Alternate Treatments, Infection, Neurology, Orthopedics, Pain, Psychiatry, Surgery
Alternative Medicine Makes a Good Gift
What’s the gift we’d like to have in stock for our readers this holiday season? It would be a healthy dose of common sense, and a reminder that not every health problem needs a medical solution. Unfortunately, few people open their minds when confronted with a swollen joint, an injury to the skin, back pain, broken bones, or even brain injuries. Yet, instead of costly, dangerous drugs that come with side effects, or surgical treatments that involve other risks, these are examples of problems that respond well to alternative forms of therapy. We have written in the past about low-intensity laser therapy (LILT). It’s now known as photobiomodulation (PBM), which involves the application of light to instigate a natural healing process....Read More
Nutrition, Orthopedics, Pediatrics
Building Up Bones for a Lifetime
What’s one of the worst errors that young people make early in life? It’s the failure to practice preventive medicine. So, let’s have a talk with young people about how to protect their bones for a lifetime. We know that kids of all ages break bones playing sports. It’s annoying when this happens, leaving them sidelined from sports and play with friends for a few weeks. But breaking a bone becomes more than an inconvenience for adults, as full recovery becomes less likely. The older one is, the more breaking a bone may have life-changing consequences, including being forever consigned to a wheelchair. But why do bones become brittle with age, and can it be avoided? Many people think bones are hard and...Read More
Cardiovascular, Neurology, Nutrition, Orthopedics, Pain, Vitamins
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is involved in roughly 80 percent of metabolic functions in the body. It is critical in delivering energy to cells and for the production of glutathione, an important antioxidant inside cells. Today, due to depletion of magnesium in the soil and modern food processing, about 60 percent of North Americans are deficient in this vital mineral. This hidden depletion could be causing diverse symptoms. Suffering Migraine Attacks? About 15 percent of the population experience one or more migraine attacks due to constricted blood vessels. Studies show that blood levels of magnesium in migraine patients are low compared to healthy patients. But they are even lower during a migraine attack. An intravenous injection of magnesium relaxes constricted vessels and relieves migraine pain. Feeling...Read More
Orthopedics, Sports, Women's Health
What Medical Advice Would I Give Bianca Andreescu?
What an historic moment for Canada as we all watched Bianca Andreescu defeat Serena Williams at the U.S. Tennis Open and capture her first major tennis championship. I’m sure that this talented teenager will win more trophies in the future. So is there any medical advice to help her avoid injury and end a promising career? One thing quickly caught my eye when the cities of both Mississauga and Toronto gave her a hero’s welcome. Her appearance in civilian attire gave us a chance to see her style off the court. But it was her shoes that shocked me. I wondered why a high performance athlete had not been warned of the hazards of high heels. One unfortunate misstep could cause...Read More
Cardiovascular, Orthopedics
The “Perfect Calcium” To Prevent Weak Bones
Michelangelo remarked over 500 years ago that, “Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.” It’s a phrase often repeated when teaching young surgeons. Now, there’s a “Perfect Calcium”, an Icelandic natural remedy that helps to keep bones strong. Studies show that one in four women and one in eight men over age 50 suffer from osteoporosis (brittle bones). So due to an aging population, we can expect more hip, spinal, and other bone fractures in the future. What about the use of calcium supplements? The point is that not all calcium products are the same. Most use calcium mined from limestone, a sedimentary rock. After processing this material it contains only one mineral, calcium. But one particular product, Aquamin, is a source of calcium...Read More
Orthopedics, Sports
Taking Arsenic Would be the Safer Option
Today, there’s almost a crusade taking place to decrease the risk of concussion in hockey, football and other sports. But what is the risk of other injuries? A study, published in the issue of JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, says you do not have to participate in high octane sports to be injured. The report shows that facial fractures among older adults are on the rise. And taking arsenic in some activities would seem to be a safer option for some seniors. Researchers, at Wayne State University in Detroit, evaluated national emergency room statistics and discovered an interesting trend. During a five year period 20,500 adults ages 55 and older suffered facial fractures. In fact, the number of these injuries had increased...Read More
