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Researchers at the University of Nebraska have recently uncovered a link between menopause and a larger decline in physical functionality in women who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

What the Study Uncovered Regarding Rheumatoid Arthritis and Menopause

In the study published in Rheumatology, University of Nebraska scientists surveyed 8,189 women who had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis prior to entering menopause. The researchers’ aim was to discover if there is a link between menopause and decline in function in women with rheumatoid arthritis.

After controlling for other variables in the study participants’ health backgrounds that could also contribute to functional decline, the University of Nebraska researchers found that the premenopausal women in the study experienced markedly less decline in physical function as compared to postmenopausal women. Furthermore, the study revealed that women who had used hormone replacement therapy, been pregnant and had longer reproductive lives generally experienced less decline in function.

Other Hormonal Factors Can Influence Functional Decline in Those with Rheumatoid Arthritis

The findings of the University of Nebraska study support past studies that have shown that hormonal and reproductive events can influence functional decline in women with rheumatoid arthritis. For example, past research has revealed that pregnancy reduces the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but the postpartum period following pregnancy is associated with increased development of the disease and decline in function.

Researchers were careful to note that the exact reasons why menopause leads to greater loss of physical function in women with rheumatoid arthritis were not made clear by their study, and the lead scientist indicated that further research is necessary to understand the best ways to maintain function following menopause for women with rheumatoid arthritis.

If you are experiencing a decline in your physical function and have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the orthopedic doctors at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists may be able to help. Our regenerative medicine practice includes therapies such as stem cell injections that can help restore function.

Study Reveals Risk Factor for Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Researchers at the University of Nebraska have recently uncovered a link between menopause and a larger decline in physical functionality in women who have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

What the Study Uncovered Regarding Rheumatoid Arthritis and Menopause

In the study published in Rheumatology, University of Nebraska scientists surveyed 8,189 women who had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis prior to entering menopause. The researchers’ aim was to discover if there is a link between menopause and decline in function in women with rheumatoid arthritis.

After controlling for other variables in the study participants’ health backgrounds that could also contribute to functional decline, the University of Nebraska researchers found that the premenopausal women in the study experienced markedly less decline in physical function as compared to postmenopausal women. Furthermore, the study revealed that women who had used hormone replacement therapy, been pregnant and had longer reproductive lives generally experienced less decline in function.

Other Hormonal Factors Can Influence Functional Decline in Those with Rheumatoid Arthritis

The findings of the University of Nebraska study support past studies that have shown that hormonal and reproductive events can influence functional decline in women with rheumatoid arthritis. For example, past research has revealed that pregnancy reduces the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but the postpartum period following pregnancy is associated with increased development of the disease and decline in function.

Researchers were careful to note that the exact reasons why menopause leads to greater loss of physical function in women with rheumatoid arthritis were not made clear by their study, and the lead scientist indicated that further research is necessary to understand the best ways to maintain function following menopause for women with rheumatoid arthritis.

If you are experiencing a decline in your physical function and have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, the orthopedic doctors at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists may be able to help. Our regenerative medicine practice includes therapies such as stem cell injections that can help restore function.

The Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Training for Sports

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There are two different types of exercise that people can do, whether most of them realize it or not. The two different types of exercise are aerobic and anaerobic. These two types of exercise serve two different purposes and can help people achieve different goals as well.

What is Aerobic Exercise?

Aerobic exercise is what is commonly referred to as cardio. To break that down further, it is exercise that requires the body to use oxygenated blood to work the lung muscles and other muscles in the body. It is something that stimulated the breathing and heart rate. Some examples of aerobic exercises include running, hiking, dancing, kickboxing, swimming, and even using cardio machines. However, any aerobic activity can turn into an anaerobic activity if it is performed at too high of a level or intensity. Aerobic exercise is something that can improve the physical health of a person as well as emotional health. Additionally, it can help prevent or reduce the chance of getting some cancers, diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease.

What is Anaerobic Exercise?

