The majority of American adults have experienced knee pain at some point in their lives, and many live with chronic knee pain. Fortunately, exercise and physical therapy have been proven to be just as effective as surgery for relief from osteoarthritis-related knee pain. Strengthening and stretching key muscles can help you to prolong your knee health and to relieve your chronic knee pain.
The majority of American adults have experienced knee pain at some point in their lives, and many live with chronic knee pain. Fortunately, exercise and physical therapy have been proven to be just as effective as surgery for relief from osteoarthritis-related knee pain. Strengthening and stretching key muscles can help you to prolong your knee health and to relieve your chronic knee pain.
Stretch the Muscles That Support Your Knees
Sitting for the majority of the day can cause many of your muscles in your legs and hips to atrophy or become imbalanced. When that happens, your hamstrings and hip abductors (the muscles in your inner thigh) can end up overworking to compensate, which in turn creates compressive force on the knee joint. You can alleviate the resulting pain by stretching out these supportive muscles so that they loosen up. Your sports medicine specialist can teach you the stretches you need to know and provide you with an appropriate stretching regimen.
Tone Your Core
Abdominal weakness is a leading cause of knee pain. When your abdomen, or core, is weak, it allows your pelvis to tilt forward, which in turn causes your lower back to curve excessively and shifts the leg bones inward. Strengthening your core will help to keep your back in the appropriate position and place your knees where they need to be to move without joint compression. There are many ways to improve your core strength, including pilates, yoga, planking, kickboxing or exercising with a ball. We can help you find a core routine that is both fun and easy for you to stick with.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Being overweight makes you significantly more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis. The extra body weight adds strain to your knee joints and decreases the strength of your knee muscles. Research has shown that decreasing your weight by 10 percent will improve your knee function by as much as 28 percent. Reducing your weight and maintaining a healthy weight requires a lifelong commitment to exercise and a balanced diet. You can begin to do low-impact exercises like water aerobics, using an elliptical trainer or cycling without adding impact to your knees.
Avoid High Heels
While you undoubtedly look great in your favorite pair of heels, they can increase the compressive force on your knee joints by up to 23 percent and tighten your calf muscles, both of which are likely to cause you knee pain. Tight calves pull your feet into a position called “pronation,” where the arch of the foot collapses and the lower leg rolls inward. This position places additional stress on your knees and ankles. Instead of wearing high heels, get a cute pair of flats and let your calves stretch.
Occupational Therapist
General Summary
An exempt position responsible for helping patients improve their ability to perform tasks in their daily living and working environments. Patients may have conditions that are mentally, physically, developmentally or emotionally disabling.
Essential Job Responsibilities
1. Assesses patients and develops treatment plans in collaboration with physicians and other clinicians.
2. Assists patients to develop, recover, or maintain daily living and work skills. Helps patients to improve their basic motor functions and reasoning ability and to compensate for any permanent loss of function to reach the goal of having independent, productive, and satisfying lives.
3. Helps patients in performing a variety of activities from operating a computer to dealing with daily needs such as dressing cooking, and eating.
4. Assists with patients with exercises that increase strength and dexterity, visual acuity, and the ability to discern patterns.
5. Uses variety of equipment during treatment including computer programs to help patients improve decision making, abstract reasoning, problem solving, perceptual skills, memory, sequencing, and coordination to aid in independent living.
6. Teaches patients, particularly those with permanent disabilities such as spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy, in the use of adaptive equipment including wheelchairs, orthotics, and aids for eating and dressing.
7. Follows medical practice policies related to compliance, safety, and infection control. Documents patient treatment and outcomes in medical record.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from accredited school plus master’s degree in field. Current state occupational therapist license, successful completion of national certification examination. Current CPR certificate.
Experience
Minimum two years of experience, preferably in clinic setting.
Performance Requirements Knowledge
1. Knowledge of occupational therapy principles, standards and applications.
2. Knowledge of physical, biological, and behavioral sciences as well as application of occupational therapy equipment, devices, and patient-specific therapeutic devices. Understanding of how to modify equipment as needed.