Orthopedics
Sarcopenia: The Path To A Needless Wheelchair
What’s the worst health problem that can happen to you? I’m sure many readers would say cancer, stroke or Alzheimer’s Disease. I agree these are all frightful diseases. But there’s another one that occurs gradually as we age. It’s called sarcopenia (the loss of muscle mass), and this creeping frailty forces many elderly into nursing homes because their muscles are so weak they can no longer get off the toilet. A recent report from Tufts University in Boston says, sarcopenia robs people of their independence and often leads to the risk of falls resulting in serious injury. Visit any nursing home and you’ll see multiple examples of sarcopenia. Studies show that sarcopenia begins around age 45 and increases at the rate of...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Orthopedics, Vitamins
Boomers Now Know the Pain of Arthritis
Psst! Do you want a tip on how to make millions of dollars? Buy a company that sells painkillers. Why? Because the boomer generation is starting to hurt more with each passing year. And they expect effective relief from the agony of arthritis. What boomers want, they expect to get. But how successful will they be? Several years ago, Dr. Nicholas Di Nubile, a Philadelphia orthopedic surgeon, added a new word to the English language, "Boomeritis". He said boomers were the first generation to become obsessed by exercise, and they are paying the price by becoming banged-up boomers. Today, there are 76 million boomers in the U.S and six million in Canada. By pushing their bodies too hard they've developed bursitis, tendonitis,...Read More
Orthopedics, Vitamins
Natural Ways To Prevent And Treat Bone Loss
A reader asks, "Is it necessary to take drugs to prevent broken bones, or are there natural ways to treat this problem? A test shows I have osteopenia and I'm afraid this will lead to osteoporosis (brittle bones)". Today, with doctors ordering more tests to determine bone mineral density (BMD), it's prudent to know what it means when a doctor says, "You have osteopenia." One wise sage remarked, "Getting older is invariably fatal". But before this happens you also get gray hair, wrinkles, fatigue, varicose veins, difficulty reading fine print and, just as night follows day, some bone loss. But there's no need to go into a major funk if a BMD test shows this diagnosis. This x-ray procedure measures the amount of...Read More
Orthopedics, Pain
Billie Jean Says So. Really?
Sir Willam Osler, former professor of medicine at McGill and John Hopkins Universities once remarked, “A doctor does not fully understand a disease until he suffers from it.” Due to a recent illness I couldn’t agree more. During Arthritis Month, I wrote a column about osteoarthritis, how it is possible to decrease the risk by losing weight, taking vitamin C to manufacture collagen, the major component of cartilage, and using your two legs to pump nutrients into damaged cartilage. It’s ironic that a few weeks later I suddenly developed increased pain in one hip. Then one morning I could hardly walk, even with the help of a cane. Osler was right. You have to experience pain to know how...Read More
Orthopedics
New Warning About Bone-Strengthening Drugs
Warren Buffett, the world’s greatest investor, says, “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing”. What is true in economics is equally true in medicine, particularly so when taking medication. A recent report from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has a sobering message about bisphosphonates, drugs such as Fosamax, Actonel, Atelvia, Boniva and Reclast, used to prevent osteoporosis (fragile bones). It’s an ironic situation. The FDA warns that prolonged use of drugs to decrease the risk of fracture can actually result in an increase in “unusual fractures of the thigh”. In fact, three years ago “The Harvard Women’s Health Watch Report” wrote about these fractures when they started to appear. These fractures are unusual because the break occurs just...Read More
Orthopedics
Natural Ways To Prevent And Treat Bone Loss
A reader asks, "Is it necessary to take drugs to prevent broken bones, or are there natural ways to treat this problem? Studies show I have osteopenia and I'm afraid this will lead to osteoporosis (brittle bones)" Today, with doctors ordering more tests to determine bone mineral density (BMD), it's prudent to know what it means when a doctor says, "You have osteopenia." One wise sage remarked, 'Getting older is invariably fatal". But one could also add that, getting older is invariably associated with wrinkles, fatigue, varicose veins, having difficulty reading fine print and osteopenia Some bone loss is as sure as night follows day as we age, much like getting gray hair. So there's no need to go into a major...Read More
Orthopedics
Why Would I Write About a Lame Racehorse?