Anaerobic exercise is characterized by exercising without oxygen. It is a type of exercise that makes a person become quickly out of breath. It is a high intensity type of workout where the result is that the body is needing more oxygen than there is available in the body. One of the major differences between this type of exercise and aerobic exercise is that this one relies on the energy sources that are stored in the muscles of the body instead of on the oxygen in the air. Some examples of this type of exercise include sprinting and even lifting heavy weights. The benefit of this type of exercise is that it can be used to increase the strength of the body.

Contact An Orthopedic Today

If you do get injured, especially with an injury to your joints, muscles, or bones, it is important to get the right help to get you back to your training regimen as soon as possible. Contact us today to make an appointment with our orthopedic.

What’s the Difference Between a Slipped Disc and a Herniated Disc?

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The terms “slipped disc” and “herniated disc” are often used interchangeably. This leaves some patients feeling confused. Understanding these terms and what they mean can help you understand your spine and your spine health. If you’re suffering from either of these conditions, knowing how they can affect your spine health can also help you get the treatment you need to heal.

What are Spinal Discs?

The discs in your spine provide cushion between the vertebrae, helping your spine to maintain flexibility. Each disc is comprised of hard cartilage on the outside and a softer center on the inside.

What is a herniated disc?

A herniated disc occurs when the outer edges of the disc begin to crack, causing the soft interior to bulge out. This herniation can cause the disc to protrude from the tough casing that surrounds the spine, leading to pain, numbness and tingling.

What does it mean if a spinal disc has slipped?

Technically, spinal discs can’t slip out of place. However, this term can be used to describe a herniated disc, and is sometimes used to describe a bulging disc.

What is a bulging disc?

As people age, spinal discs start to stiffen and bulge from the spinal column. A bulging disc is one that has flattened slightly, so that the edges of the disc protrude farther than it should. A bulging disc can be painful, but is typically not as painful as a herniated disc. Patients suffering from a bulging disc may also have trouble walking, experience a feeling of heaviness in the legs and may feel tingling.

What can you do if you’re suffering from a herniated or bulging disc?

If you’re suffering from either of these conditions, work with a spine specialist to get treatment. At Southeast Orthopedic Specialists, our orthopedic surgeons provide natural treatment to patients suffering from conditions like a slipped disc. To get started, contact your spine specialist today at (904) 634-0640.

Maintaining a Healthy Spine Through Good Foods

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Maintaining a healthy spine can prevent back pain and uncomfortable chronic conditions. One of the ways that you can maintain a healthy spine is by eating the right foods. Knowing which foods to eat can help you keep up a healthy diet.

Eat Foods High in Calcium

Calcium is one of the most well-known minerals to positively affect bone health. Calcium is best obtained through natural sources, like through the foods you eat. Consuming calcium-rich foods can help prevent osteoporosis and can also help strengthen the bones in the back. For older adults, 1,000 mg of calcium is enough to help keep the back healthy. There are many foods that contain calcium, including:

  • Yogurt
  • Milk
  • Cheese
  • Figs
  • Green beans
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Almonds

Some adults take in calcium through supplements and vitamins, but taking in calcium through food sources is better.

Lose Weight Through Healthy Foods

Excess weight can put a lot of pressure on the vertebrae, which can eventually lead to back pain and disc degeneration. To control weight gain and maintain a healthy BMI, eat a balanced diet of healthy foods, including:

  • Lean meat (6 ounces daily)
  • Fish (every day or every other day)
  • Olive oil (daily)
  • Nuts (daily)
  • Raw or steamed vegetables (daily)

Limit your intake of trans fats, empty calories, candy, cookies and carbohydrates.

Avoid Nightshade Plants

Nightshade plants (tomatoes and eggplant, for example) are known to contribute to inflammation, which can lead to an increase in pain and discomfort. To avoid problems, cut back your consumption of nightshade plants, then watch to see if your pain goes away. If reducing or eliminating nightshade plants from your diet does nothing to help your pain, then nightshades may not be the source of your problem.

