FAQ Category: General

The anatomy itself hasn’t changed since the 1950s. The textbooks have improved. Artists are able to show the muscles more accurately with today’s computer software. The quality of the pictures has improved quite a bit in the last 10 years.

One big change you’ll see from then until now is the use of evolution. Since the mid-1990s more books include Darwin’s theory on evolutionary medicine. The most recent edition of Gray’s Anatomy (38th edition; the most widely used anatomy text) takes an evolutionary approach to anatomy.

Special care has also been taken to include the very latest imaging of the anatomy. These pictures come from MRIs and CT scans.

Our understanding of anatomy has also improved now that doctors can “see” inside the body. Instruments like the arthroscope for joints or the endoscope for organs has a tiny TV camera on the end. This allows doctors to view the body part from the inside. Today’s anatomy texts are updated using the pictures from these tools.

For your use a text from the late 1950s may not be up-to-date, but it will give you what you are looking for. It wouldn’t be advised for a medical student or other health care professional.

The break test is used by physical therapists, athletic trainers, and doctors. It gives them information about muscles. A negative break test means the muscle is normal. It’s not weak or torn.

This test is done by placing the patient’s arm (or leg) in one position. The patient is told to hold the arm in that spot. The therapist puts pressure on the arm to see if it will move with resistance. The examiner uses enough force to overcome the isometric
strength of the person.

A physical therapist can help you with this. There are several different tests that can be used to measure balance. For example, the therapist can measure how far a patient can
reach or sway without moving the feet. The result is compared against a standard to give some idea of impairment.

The step test is another tool often used. The patient puts a foot up and down off a block without hand support. The number of times this can be done in 15 seconds is recorded and
compared to norms.

Other tests can be used to look at strength and function. A falls prevention program can be started for your mother. Studies show fewer falls and fractures occur when adults
exercise and practice falls prevention.

More and more people are using the Internet to get information about health-related topics. Studies show about 110 million adults just in the United States search for information about medical conditions.

At the same time doctors are using the Internet, too. The American Medical Association (AMA) reports 50 percent of their members depend on the Internet. Thirty percent of the doctors using the Internet give patients information.

Internet use has gotten a slow start among doctors with busy schedules. As more people come to depend on the Internet, it’s likely that health care professionals will join in
too.

You’ve asked a good question. More people may want to pay attention to this aspect of Internet use. First look for the site sponsor. Is it an academic source like a university or school of some type? Is there a regulating agency over the site like the American Medical Association? Or is it sponsored by a business selling products?

Next check the date when the material was last updated. This is usually found at the bottom of the home (or first) page. Be cautious about information that’s undated or more than six months old.

Always use more than one source. If the data is correct, you should be able to find the same information listed on other credible sites.

There is a concern about the accuracy of medical information found on many websites. A recent study rated patient education information on 154 web sites. They found only 11.5 percent of academic sites gave patients information on common orthopedic problems.

Doctors in private practice are more likely to offer sites with information. Many of these gave information about their practices. Only about 30 percent had patient education materials.

Other studies show much medical information on the Internet is substandard. Many sites are not updated on a regular basis. Less than one-fourth are written by doctors.

Internet users should be aware when information is posted by commercial sources. Consumers should be especially careful accepting information offered by companies selling something.

Many studies have shown that early loading of bone breaks or fractures actually helps the bone heal. This type of pressure causes tiny amounts of motion at the fracture site and stimulates bone growth.

The trick is to put just enough weight on the toe or foot to encourage bone growth without slowing down healing. If you do use too much weight, the fracture will still heal. It just takes longer.

The first goal in treating osteoarthritis (OA) is to reduce pain and discomfort. The second goal is to improve joint function and mobility. The overall goal is to keep you as active as you want to be.

This is usually done first with pain relieving medications. Many doctors choose a pain reliever with anti-inflammatory properties as well. Sometimes a steroid injection is used. Most recently, a new treatment to inject the joint with new joint fluid has been successful.

Other treatment options include bracing, muscle strengthening, and shoe inserts. A final choice for patients with severe OA is knee surgery to realign the joint or joint replacement.

Although we don’t have a cure yet for OA, today’s treatment can help you stay active and pain free much longer than ever before.

COX-2 inhibitors are popular in the treatment of arthritis because they reduce inflammation and decrease pain without causing stomach upset. However, many studies in animals and humans show that some anti-inflammatory drugs delay or reduce bone healing after fractures.

Indomethacin, aspirin, and ibuprofen are anti-inflammatory drugs often taken for arthritis pain. They can decrease the amount of bone that grows in and around joint implants. If your mother had a total hip replacement after her hip fracture, these drugs may not be advised.

Be sure and check with her doctor about the best drug to help with her arthritis. Ask about an anti-inflammatory that won’t affect the healing bone.

Tai Chi is an ancient form of movement and exercise first practiced by Chinese cultures. It has become very popular around the world. You’re right. It has many benefits for all ages. When you hear about its specific effects, you’ll see why older adults are
interested.

Studies show TCC helps keep normal function of the heart and lungs. It regulates the immune system and improves muscle strength. With regular practice, balance and flexibility get better. So does coordination.

All of these effects reduce the risk of falls and fractures, especially among older adults.

Ultrasound (US) is a form of heat produced by sound waves. It can be used in several different ways to reduce pain and inflammation of soft tissue. It also improves blood flow to injured or damaged tissue.

US treatment shouldn’t be painful. In fact most patients don’t feel anything except the applicator moving over the skin. US over the bones or nerves can cause the kind of symptoms you report.

Discomfort, pain, or symptoms of any kind should be reported right away. The therapist can adjust the intensity. You’ll get a more effective treatment at the lower intensity.

