In the following press release, I offer a personal testimonial for VQ OrthoCare’s BioniCare Knee System, a utility and alternative treatment for reducing osteoarthritis-induced knee pain and enabling increased functionality.

Ashley is an avid cyclist who started noticing pain earlier in her exercise routine after she turned 42. When she learned that she had an early form of arthritis, she asked her physician if there were any safe, non-invasive treatments available for the condition. Her physician told her about the BioniCare Knee System, an exciting alternative to the use of medications or surgery for knee pain due to joint wear and tear.

“Ashley’s case is somewhat unique,” said Dr. Moshe Lewis, a Physical Medicine and rehabilitation physician at California Pacific Medical Center, St. Luke’s Campus. “Osteoarthritis occurs more frequently in males before the age of 45. Women are more prone to the disease after age 55.”

Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of the knee joints and occurs more frequently as we age. This process destroys the cushion-like qualities of the knee joint, which performs as a natural shock absorber. About 50 million Americans suffer from some form of osteoarthritis and it is sometimes found in multiple members of the same family, implying a genetic basis for the condition.

With aging, the water content within the knee increases and the protein makeup degenerates. Repetitive use of the joints over the years irritates and inflames the knee joint, causing pain and swelling. In advanced cases of osteoarthritis, there is a complete loss of the cushion between the bones of the joints. The result of this is friction, leading to pain and reduced joint mobility.

Dr. Lewis specializes in non-surgical treatments for conditions that cause chronic pain, such as arthritis and degenerative disc disease. In the past four years, he has placed the BioniCare Knee System on more than 100 patients.

“The device has reduced the use of pain medications and, in some cases, postponed the need for surgery in these patients,” Lewis said. “Active people want to stay healthy and perform at peak levels longer without pain. As a result, there is a growing interest in treatment options that have few side effects and the BioniCare device is a great example of that technology.”

The BioniCare Knee System was cleared for home use by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 and requires a physician prescription. The system transmits pulsed electrical stimulation to the knee to reduce pain and improve overall function. During therapy, a wrap is applied, and worn for 8–10 hours, typically while the patient sleeps. Patients who accumulate more than 250 hours of cumulative wearing time demonstrate results (roughly one month), with full results at 2,250 hours (roughly 9 months).

“This product has proven itself to be a great alternative for people like Ashley, who are in the early stages of osteoarthritis, looking for long term results and wish to remain active without being dependent on pain medications or invasive procedures,” Lewis said. “It really represents good news in Osteoarthritis treatment.”

Dr. Moshe Lewis specializes in the non-surgical management of musculoskeletal and neurological injuries and diseases. He has devoted his professional career to providing compassionate care to people who suffer with chronic pain. He can be reached through his website www.mosheleiwsmd.com. For more information on VQ OrthoCare’s BioniCare® Knee System or the OActive™ Knee Brace, please visit, www.bionicare.com or call (800) 444–1456.

In the interview above, I talk with Stephanie Stephens from Mind Your Body about ways to control pain while avoiding surgery and pills. If you’re wondering what viscosupplementation is, or how radio frequency ablation works you’ll find the video helpful. Additional topics include: epidurals, TENS unit, pain pumps, and nerve/facet blocks.

Watch this video on YouTube.

As I’ve mentioned several times in my blog and in my videos before, acupuncture has been around for thousands of years and withstood the test of time, but the traditional medicine community turns a blind eye towards the eastern approach to acupuncture. In this article written by BeckerSorthopedicAndSpine.com, author Abby Callard quotes me along with Christian Nix, an acupuncturist in Chicago, about the utility of acupuncture. Christian Nix explains how many aren’t educated in philosophy and practice of acupuncture and its place in the medical industry. I always recommend acupuncture to my patients due to its effectiveness, its low cost, and practicality. Below is an excerpt from the article:

Moshe Lewis, MD, SpineCare Medical Group, Daly City, Calif., and Pain Management and Rehabilitation, Redwood City, Calif., is an interventional pain management physician who employs acupuncture to help his chronic pain patients. He agrees that acupuncture has a place complementing interventional pain management procedures.

“Everything that we do in medicine is based on experience, data and clinical presentation,” he says. “I don’t want to say that acupuncture is going to work for everyone. However, on the flip side, I think that it has an important place in medicine and can be an effective treatment for several conditions.”