Work With Your Orthopedic Specialists

If you’re struggling to maintain spine health and would like to improve your spine strength and flexibility, contact your orthopedic surgeons at Southeast Orthopedic Specialists. We help patients manage their pain and avoid back discomfort. Contact us today at (904) 634-0640.

The Most Popular Treatment Option for Scoliosis

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If you have scoliosis, you’re probably searching for which treatment option is right for you. Should you opt for surgery? Or perhaps there’s an alternative to surgery you should consider?

What Are the Treatment Options for Scoliosis?

The treatment options available for your scoliosis will depend on the severity of the curve in your spine, as well as your age, health and physical condition. However, if your spine is skeletally mature and the curve is more than 45 degrees, generally, surgery is your only option.

Spinal fusion is the most commonly recommended type of surgery for severe scoliosis. With this surgery, it’s possible you could be back to enjoying all your normal daily activities after a few short months. Your orthopedic surgeon will be able to give you more specific details based on your particular situation.

Who Should I Contact If I Need a Spine Specialist?

If you have or suspect you have, scoliosis and would like more information about your options, please Contact Us today. Southeast Orthopedic Specialists has 14 board-certified orthopedic physicians on staff and we offer cutting-edge care in all six of our state-of-the-art Jacksonville, Florida locations.

The Pros and Cons of Scoliosis Surgery

When you have severe scoliosis, and your orthopedic surgeon has scheduled surgery, you might be wondering what the pros and cons of such a surgery might be.

Pros of Scoliosis Surgery:

  • It will stop your spinal curve from getting worse.
  • It will reduce your rib’s prominence and reduce any spinal deformities that are present.

Cons of Scoliosis Surgery:

  • Complications, as with any surgery, could occur. Such issues could include infection, damage to the nerves, loss of blood and/or bowel and bladder problems.
  • You could also experience loss of spinal balance and there’s a possibility that your bones won’t heal or fuse properly.

Any Non-Operative Options for Treating Scoliosis?

There is only one non-operative option for treating scoliosis and that is bracing. If your spine has a curve of 25 to 40 degrees, and your body is still growing, the spine specialist will probably recommend you wear a brace to see if that will keep your scoliosis from getting worse while your body continues to grow.

Does Calcium Intake Help Bone Health?

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You have probably heard more than once in your life that digesting calcium is good for bone health. Making sure that you have calcium in your diet is essential to keeping your bones strong and healthy. Even though you have heard it for most or all of your life, it is still true.

So What is Calcium?

Calcium is a mineral and it is the most important mineral when it comes to your bone health. In the body, it is found mostly in bones and in teeth. In fact, it is the most abundant mineral that is found in the body. It is recommended that adults consume three servings every day of calcium-rich foods. 

How Does Calcium Help Our Bones?

If calcium is already in our body, why do we need to continue to consume it? Essentially, it is what keeps our bones strong and the calcium that is currently in your body will not stay there forever. In fact, our bodies are always removing small amounts of calcium from our bones in the body. If we do not continue to consume calcium-rich foods, then that calcium cannot be replaced as part of the bone remodeling process. Your bones will become weaker and will be more prone to breaking if the calcium that is removed is not replaced.

What Are Some Calcium-Rich Foods?

If you are looking to add some calcium into your diet, you need to know what to eat. Milk is the most popular form of calcium but it is not the only food that you can consume in order to add it to your diet. Other options include kale, yogurt, broccoli, sardines, cheese, bok choy, watercress and more.

Contact Southeast Orthopedic Specialists

You should try out a few different things to find the right addition to your diet. If you need some help finding the right foods or would like to have your bones checked out, be sure to contact us today.

You Don’t Have to Live with Sciatica

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The Sciatic nerve is the largest in your body, so when there is something wrong with it, there is bound to be some pain. The actual nerve starts out in the lower spine, goes into the buttock, to the back of the thigh and keeps going down to the foot. Unfortunately, this means sciatica pain can do the same thing. When it’s not causing you pain, however, the sciatic nerve serves an important purpose, and helps the spinal cord maintain communication with your leg and foot muscles and dictates reflexes.