How would you like to own a racehorse who won hundreds of thousands of dollars? I'm sure we'd crack open the champagne after each race. But how would you feel when the horse develops arthritis and chip fractures in the knee? Then, four veterinarians and two trainers say, "This horse could not and should not run again". This is when we start crying in our champagne. But what has a racehorse to do with our aches and pains? In one word, plenty. Dr. Fred Kahn, Founder of MediTech Laser and Rehabilitation Clinic in Toronto, told me he inherited this horse in an "exchange ownership" in lieu of paying an outstanding account. But when the horse became lame he decided to see...Read More
Orthopedics
Spaceflight – No Calling 911 In an Emergency
Have you ever dreamed of being an astronaut? Walking in space and looking back at our small planet must be one of life's greatest experiences. But whether you're a star hockey player, mountain climber or astronaut, a healthy price must be paid for the experience. Dr. Robert Thirsk, a Canadian astronaut, reports in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the health hazards and other dangers that lurk in the harsh environment of space. We all complain about jet lag after a flight to Europe. But astronauts orbit the earth once every 90 minutes. This means in 24 hours they see 16 sunsets and sunrises. This is big-time jet lag and it can have a major effect on their sleep pattern, increasing fatigue. Decompression sickness...Read More
Orthopedics
Build Muscle Strength From a Bottle?
How can young people prevent being in a wheelchair later in life? Visit any nursing home and you see examples of "Sarcopenia", a loss of muscle strength, that robs the elderly of their independence. But can you stop this creeping frailty and build up muscle strength from a bottle? Or is a steak a day, jogging or weightlifting the best way to prevent sarcopenia? I've had many interesting talks with Dr. John Morley, an expert on endocrine therapy at St. Louis University. He describes how the public is often mislead by Madison street ads for snake oil therapy. So I asked him to give me a run-down on what had merit in the prevention of sarcopenia, and what is best tossed...Read More
Orthopedics, Surgery
What You Should Know About Ankle Replacement
"Should I have surgery to replace my painful ankle?" a friend recently asked me. He added, "I now wear an ankle support to play tennis and I want to get rid of it." Today, we all know friends who have had surgery to replace a worn out hip or knee. But an increasing number of people are also getting new ankles. What should my friend and others know before they make this decision? The majority of ankle replacements are due to osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear type that occurs with aging. But, an arthritic ankle can also develop following injury to the joint many years earlier. Cartilage between bones deteriorates and finally bones grind on bones. Replacing an ankle is not minor surgery. Surgeons...Read More
Orthopedics
Rotator Cuff Injury and Damn the Exercise
Why is it so hard for me to have a good night's sleep? Like most people I'm not as wealthy as I was since the stock market developed terminal cancer. But that isn't causing my insomnia. Rather, every time I roll over in bed both shoulders remind me that they're not in great shape. So what have I done to end up with two painful shoulders? Several years ago I gave up tennis due to a back problem. So I decided to take up trap shooting where I can stand still. I've enjoyed this activity more than any sport. And for most of the time God was in heaven, the sun was shining and birds were singing. But then I got careless....Read More
Orthopedics
Single Injection Treats Osteoporosis For One Year
There's a major problem with human behaviour. Unlike elephants, humans have a great propensity to forget. In fact, they often forget to do the simplest of tasks such as taking medication on a regular basis. This pitfall can have dangerous consequences. Now, due to advanced technology, it's possible to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis (brittle bones) with just a single injection every year. And that's pretty hard to forget! The figures are frightening. Studies show that one in four women and one in eight men over age 50 has osteoporosis. Today over 1.4 million Canadians suffer from it. And due to an aging population, we can expect more hip and spinal fractures the result of osteoporosis in the years ahead. Who develops this crippling...Read More
Orthopedics, Pain
A Shock Absorber to Help Knee Pain