3. Knowledge of clinic policies and regulations related to infection control, safety. And quality improvement.
Abilities
1. Ability to collaborate with patients, families, and employers to modify workplace or home environment in line with patient’s condition, including identification of environmental factors and hazards.
2. Ability to communicate with patients and families in caring and compassionate manner to encourage behavioral changes.
3. Ability to analyze patient data and behavior and modify treatment plan as appropriate.
Skills
1. Skill in evaluating and treating patients.
2. Kill in proper use of occupational therapy equipment and devices.
3. Skill in assessing and recording patient activities and progress.
Equipment Operated
Variety of therapeutic equipment including wheelchairs, orthotics, and aids for activities of daily living. Computer hardware and software for record keeping.
Work environment
Medical office and exam room settings. May also require visits to patient homes and workplaces. Exposure to communicable diseases, biohazards, and conditions related to clinic setting.
Mental/Physical Requirements
Involves standing, sitting, walking, bending, stooping, and twisting. Must be able to transport/ transfer patient safely. Occasional need to lift/ carry and move equipment and supplies weighing up to 50+ pounds. Some stress related to dealing with concerns of patients and families.
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Physical Therapist
General Summary
An exempt position responsible for rehabilitating persons with physical disabilities. Patients include accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions such as back pain, arthritis, and fractures. May specialize in orthopedics and sports medicine.
Essential Job Responsibilities
1. Helps to restore physical function, improve mobility, relieve pain and prevent permanent disability. Assists in restoring, maintaining, and promoting overall fitness and health.
2. Examines patients’ medical histories. Tests and measures patients’ strength, range of motion, balance and coordination, posture, muscle performance, respiration, and motor function.
3. Determines patients’ ability to be independent and reintegrate into the workplace or community after injury or illness.
4. Develops plans describing a treatment strategy, its purposes, and its anticipated outcome. Plan often includes exercise regimens at the clinic and at home to increase flexibility, strength, or endurance. May use the electrical stimulation, hot packs, cold compresses and ultrasound to relive pain and reduce swelling.
5. Teaches patients how to use assistive and adaptive devices such as crutches, prosthesis, and wheelchairs.
6. Documents patients’ progress, conducts periodic examinations, and modifies treatments with emphasis on identification of areas requiring more/ less attention.
Education Bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from an accredited program; successful competition of clinical internship. Master’s degree in physical therapy preferred.
Experience
Minimum two years of experience as a physical therapist, preferably in a clinic setting. Current state physical therapist license. Current CPR certificate.
Performance Requirements Knowledge
1. Knowledge of basic science including biology, chemistry, and physics as well as biomechanics, neuroanatomy, and disease manifestations.
2. Knowledge of medical practice policies/ procedures, regulations, safety/ injection control, and quality assurance requirements.
3. Knowledge of examination techniques and therapeutic procedures.
Abilities
1. Ability to effectively communicate interpersonally in order to educate patients about their physical therapy treatments.
2. Ability to demonstrate compassion and desire to help patients.
3. Ability to analyze data and modify treatment plans as appropriate.
Skills
1. Skill in appropriate evaluation and treatment of patients including hands-on procedures such as deep-tissue massage.
2. Skill in using physical therapy equipment by consistently using devices appropriately to improve patient health status.
3. Skill in effectively maintaining equipment; successful completion of related competency testing.
Equipment Operated
Often demonstrates and helps patients use assistive and adaptive devices such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, and canes. Operates physical therapy equipment such as ultrasound, traction, and electrical stimulation.
Work environment
Medical office, exam rooms, and specially equipped therapy facilities. Exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances and biohazards.
Mental/Physical Requirements
Often have to stoop, kneel, crouch, lift, and stand for long periods. Frequently move heavy equipment, lift patients or help them turn, stand or walk. Occasionally must be able to lift and carry 50+ pounds. Periodic stress from workload or anxious patients.
