Orthopedics Medicine & Health Pages
Are Osteoporosis Drugs Killing Your Jaw?
By Dr. Gifford Jones
Several weeks ago I reported on a new revolutionary way to fight osteoporosis. This year astronauts will use the technique when they take the “Juvent Dynamic Motion Therapy Platform (DMT) to the space station. It’s a non-drug method of preventing astronauts from developing brittle bones in a weightless atmosphere. I didn’t realize at the time I wrote that it would also prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw, now linked to current drugs for treatment of osteoporosis.
New Space-Age Way To Treat OsteoporosisBy Dr. Gifford Jones
In 2007 what will astronauts take to the space station? I’m sure we would name the things necessary to sustain life in outer space. But I doubt if many would know they will be packing the “Juvent 1000 Dynamic Motion Therapy (DMT) Platform” in the space shuttle. And how many are aware of Wolff’s Law? Now, through the space research of NASA, patients have an alternative non-drug way to fight the ravages of osteoporosis (brittle bones).
Astronauts face major problems during space travel. One of the most severe is the loss of bone tissue. In a weightless atmosphere, without the earth’s gravitational pressure, astronauts lose two percent of their bone mass every month.
Sharks Take A Bite Out of Joint PainBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Every year in coastal regions of the U.S. 1,500 people are killed by lightning and only 12 by sharks. During that same time worldwide, more people are killed by elephants, crocodiles and insect stings than sharks. Yet, sharks get the scary headlines. So it’s time to give sharks some credit when they’re responsible for a medication that’s taking a big bite out of bone and joint pain.
Today it’s refreshing to see a Canadian company surviving when many are lost to international corporations. But Technologies Inc of Edmonton has bucked this trend by innovative research. Now, they’ve developed a new remedy CELL-fx” to help fight the onset of osteoarthritis and relieving symptoms of bone and joint pain.
Baby Boomers : Medical Problems Waiting To HappenBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Interested in another sure way to make money? Several months ago I suggested investing in hearing aids. I predicted that today’s teenagers would be tomorrow’s deaf from the excessive noise created by I Pods and rock bands. Now there’s another sure-fire way to become rich, rich, rich.
Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a Philadelphia orthopedic surgeon, has added a new word to the English language. Baby boomers, he said, are the first generation to preach the virtues of staying active and also to practice what they preach. But being obsessed with exercise has come at a price. Large numbers have developed “Boomeritis”. They’ve become banged up baby boomers.
Natural Ways To Ease The Arthritis Pain of AgingBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“Why are you taking drugs when you haven’t tried natural ways to ease the pain of arthritis?” I often ask patients. I remind them they’re not swallowing M and M candy, but powerful drugs that can cause major complications. Moreover, they forget that many natural drugs can be used to not only treat, but also prevent wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) that comes with age.
Vitamin C is the most overlooked natural remedy. Osteoarthritis is chiefly an impairment of cartilage and when it’s diminished by age, bones grind against one another causing pain. The secret is to keep cartilage healthy. A prime way is with adequate amounts of vitamin C, which is needed to manufacture collagen, an important ingredient of cartilage.
Single Injection Relieves Arthritis Joint Pain For MonthsBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“What can I do to relieve the pain in my knee?”, a patient recently asked me. She had been treated by cortisone injections, Celebrex and others medications and it was still impossible to walk without pain. But there is a less known way to treat this disabling condition.
A recent report from the World Health Organization claims that osteoarthritis of the knee is the fourth cause of disability in women and the eighth most important one for men. Currently this disease affects 10 percent of those over 55 years of age and 25 percent suffer severe disability. And it’s no fun to suffer from osteoarthritis, to know that every step of the day will be painful. Or become impossible.
Helpless Without Epinephrine KitBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“Why are you using, Celebrex a oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), to treat arthritis of your knee when a safer medication Pennsaid is available? There’s also a report from Boston that will also help to ease your pain.” It’s advice I recently gave to my tennis partner.
Several years ago in my book, “The Healthy Barmaid” I told the story of a patient whose arthritic fingers were improved by playing the piano. For years I’ve been convinced that many people would not require hip and knee replacements if they used their legs more.
