What do you do for the first two weeks following Knee Replacement surgery?
You wake up in the recovery room following the surgery and feel great. Relief washes over you knowing that you’ve finally done it. Smiling you nod off to sleep and they take you up to your room. Now what? If phase one was years of dealing with knee pain, having a hard...
If you want to live longer, get on the floor… it doesn’t suck.
I’ve been a physical therapist (PT) for 24 years. Good for me right? No, good for you! This means I get to share things I’ve learned and you get to keep your $25-$75 (...or sometimes more) co-pay. In this article I’d like to discuss falls, mobility and maybe, just...
What in the world is “Dry Needling?”
That was my exact question going into the continuing education course I attended in early October. Obviously it’s about getting poked with a needle, but what does it do? What are the benefits? Does it hurt? How is it different from Acupuncture? Why is it dry? The...
So you’ve just had your knee replaced, now what?
A lot has led up to this. You’ve been hurting for months and more likely years. You’ve had a knee scope surgery as it was required by Medicare before your replacement. You’ve been limping along both dreading the procedure and filled with hope that you’ll be able to...
Your Knee Replacement Pre-Op/Before Surgery “To Do List”
You’ve made the decision to have your knee replaced. You’ve met with the surgeon. Your lab has been ordered. You have to go to the hospital (or your family doctor) next “Tuesday” to have your blood drawn for labs. Your surgeon might want you cleared by a cardiologist....
Foot And Ankle Pain – Part 2
In my previous blog post I wrote about common foot issues. In this post, I’d like to talk about what you can begin to do about it. First and foremost is to R.I.C.E. Rest, Ice, Compress (think ACE wrap) and Elevate. That’s the standard for what to do when we’re hurt,...
Foot And Ankle Pain – Part 1
With this blog post I’d like to address some of the most common foot and ankle problems that physical therapists and foot and ankle (podiatric) doctors encounter. The foot and the foot and ankle complex are truly amazing structures. So much so that Leonardo Da Vinci...
Should you consider partial knee replacement or a total knee replacement?
***This blog will be expanded for a revision of my knee replacement book to include a chapter on partial knee replacements vs total knee replacements as well as a chapter on the future of high tech in the operating room. Image guided and robotically assisted surgery,...
The Importance of Minimizing Post-Operative Swelling
Importance of minimizing swelling after knee replacement (and other surgeries) As I sit here writing I’m being given a constant reminder that post-operative swelling needs to be minimized as much as possible. The constant reminder is due to the fact that 4 days ago I...