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How To Treat Sports Injuries
Because every injury is unique, our orthopedic surgeons in Jacksonville always recommend that you come in for any sports-related injury; however, there is a typical process you are likely to encounter as we work to heal your body.
Non-surgical Treatments for Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain can be highly debilitating and limit you greatly in your daily activities. While some shoulder injuries may require surgery, there are several non-surgical treatment options that have been shown to be effective for improving shoulder pain.
As you would with other types of injuries, try to rest the affected shoulder and to use an ice pack to reduce any potential swelling or inflammation in the first couple of days after the injury. After this, if the pain still remains, see your doctor or a sports medicine expert or physical therapist as soon as possible since early intervention is always associated with better treatment outcomes.
What Exercises Are Good for Knee and Hip Arthritis?
Up to one in four people will develop symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hip, and almost one in two people will develop arthritis in the knee during their lifetime. Furthermore, in obese individuals, symptomatic knee arthritis affects every two out of three people. These numbers are startling and truly emphasize the need to lead a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce the risk of getting arthritis in the first place as well as to improve the associated symptoms once arthritis has developed.
Do You Have an Ankle Fracture? What’s Next?
In addition to being caused by serious events such as falling, being injured while playing sports or being in a car accident, fractured ankles are commonly caused by something so seemingly insignificant as twisting or rolling your ankle. While some fractures, especially those only involving one of the ankle bones (namely the tibia, fibula or talus), may not stop you from walking and carrying out your usual everyday tasks, others may have serious effects and prohibit you from even putting weight on the foot.
All About Back Surgery
Whether or not to have back surgery can be a difficult choice. While it is definitely not right for everyone, in some cases, it may be the best or even the only option.
In general, back surgery is considered only when all other non-surgical options have failed. In fact, in the majority of cases, back surgery is not needed, and most back issues can be resolved by medication, massage therapy, physiotherapy or even chiropractic care. However, in a subset of chronic or severe cases, back surgery may be warranted.
Gate River Run 2014
Gate River Run 2014
Southeast Orthopedic Specialists is proud to again sponsor the Gate River Run! Your premier orthopedic group will continue to be your source for training tips, nutrition information and race day insight.
Catch us every Thursday morning starting January 30th on WJXT Channel 4 for your inside scoop on how to get ready for the big event OR visit with our physicians in person at the upcoming 1st Place Sports Running and Injury Prevention Tips lecture series (see below for dates). Train hard and stay safe – we are looking forward to see you at another fantastic Gate River Run event!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2014
Time: 9:15 am – 10:00 am
Location: 1st Place Sports, 2186 Park Ave, Ste. 101, Orange Park, FL 32073
Event: Dr. Stephan Esser reviews helpful running tips, stretching techniques, and advise for the competitive runner.
Date: Thursday, March 6, 2014
Time: 5:45 pm – 6:30 pm
Location: 1st Place Sports, 4870 Big Island Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Event: Dr. Kevin Murphy addresses common running injuries and helpful recommendations for getting back on course.
RUNNING SAFETY TIPS
Most tips are common sense, but it is always good to hear them and enforce them (especially if you are new to running). It’s important to remember that while you are running you should always be aware of your surroundings. Therefore, take away the following distractions:
- Don’t wear headphones. You can’t hear horns, cyclists, or the footsteps of someone coming up behind you.
- Avoid running with animals. While this is good for you and your dog, it can distract you from your surroundings.
General safety rules for the road:
- Always run against traffic. The best way to prevent an accident is to be able to see the cars coming towards you. This means running on the side of the road or sidewalk while facing traffic.
- Be aware of stopped cars on the road. Wait for them to turn and don’t assume they can see you.
- Make yourself visible. Never assume others can see you. Wear bright clothes, reflectors, wear a running light, and stay in well lit areas if you are running in the dark.
- Be aware of pot holes, elevation changes, and curbs. They are all ways you can hurt yourself.