Acupuncture can be helpful with acute conditions such as epicondylitis, and it can also treat chronic conditions such as repetitive stress syndrome well, Dr. Moshe says. “Anyone who sits at a computer long enough is likely to encounter symptoms of repetitive stress syndrome or tendinitis,” he says.

This disorder generally presents with pain in the wrists and hands, and can cause achy muscles and even myofacial pain. Dr. Moshe says acupuncture works better with muscle disorders than bone disorders because the treatment can help to relax the muscles. Bones, discs and cartilage disorders are much harder to treat definitively. For example, an 80-year-old woman who has arthritis and is no longer walking straight will not be likely to improve her posture with acupuncture. It might alleviate the pain, but it won’t actually treat the problem, Dr. Moshe says. Therefore, acupuncture should always be customized for the appropriate patient and diagnosis where it is likely to be of benefit.

However, it’s the low cost of the treatment that has some insurance companies realizing the benefits of acupuncture, Dr. Moshe says. The cost is low, and patients want it. Insurance companies are beginning to cover it for some providers.

Read this article on BeckerSorthopedicAndSpine.com.

Ashley is an avid cyclist who started noticing pain earlier in her exercise routine after she turned 42. When she learned that she had an early form of arthritis, she asked her physician if there were any safe, non-invasive treatments available for the condition. Her physician told her about the BioniCare Knee System, an exciting alternative to the use of medications or surgery for knee pain due to joint wear and tear.

“Ashley’s case is somewhat unique,” said Dr. Moshe Lewis, a Physical Medicine and rehabilitation physician at California Pacific Medical Center, St. Luke’s Campus. “Osteoarthritis occurs more frequently in males before the age of 45. Women are more prone to the disease after age 55.”

Osteoarthritis is the breakdown of the knee joints and occurs more frequently as we age. This process destroys the cushion-like qualities of the knee joint, which performs as a natural shock absorber. About 50 million Americans suffer from some form of osteoarthritis and it is sometimes found in multiple members of the same family, implying a genetic basis for the condition.

With aging, the water content within the knee increases and the protein makeup degenerates. Repetitive use of the joints over the years irritates and inflames the knee joint, causing pain and swelling. In advanced cases of osteoarthritis, there is a complete loss of the cushion between the bones of the joints. The result of this is friction, leading to pain and reduced joint mobility.

Dr. Lewis specializes in non-surgical treatments for conditions that cause chronic pain, such as arthritis and degenerative disc disease. In the past four years, he has placed the BioniCare Knee System on more than 100 patients.

“The device has reduced the use of pain medications and, in some cases, postponed the need for surgery in these patients,” Lewis said. “Active people want to stay healthy and perform at peak levels longer without pain. As a result, there is a growing interest in treatment options that have few side effects and the BioniCare device is a great example of that technology.”

The BioniCare Knee System was cleared for home use by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 and requires a physician prescription. The system transmits pulsed electrical stimulation to the knee to reduce pain and improve overall function. During therapy, a wrap is applied, and worn for 8-10 hours, typically while the patient sleeps. Patient’s who accumulate more than 250 hours of cumulative wearing time demonstrate results (roughly one month), with full results at 2,250 hours (roughly 9 months).

“This product has proven itself to be a great alternative for people like Ashley, who are in the early stages of osteoarthritis, looking for long term results and wish to remain active without being dependent on pain medications or invasive procedures,” Lewis said. “It really represents good news in Osteoarthritis treatment.”

This article was part of Moshe’s Summer Newsletter. Click here to download it (PDF).

Stretching, warming up, building endurance, taking care of your nutrition and feet, and mainly having fun are great ways to be healthier!

If you’ve been using your weekends to their athletic maximum to make up for sedentary time during the week, congratulations, Weekend Warrior! Weekend sports and outdoor adventures like team sports, hikes, swimming and skiing are good for both the mind and the body. Your well-earned weekend recreation has the added benefits of boosting your mood, reducing stress, increasing muscle and cardiovascular health, and providing a great social outlet.