Relieving Pain By Low Intensity Laser TherapyBy Dr. Gifford Jones
What can you do if you’ve tried every conceivable way to relieve pain? You’ve been treated by anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone, painkillers, physiotherapy, massage and finally, surgery. Yet the pain continues unabated. A technique, known as “Low Intensity Laser Therapy” (LILT) could be the answer.
Dr. Fred Kahn is Director of the Meditech Laser and Rehabilitation Centre in Toronto, and a specialist in pain control. He believes in curing the pain by curing the cause. I’ve talked to several of his patients about how LILT eased their pain and changed their lives.
Single Injection Relieves Arthritis Joint Pain For MonthsBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“What can I do to relieve the pain in my knee?”, a patient recently asked me. She had been treated by cortisone injections, Celebrex and others medications and it was still impossible to walk without pain. But there is a less known way to treat this disabling condition.
A recent report from the World Health Organization claims that osteoarthritis of the knee is the fourth cause of disability in women and the eighth most important one for men. Currently this disease affects 10 percent of those over 55 years of age and 25 percent suffer severe disability. And it’s no fun to suffer from osteoarthritis, to know that every step of the day will be painful. Or become impossible.
It’s “Calcium Balance” That Causes OsteoporosisBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Why would I give my wife a new cookbook when she’s often threatened to turn the kitchen into a den? I took a calculated risk that I wouldn’t end up stirring the pot. But I believed she would see the benefits of “The Everyday Calcium Cookbook”. It’s loaded with sound advice on calcium-rich nutrition for whole-body health. And why normal amounts of calcium in the blood are causing an epidemic of osteoporosis (brittle bones).
The Dangers of Cosmetic Foot SurgeryBy Dr. Gifford Jones
How should a surgeon react when asked to do this operation? A woman wishes to purchase a pair of fashionable shoes. She has no bunions or hammer toes and her feet don’t hurt. But there is a problem. She’s unable to wear fancy pumps because her toes are either too long or too wide. Rather than purchasing a shoe that fits she insists on cosmetic foot surgery.
Course 101 In Back PainBy Dr. Gifford Jones
Ask me about Economics 101 and I’ll flunk the question. But what about course 101 in back pain? In this case I have some answers. Ones that will help readers who ask “What is the best treatment for my aching back?”
Many years ago while in Hawaii I suddenly coughed and an excruciating pain shot down my leg. There was no doubt about the diagnosis, a ruptured spinal disk, and the pain was so severe I desperately needed a place to lie down.
How Much Sarcopenia Do You Have?By Dr. Gifford Jones
“What in the devil is Sarcopenia?” I wondered. But this ignorance didn’t bother my psyche. After all, I knew I wasn’t a whiz kid in Latin. So I asked my literate wife who loved Latin what it meant. She just shook her head and replied, “Dummy, it’s not Latin. It’s Greek.” This gaffe did scar my psyche a bit. But it didn’t stop me from learning more about this common condition. And why even joggers are not immune to developing sarcopenia.
A report from Tufts University claims we must all start thinking about sarcopenia. It states that everyone is concerned about heart attack, cancer and Alzheimer’s Disease as we age. But the one disease that robs many elderly people of their independence is sarcopenia, a “creeping frailty” due to loss of muscle mass.
Fighting Arthritis With Exercise And PennsaidBy Dr. Gifford Jones
“Why are you using, Celebrex a oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), to treat arthritis of your knee when a safer medication Pennsaid is available? There’s also a report from Boston that will also help to ease your pain.” It’s advice I recently gave to my tennis partner.
Several years ago in my book, “The Healthy Barmaid” I told the story of a patient whose arthritic fingers were improved by playing the piano. For years I’ve been convinced that many people would not require hip and knee replacements if they used their legs more.
Protect Children From Catastrophic Hockey InjuriesBy Dr. Gifford Jones
What should parents know about concussions in hockey? To find out I recently attended a seminar on this problem at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Today there’s a huge debate raging over whether body checking should be allowed in players under 17 years of age. Unfortunately, the “big hit” does more to the brain than meets the eye. Today our national sport has become a violent past time.
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