Why Sciatica Pain Happens

As with any pain, one of the first steps in dealing with sciatica pain is to understand where it comes from so that you can work to reverse the effects and reduce or eliminate the pain. In most cases of sciatica, the sciatic nerve has somehow become compressed, causing sciatic or lumbar radiculopathy. In most cases, it is a particular nerve root in the spine that is effected by a herniated disc, which reduces or eliminates the natural cushioning in that area of the spine. A stress fracture, narrowing of the spinal canal after age 60, or joint problems may also contribute to sciatica pain. 

Once the pain hits the sciatic nerve, it makes its way down the lower extremities. In addition to back pain and leg pain, other types of discomfort, including tingling, numbness, burning, or a prickly sensation may be felt as well. The pain itself is normally sharp in nature, rather than dull, and feels worse when standing or sitting still and lessens if you walk around.

Treating Sciatica Pain

When sciatica pain becomes severe, some health care providers will go as far as suggesting strong medications, such as epidural steroid injections, or narcotic muscle relaxants in order to alleviate the pain, and many patients follow cultural instincts when pain begins and grab a dose of over the counter medicine, such as ibuprofen when they start to feel their back pain travel into their legs. These methods can have long term negative effects, however, and many seek out alternatives that can be just as effective while carrying fewer risks.

  1. Heat and Ice. When sciatica pain happens only occasionally, applying heat and ice packs may be enough to get the pain under control. Alternating between applying ice and heat is beneficial for many people, although some prefer one method over the other. In either case, it is important to have a barrier, such as a towel to prevent burns.
  2. Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation. Spinal manipulation by a skilled chiropractor can help to improve spinal alignment and correct many of the root causes of sciatic pain.
  3. Acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient treatment method designed to balance the body’s energy by inserting very thin needles into the skin near the pain source.
  4. Massage Therapy. Massage therapy can help improve pain by improving circulation, relaxing muscles, and releasing endorphins.

Surgical Options

In some cases, other methods are attempted unsuccessfully, and orthopedic surgery becomes necessary to treat chronic sciatica pain. At Southeast Orthopedic Specialists in Jacksonville, Middleburg, Vendra Beach and Orange Park, Florida our orthopedic doctors and specialists will look at the specifics of what is going on with your sciatica pain and help you find the right path to long term relief. If you are experiencing sciatica pain, let us help you get to the root of the problem. Contact us at 904-634-0640 to make an appointment and the location that is best for you.

What to Know and How to Prepare For an ACL Reconstruction

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The anterior cruciate ligament is commonly abbreviated to ACL. This ligament is located within the knee joint, between the thigh bone and the shin bone. This ligament is primarily responsible for stabilizing the knee. in an ACL injury, the ligament most often is torn. This condition can cause the knees to buckle unexpectedly, or even prevent standing or walking altogether.

Who Gets ACL Injuries?

Although anyone can tear an ACL, this type of injury most often occurs during sports involving certain kinds of movement. The movements most likely to lead to a torn ACL include stopping suddenly, and/or suddenly reversing direction. As such sports most likely to lead to a torn ACL are soccer, football, tennis, basketball and even golf.

What is an ACL Reconstruction?

In an ACL reconstruction, done by orthopedic specialists, the ligament is reconstructed using tissue from your body or a donor. The torn tissue will be removed, then the surgeon will use the autograph tissue to reconstruct the ligament. This tissue is grafted onto the bone with screws where it will eventually become part of the new ligament. ACL reconstruction is widely accepted to be an effective treatment for a torn knee ligament, and most patients recover fully.

How to Prepare For an ACL Reconstruction?