But using physical recreation as a weekends-only reward comes with its own set of risks. Intermittent exercise quickly increases the risk of a muscle strain or ligament tear. Joints can easily be injured without the proper warm-up during the week. Repetitive stress injuries like plantar fasciitis or shin splints can put you in a walking boot for weeks. Skimping on weekday workouts leaves muscles stiff and poorly conditioned for weekend performance, so you’re far more likely to get injured in the pursuit of weekend excellence.

Luckily, a little bit of preparation goes a long way. You can start immediately to optimize your weekday routines in order to excel at your weekend sports activities. Here are six simple tips that can make your weekend performance better, safer and more fun.

1. Reach for the Sky

Stretching should always be the first step in a warm-up routine. Basic stretching allows you to prepare the muscles for the work they are going to do, preventing muscle strain injuries. More advanced stretching exercises like yoga and Pilates also improve your balance, core strength, back strength, and conditioning for the spine. You can reap the benefits of stretching even if you are unable to take a dedicated weekday class—just devote fifteen minutes to stretching a few days every week. Stretch before any strenuous athletic activity, on the weekend too. For a bit of variety, try an online yoga routine. You’ll feel better during your weekend activities, as well as the rest of your week.

2. Pump Iron, Or Soup

Strength training is an essential way to build endurance for the Weekend Warrior. Muscles need resistance training to function at their full capacity. Utilize lighter weights with multiple reps to improve tone initially—even doing curls with a soup can will help to tone your muscles for endurance-based activities like hiking or distance running. If you’d like to build strength and bulk, gradually move to higher weights with fewer reps. When using heavier weights, don’t forget to rest and pace yourself.

3. Know The Condition

Many of us are weekend warriors by necessity, not choice—our routine simply does not permit a lot of time to train during the week. But if you can find the time for even a little bit of simple aerobic conditioning, you’ll see a huge change in both your weekend performance and your everyday energy level. Activities like light jogging, hiking, aqua-therapy, tai-chi, yoga and rowing are easy, low impact ways to optimize cardiovascular health, limit damage to the cartilage and joint while having our body burn calories, thereby mobilizing muscles in a very natural way. For the athlete who prefers structured activity, a class or a second sport is an ideal way to train for weekend events. Aerobic fitness classes, dance classes, golfing, tennis and cross country skiing can all help you to step up your game while providing good cross training of multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Sometimes even tried-and-true exercises like running can cause knee pain, so don’t hesitate to decrease impact by using the elliptical or hopping in the pool every other day instead.

4. Did You Say Supplements?

From Omega 3′s to glucosamine to antioxidants to vitamin D, the right nutrition and dietary supplements can make a big difference in your sports performance and your general wellbeing. Always consult your doctor, who can support your good health through the appropriate supplements. Remember, a healthy diet, including adequate fluid intake, are essential to all athletes, professionals and weekend warriors alike.

5. Happy Feet Are Healthy Feet

Good ergonomics, posture and even the wear of your shoes can make or break your technique. Take a page from professional athletes, who optimize the mechanics of their technique with custom orthotics, proper shoes, and correct body mechanics. Consider taking a few lessons from a professional trainer in your sport of choice. Also, consider seeing a podiatrist for advice on inserts and shoe wear, especially if you have foot pain. An investment in proper foot support is an investment in your long-term orthopedic health.

6. The Fun Factor

Most importantly, realize that exercise should be fun! This certainly goes for your weekend recreational events, but the fun doesn’t have to end on Sunday night. It’s far easier to keep up on your regular conditioning if you genuinely enjoy it and look forward to it. If you’ve been having trouble jogging to prepare for your weekend pursuits, why not substitute rigorous swing dancing? Swimming? Dog frisbee? Or even aerobic gardening? Any weekday physical activity is better than none, and regular light activity will help your body to be acclimated for weekly hard activity. If you can keep moving, stretching, and having fun during the week, you’ll reach new levels of excellence in your weekend pursuits in no time.

Resources:

1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19761960

2. Rehab Manag. 2011 Apr;24(3):18-9. An ounce of prevention: physical activity plan can help weekend athletes allay overuse injuries. Berliner M.

3. N J Med. 1991 Sep;88(9):639-40. Recreational sports and the weekend athlete. White KM, McInerney VK, Hirsch PJ.