The core as it relates to the spine refers to muscles around the hip and lumbar pelvic region. Stomach muscles are a key part of the core, as are the trunk and hip muscles.

Exercise specialists are busy studying the effect of muscle weakness on back and leg injuries. They’ve found that athletes with weak core muscles are more likely to be injured while playing. This is true for many different kinds of sports.

Studying the effect of exercises on each muscle group will lead to more specific exercises for patients. In time we will know exactly what program to suggest for a healthy athlete versus someone with a back injury.

For now, you may be better off having your muscle strength tested for a baseline first. Once the physical therapist knows how your core muscles are working, an exercise program
can be designed for you. You’ll be able to learn the program and do it on your own at home or at the gym.

You ask a good question. Many studies have been done to find ways to increase spinal stiffness for patients with unstable spines. Not too many are directed at finding ways to loosen it up. It’s thought that in the younger adult, stiffness comes from the muscles.
That’s why exercise programs focus on abdominal strength and spinal muscle stability.

Stiffness that occurs naturally with age is a different process. There are several factors responsible. As we age, the joints and discs start to deteriorate. Joint and disc
spaces start to narrow. Bone spurs can form around the joint, limiting motion.

Another factor in the stiffness we experience as we get older is called
fibrinogen. Fibrinogen comes from fibrin and is an important ingredient for blood clotting. Since your body never knows when you might get cut and bleed, there’s always a certain amount of fibrin going around the body ready to be made into fibrinogen for blood
clotting.

As we get older there are fewer scavenger cells around to eat up unused fibrinogen. Since fibrinogen acts like a glue to stop bleeding, it has the same effect in the tissues. Movement is the only known way to break the bond that fibrinogen makes between connective tissue. It’s a Catch-22 situation as we get older and stiffer, we move less when we really need to move more.

The bottom-line is exercise and movement on a daily basis.

Studies don’t support this finding. Homemakers are more likely to smoke, have high blood pressure, and be in poor health compared to employed women.

Homemakers have a higher rate of arthritis. Some researchers think homemaking reduces women’s health. Overall, employed women are healthier than homemakers. At the same time homemakers are in better health than unemployed women. The reasons for these differences are not entirely clear yet.

Tai Chi exercise has caught the attention of many adults in the United States. As a result, researchers are also taking a closer look.

Studies show this form of exercise (smooth, slow movements of the head, trunk, arms and legs) has many healthful benefits. A recent study in Hong Kong has reported on the use of
Tai Chi for osteoporosis.

The study looked at the effect of TCC on bone mineral density in 132 postmenopausal women. The exercise was carried out five times each week for one year. Bone loss wasn’t stopped with Tai Chi. However, it was slowed down enough to make Tai Chi a possible means
of preventing osteoporosis.

Another study by the same group reported similar good results in postmenopausal women practicing Tai Chi for more than four years. It’s not clear yet how soon Tai Chi takes effect. More research is underway. Future studies may look to see if the results are reversed if the woman stops exercising.

Studies show bone loss is a major problem for many women after menopause. Bone loss increases after age 40 and gets worse as women age.

Scientists aren’t sure why bone loss gets worse after menopause. It may occur when levels of the hormone estrogen drop with menopause. Other factors may include age, poor nutrition, or decreased physical activity.

Researchers are hard at work trying to understand osteoporosis. To find out more about this condition, see the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) web site at: http://www.nof.org.

In general girls tend to have more leg injuries than boys. The most common is a tear or rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee. Other injuries include stress fractures and overuse syndromes.

A recent study at the University of Delaware showed that any athlete (male or female) with decreased core strength is at increased risk for injury. This was true for basketball and track participants. It’s difficult to include all sports in one study.

The results of the study did show differences in the location of injuries. The most commonly injured area in athletes is the foot and ankle. The knee comes next, and the back, hip or thigh after that. There doesn’t seem to be a difference in location based on gender. Type of sport may make a bigger difference. Basketball players often injure the foot and ankle. Track athletes tend to injure areas closer to the center.

Except for swimming, most athletic activities are closed chain some of the time. Chains are body parts linked together such as the foot, ankle, knee, and hip. Closed chain means the foot is in contact with the floor or some supporting surface.

When the end of a chain is fixed, motion at one point will affect all other points in the chain. So for example, if the foot is on the floor, any force through the foot can affect the ankle, knee and hip. Squatting and lunging exercises are examples of closed chain activities.

Yes and no. It’s the same drug formulation but different strengths. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs are usually 200-250 mg. Prescription drugs by the same or similar names are around 400 mg.

Slight differences exist in the actual drug formulation of nonsteroidal
antiinflammatories with similar names. You may have seen Naproxen sodium over-the-counter. This is also known as Aleve and other generic store brand names.

By prescription, there’s Naproxen, Naprosyn, and Naprelan (same drug, different names). Also by prescription is Naproxyn sodium known as Anaprox, Anaprox DS, or EC-Naprosyn.

Drug companies can only keep drug formulas as their own for a limited number of years. Once they are released onto the market, then other drug companies can put the same or
similar drug out with a slightly different name.

It can be very confusing. Don’t take any drug without talking with your doctor first. A common mistake people make is to take the drug prescribed by the doctor along with the same drug at a lower dose over-the-counter. This can lead to serious complications.

There are many possible causes of bone lysis from cancer to infection. You’ve probably heard of osteoporosis. This is a common metabolic disease that can cause bone loss. This type of bone loss is usually more diffuse.

Joint replacement has become a popular treatment for arthritis. Bone loss around the implant is called peri-implant lysis. This can occur when there is a delay in bone
healing for any reason.

It’s not clear from your question what could be causing your aunt’s bone loss. A specific diagnosis must be made in order to treat the underlying cause, not just the symptoms. If possible have your aunt contact her doctor and get some more information about her
condition.