- Try to never run alone. There are running groups all over town for all paces and distances. Try 1st Place Sports – they offer a running group at every store location. Or you can try using a treadmill on days you don’t have a group to run with. However, if you must run alone, do the following:- Run during the day in a well populated area you are familiar with
– Always tell someone where you are going and the route you are taking
– Carry your ID
PROPER HYDRATION AND NUTRITION TIPS
Hydration and proper nutrition are integral in the performance of any athletic activity, especially with running. It is the single biggest issue that could affect your race day performance. Proper hydration prevents cramps, fatigue, dehydration, and heat illness. Additionally, just because it may not be hot outside does not mean you won’t become dehydrated. Common causes of dehydration are:
- Inadequate fluid intake
- Failure to replace fluids before, during, and after activities
- Drinking only when thirsty
- Exercising in hot or dry weather
General rules for hydration are:
- Avoid alcohol leading up to the race.
- Drink early, daily, and often. Consume water and/or low calorie fluids throughout the day.
- Sports drinks help replace lost sodium during and after runs.
- Drink 8 ounces of fluid every hour. Make water at least half of your daily intake.
Poor nutrition for runners leads to poor performance, general fatigue, the feeling of being weighed down during runs, gastrointestinal distress, and cramps.
General rules for diet are:
- Carbohydrates should make up 60-65% of your caloric intake. Whole grain pasta, steamed or boiled brown rice, potatoes, fruits, starchy vegetables, and whole grain breads should be the types of carbs you consume.
- Protein should make up 15-20% of your caloric intake. Consume lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy products, poultry, whole grains, and beans. These are the healthiest for you.
- Fat should make up 20-25% of your caloric intake. This does not mean cupcakes and pizza! Eat items low in saturated fat and cholesterol such as nuts, oils, and cold-water fish.
- Eat multiple smalls meals throughout the day. Do this in replace of three large meals in a day.
- Focus on unprocessed foods. Again, your primary resources for consumption should be whole grains, fish, lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. These products will provide essential nutrients, fuel your workouts properly, and aid in your post-run recovery. Minimize the amount of processed foods you eat such as refined grains, frozen dinners, and fast-food.
The easiest way to know whether or not you are staying hydrated and maintaining proper nutrition is to keep a daily log of your fluid intake, meals, and snacks. You should also consult your nutritionist or primary care provider.
TRAINING TRICKS
Getting rid of cramps
The best way to get rid of cramps is to try not to get them in the first place through proper hydration and nutrition. However, if you do find yourself with cramping discomfort, try the following:
- Stretch the muscle that is cramping
– If the back of your leg is cramping, stretch your hamstrings
– If the back of your lower leg is cramping, stretch your calf
– If you have a side stitch, side-bend your trunk away from the side that is cramping - Massage the area until it resolves
- Ice the area afterwards
Only 30 minutes to run
Shorter, faster runs are great when you are in a time crunch. Use these ideas if you are caught with only a short window to get in your training for the day!
- Shorten your run and increase your speed. For instance, if you have been running 5 miles at an 11 minute pace, in a time crunch instead run 3 miles at a 10 minute pace
- Try a progression run. Start with a light jog and increase in intensity and speed as the jog progresses. You can do this as a 2-3 mile run – light jog for a mile, normal pace for a mile, and increase speed for a mile.
Rainy or inclement weather
If you have access to a treadmill or elliptical, rain or inclement weather is one of the best times to use it. You can also cross train by swimming laps in an indoor pool or utilize a stationary bike. Yoga or Pilates is also a great alternative to running. These classes will help get your heart rate up, work your muscles, strengthen your core, and keep/increase your flexibility.
Sick a week before the race
If you find yourself with a minor illness or injury, back off of your training and let the symptoms resolve. It is best to miss a couple of days of training than to risk becoming sicker or prolonging the issue into race day. For minor injuries, use the RICE principle (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate). Return to jogging/training following symptom resolution. But remember, when in doubt on an illness or injury, consult your primary care physician first!