When your orthopedic specialist has recommended ACL reconstruction, you’ll need to prepare for the procedure. You’ll need to do some physical therapy in order to reduce the internal swelling and inflammation as much as possible before surgery. Although you will likely be fully anesthetized for your ACL reconstruction surgery, the process can be painful when you wake up. You’ll need to prepare yourself for discomfort, since pain medication can only be taken on a limited basis.

You’ll also need help getting home from the hospital as well as when you’re at home recovering from the surgery. Be prepared to stay off the knee according to your doctor’s post-surgery instructions. Time off work will also be a necessity so plan ahead for that.

Although ACL reconstruction is major surgery, your chances for a complete recovery are very high. For a free consultation about your knee issues or ACL reconstruction, contact us today.

​How Orthopedic Health Conditions Are Affecting Baby Boomers​

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Of all the health conditions that grow more common with age, few are more widespread than orthopedic issues. Impacting your body’s musculoskeletal system, these conditions are often not life-threatening, but bring significant pain and mobility issues. A large and growing number of baby boomers must deal with orthopedic issues, particularly:

Arthritis

Marked by pain and swelling of the joints, arthritis is one of the most common orthopedic diseases. Doctors divide arthritis into different categories based on where and how it affects the body. The most widespread type is osteoarthritis, which affects knees, hips and other load-bearing joints. Arthritis is incurable, but it can be managed through a combination of pain and anti-inflammatory medications, massage therapy and applied heat and cold.

Knee Issues

Baby boomers often see the cartilage in their knees diminish. This leads to pain, stiffness and limited mobility. To solve this problem, your orthopedic specialist can give you a knee replacement, which involves capping your knee’s joint with metal and plastic to relieve pain and expand motion.

Hip Issues

Arthritis and other orthopedic conditions strain your hips, causing serious pain and making walking more difficult. To relieve this pain, baby boomers are turning to hip replacements. This involves placing an artificial joint on your hip, which gives you more mobility.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

A condition that affects the nerves in your wrist, this problem causes weakness, numbing, pain and swelling in your hands. Your likelihood of developing it increases as you age, making baby boomers highly vulnerable to this condition. Many who suffer from carpal tunnel turn to orthopedic surgery in order to cure it.

As an orthopedic specialist with extensive experience serving baby boomers, Southeast Orthopedic Specialists offers solutions for these and all other conditions in Northeast Florida. For more information, visit our website today.

The Difference Between Hip Replacement and Hip Resurfacing

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Are you considering a hip replacement? Then you will need to locate a Jacksonville orthopedic surgeon for a consultation. But first, you need to understand the difference between a hip replacement and hip resurfacing before you can determine which procedure is best for you.

What is a Hip Replacement?

A hip replacement is a medical procedure performed by orthopedic surgeons. With this procedure, an orthopedic doctor will replace the painful hip joint and replace it with an artificial one. Hip replacement surgery can be done as a full replacement or a half hip joint replacement. A hip replacement is generally recommended for those with a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain, stiffness and swelling in the hip.

What is Hip Resurfacing?

Hip resurfacing is similar to a hip replacement except the hip joint is relined rather than being completely replaced like it is in a hip replacement surgery. Hip resurfacing helps provide the patient with a more active and better quality of life because it preserves as much of the natural bone as possible and only replaces the damaged bone and cartilage in the socket.

Your orthopedic doctor will determine if you are a candidate for hip resurfacing. Generally, candidates for this type of surgery are under 60 and have strong, healthy bones. Hip resurfacing surgery (HRS) can help with mild to moderate pain from osteoarthritis if it’s done before any major bone damage has occurred. This surgery is usually an overnight procedure and most people are up and walking within four hours of having the surgery.

The Advantages of Hip Resurfacing

There are many advantages of hip resurfacing, such as:

  • It preserves the femoral neck and femoral canal and minimizes bone removal while using a smaller implant.
  • It’s a smaller device which results in a more rapid recovery.
  • There is minimal bone removal.
  • Fewer chances of dislocation.

What’s Next?

If you would like more information about hip resurfacing, please Contact Southeast Orthopedic Specialists today.

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