Is there any similarity between a car and the human body? We do have one thing in common, the need for efficient shock absorbers. Cars provide a rough ride when worn-out shock absorbers fail to cushion the blows of a pot-holed road. And for thousands of patients broken-down shock absorbers in the knee mean there's never a day free of debilitating pain. There is a way to ease this discomfort called "Viscosupplementation or joint fluid therapy" It's one of the best keep secrets among patients and many doctors. Osteoarthritis has become a major disability. More than four million people are affected with knee osteoarthritis in Canada, most are in their career prime ages 20-64.The World Health Organization claims that osteoarthritis is...Read More
Orthopedics
Suppose An ACL Tear Had Happened To A Young Tiger Woods
Three letters, ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), could end the golfing career of Tiger Woods. As much as he tried, it was impossible for Woods to keep his pain to himself as he held his left knee, and limped and grimaced through 91 holes of the U.S Open. But was it prudent for Woods to play with a wounded knee and risk further damage to this vulnerable joint? A British study shows that legs account for 75 percent of all sport injuries and one-third of them are knee disorders. Unfortunately, it's the complex anatomy of the knee that is the Waterloo of so many athletes. Just ask hockey legend Bobbie Orr how hard it was to play competitive sport following knee surgery....Read More
Medicine, Orthopedics
Prexige: A New Painkiller For Arthritis Pain
For three million Canadians, osteoarthritis can be a debilitating disease that can affect not only their ability to function in their day-to-day lives, but leaves many depressed and isolated. A few years ago a number of these drugs were removed from the market. But this has left many patients confused, frightened under-treated and living in pain. Some people had to give up their favourite sport, gardening, a daily walk, find it difficult to navigate the stairs or even open a bottle. The options available for these people just don't work, have intolerable side effects or pose more risk than benefit. During the last few years 34,000 patients around the world participated in a study to evaluate whether a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug...Read More
Cardiovascular, Dermatology, Orthopedics
Low Intensity Light Therapy Heals Chronic Wounds
Do patients receive ineffective treatment when they could be cured by a lesser-known technique? The answer? Probably tens of thousands. I recently spent a day at a Meditech Conference in Toronto listening to experts discuss dermatological and wound ulcers that were resistant to treatment. There I saw startling photos showing how Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) can often cure these conditions. Today, there is something new under the sun. An old joke in the medical fraternity is that dermatology is the best specialty as patients never die nor get better. But it's not so funny if you suffer from a chronic skin condition that refuses to improve. Year after year these patients are prescribed a variety of pills, creams and other treatment...Read More
Dental, Orthopedics
Are Osteoporosis Drugs Killing Your Jaw?
Several weeks ago I reported on a new revolutionary way to fight osteoporosis. This year astronauts will use it when they take to the space station the "Juvent Dynamic Motion Therapy Platform (DMT). It's a non-drug method of preventing astronauts from developing brittle bones in a weightless atmosphere. I didn't realize at the time it would also prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw which is now linked to current drugs for treatment of osteoporosis. Today millions of patients are taking drugs (bisphosphonates) to prevent osteoporosis. But it's ironic that bone drugs may cause harm to bones they're supposed to protect. As I've told readers often, "You never get anything for nothing". Reports of a possible link between the oral bisphosphonates (Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva)...Read More
Orthopedics, Pain
Relieving Pain by Low Intensity Laser Therapy
What can you do if you've tried every conceivable way to relieve pain? You've been treated by anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone, pain killers, 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. And I've talked to several of his patients about how LILT had eased their pain and changed their lives. PC, a 43 year old jogger, collided with a glass door on returning to her hotel. When the door shattered, a large fragment of glass penetrated her knee....Read More
Dental, Orthopedics
New Space-Age Way To Treat Osteoporosis
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. Here on earth our bones fare much better. But...Read More
