lack of reproducible findings – and a prohibitive cost.

At least one half of that equation may finally be getting addressed. Doctors are seeing more consistent results with certain stem cell therapies for orthopedic issues such as knee pain and shoulder pain. The process has remained largely unchanged since the technology was invented/discovered:

Doctors use a needle to extract bone marrow from the crest of the hip bone. It’s then sent to a lab, where it is spun down to get at the layer of stem cells — cells that have the potential to become any type of cell.

The stem cells are then combined with the patient’s platelets, a type of blood cell involved in healing. Then, it’s given back to the patient. The idea is to have the stem cells turn into new tissue and improve pain and function. . . .

Typically, this is done for various inflammatory tendon problems, though it can be used for hips, knees, shoulders, ankles, and spine. Patients usually notice improvement by three months, with full benefit in one year.

It is a promising approach, although the body of literature on stem cell therapies versus traditional knee surgeries remains in its infancy. The best bet if you’re experiencing chronic knee pain: Visit a San Diego Orthopedic Surgery Center and get a full workup. You will be counseled on the risks and rewards of the various treatment options available to you, based on your unique situation. We provide PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections among the other various conservative treatment measures. In addition, we are able to provide the complete array of surgical procedures. This broad and comprehensive approach to treating your pain and dysfunction puts us in a unique position of being able to provide you an honest appraisal of your options. Our goal is to make you better!

shahzaib1578

01/Mar/2014

The injury tally continues to rise in Sochi, especially on some of the more dangerous, extreme-style downhill events. The grimmest and most terrifying moment of these Olympics came on Saturday, when a freestyle cross skier, Maria Komissarova, broke a vertebra and dislocated her back, leading to an emergency airlift to Germany for multiple orthopedic surgeries.

She is hardly alone. Numerous reports have noted the high numbers for these games, including concussions, knee injuries and plenty of falls:

Norway’s Helene Olafsen had to drop out after she suffered what has been initially reported as a knee injury. Worse still, American Jackie Hernandez will also be withdrawing after taking a fierce blow to the head. During her qualifying run, Hernandez was knocked completely unconscious after a violent impact with the snow. She regained consciousness a few minutes later, and was attempting to speak with the medics who had rushed to her aid. She was taken down the mountain on her own power, but was very unstable on her feet.

As the former Chief of Sports Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, I have spent much of my career tending to athletes and the injuries they incur from pushing the limits. But here in San Diego, orthopedic surgery is just as likely to be indicated for everyday shoulder injuries, knee injuries, and wrist and elbow injuries. The process is the same in either case: careful diagnosis, expert orthopedic surgery when indicated, followed by vigorous and supportive rehabilitation that takes the entire patient’s needs into account.

Such tools are readily available at San Diego Orthopedic Surgery center. Ms. Komissarova is receiving such care in Germany.

shahzaib1578

01/Mar/2014

Effective shoulder surgery can be a long-lasting solution to certain symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, researchers have found. A new study out this week in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found strong evidence to suggest that just one procedure may hold up for a decade or more without any need for further interventions:

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic found that 93 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients who underwent a total shoulder replacement — in which both sides of a shoulder joint are replaced — needed no further surgery on the joint a decade later. The same was true for 88 percent of those undergoing a partial shoulder replacement.

“We were most happy to see the consistency of pain relief and improvement of function among patients,” said study author Dr. John Sperling, an orthopedic surgeon at the clinic in Rochester, Minn. “Shoulder replacement has come a long way over the past 20 to 25 years. It’s a one-hour surgery that requires one night in the hospital, and patients have a 90 percent chance of achieving excellent pain relief.”

And that last part is really the rub. One hour, one night, and you get a new ten-year lease on life.

My San Diego orthopedic surgery practice has long been at the forefront of sophisticated surgical techniques like these, informed largely by my personal experience as Chief of Sports Medicine at the University of California, San Diego.

If you’re suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or you simply do not relish the thought of enduring shoulder pain any longer, feel free to contact the San Diego shoulder surgery experts here.

shahzaib1578

13/Feb/2014

Elbow surgery in San Diego is often an effective remedy for chronic pain, but it is a remedy of last resort. Most elbow injuries resolve on their own with some basic rest. That said, there are some ways to speed the process a bit by promoting healing and mobility.

This list describes some of the most common elbow stretches designed to combat elbow tendinitis using nothing more than gentle flexion. Although elbow tendinitis is likely to respond to one or many of these options, it could take some time; be sure and try them all for a week or more before you make an assessment of success.

The core treatment measures to address tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow is rest, an epicondylar brace, oral non steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets, acupuncture, physical therapy. Sometimes injections such as steroids or platelet rich plasma (PRP) do the job. And if the time should come that your elbow pain has grown too intense? Just contact the elbow surgery experts at San Diego Orthopedic Surgery to set up an appointment today.

shahzaib1578

08/Feb/2014

Hot on the heels of my last post about knee pain, I’d like to return to the very same space to discuss some ways you can manage shoulder pain, improve mobility, and avoid shoulder surgery altogether.

The key is strength, especially the kind of supple, dynamic strength that arises from stretching rather than brute-force workouts with kettle bells, dumb bells, or bar bells. In a recent New York Times column, people with rotator cuff injuries were offered the same basic advice, including stretching with bands and supporting your body through the full range of motion. And then came this especially useful tip:

Don’t wait to start the program, by the way, until your shoulders ache. “These exercises are excellent for preventing shoulder injuries,” Mr. Ellenbecker said, “in addition to rehabilitating injured shoulders.”

This exercises focus on strengthening the rotator cuff muscles and the muscles of the upper back. Again, this is the holy grail of shoulder longevity and health.

Whether you’re heading for shoulder surgery or recovering from an orthopedic surgical procedure, basic stretches are the easiest way to keep your body moving comfortably, fluidly and without pain. To learn more, please contact the San Diego shoulder surgery experts here today.

shahzaib1578

08/Feb/2014

As a San Diego orthopedic surgeon, I field a lot of questions about how to minimize joint pain from repetitive and everyday activities. One of the most common: “How can I minimize knee pain when I’m going down the stairs?”

The short answer is a healthy dose of stretching and exercise.

But a more detailed answer has recently surfaced in the New York Times’ Well column, which outlined a simple prescription:

This discomfort is magnified if you have weak quadriceps or thigh muscles, [Dr Bozic] added, since the force that might otherwise be absorbed by those large muscles moves through the knee instead. So to strengthen your quadriceps, try straight leg raises, [he] said. Simply lie on your back with one leg bent. Lift the other leg, straightened, at least six inches off the ground; tighten the thigh muscles and hold for a few seconds. Lower and repeat several times. Then do the same exercise with the other leg. Your physician or an athletic trainer can suggest other safe exercises that target those muscles.

Dr Bozik’s approach is a fairly simple answer. The more complex answer lies in the practice of yoga and pilates. Yogi and pilates practitioners learn to engage the ‘core’. Strengthening the thigh muscles (one of which is the quads) and strengthening the ‘core’ takes you a tremendous way. But the holy grail is a concept called ‘muscular co-contraction’; this activity entails teaching your core muscles to activate with the use of the thigh muscles. This is what all exercises aimed at protecting athletes from ACL tears and preventing the resurgence of anterior knee pain is all about. There, the genie is out of the bottle! Further recommendations included stay in motion, avoid sitting in a chair all day, take a stretch break from computer work (say 5 min every hour) when you can.…if all else fails call it a bathroom break.

And if your knee pain should require knee surgery in San Diego? Contact the knee surgery experts here to schedule an appointment today.

shahzaib1578

03/Feb/2014

Here’s what’s tricky about knee surgery. It’s really important that a surgeon pay attention to the complaints a patient has and to corroborate those complaints with physical examination and MRI findings. When there is the synergy of all three, surgery is warranted and works well. We know this, and medical literature supports it.

Unfortunately, often times patients have undergone surgery for the wrong indications. Indications are what surgeons learn in residency and fellowship and can be cured by performing surgery.

Even when surgery is performed for the right indications, the postoperative recovery can take unexpected twists and turns. Prone to periods of accelerated improvement punctuated by stretches of apparent stasis. For example, there is no calendar for how we recover from ACL knee surgery. Although most often patients ‘recover’ over four to eight months after surgery, our bodies follow their own timeline despite medical efforts.

So when an athlete offers a date for when she expects to be fully recovered from knee surgery, that day isn’t written in stone. Even someone clearly on track to regain full mobility and flexibility can reinjure their knee, setting or even resetting that recovery process back to zero.

All of which brings me to Lindsey Vonn, the world-class athlete whose triumphant return to the slopes at Sochi has been scuttled by reinjury:

Vonn tore her anterior cruciate and medial collateral knee ligaments in a tumbling crash 11 months ago at the world championships, but had appeared to be ahead of schedule in her recovery for the Sochi Olympics until a training crash Nov. 19 in Colorado. At that time, she said that she had partly torn her rebuilt anterior cruciate ligament and would still be able to participate in the Olympics. . .

On Dec. 21, Vonn entered a more demanding World Cup downhill in Val d’Isère, France — with Woods at the bottom of the hill, watching. About halfway through the course, her right knee buckled as she tried to make a high-speed turn, and she skidded off the course. After the race, for the first time, Vonn acknowledged her A.C.L. injury was more severe.

She said the ligament had been ruptured.

She has not been on skis since.

It is a teachable moment and a cautionary tale when an athlete pushes harder than most orthopedic surgeons might recommend in the interest of meeting a deadline. In Vonn’s case, that deadline was the Olympics: who could blame her? We have tons and tons of young elite level female soccer players in San Diego who feel the same drive of getting back out there…push push push. I’m onboard, as long as the body can keep pace with our type ‘A’ drive. Often times that type ‘A’ drive gets us to the finish line with respect to our strength training and back out on the field to score. Sometimes athletes get out on the field for contact or agility sports to early and are vulnerable to reinjury. Know anyone who underwent revision ACL reconstruction? For those of us non-Olympians with knee injuries recovering from ACL reconstruction here in San Diego, there is nothing quite as effective as rest, patience, rehabilitation….lots and lots of self-directed core-strengthening and agility training!

It all starts with an expert orthopedic surgeon. One that you can trust will guide you to conservative care when appropriate and to surgery when appropriate. Seek a consultation with a doctor that will take the time to listen to you, examine you, and properly treat you. To schedule your own San Diego knee surgery, please contact the experts here today.

Newer Posts

Older Posts

CLASSIC LIST

Can Rigid Leg Forms Prevent Knee Surgery?

Your Guide to San Diego Knee Surgery

Effective Folk Remedies for Knee Pain

Are Stem Cells An Alternative to Knee Surgery?

Challenges of Sports Medicine on Display in Sochi

New Research on the Lasting Benefits of Shoulder Surgery

Some Great Stretches for Elbow Pain

Simple Exercises to Help Prevent Shoulder Surgery

Minimize Knee Pain When Descending Stairs

The Knee Surgery Conundrum

How Acupuncture Can Help With Fibromyalgia Pain

ACL Reconstruction Surgery in San Diego

Fibromyalgia and Chiropractic

Physical Therapy and Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia – More than Just Aches and Pains

Quick Links