Sorry, but I just couldn’t resist. Yes, I know I was going to continue with my description of what really happens in knee surgeries. But I can’t let Senator Obama’s  “coming out party” last night, on the 45th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s iconic “I Have a Dream” Speech, pass without comment. That’s one of the perks of running your own website–you can do what you like:). 

Now I don’t expect all of my subscribers to agree with me. And I’m not here to carry the water for any candidate. As I’ve said before, I’m not in love with either of these guys, while acknowledging each one’s appeal and abilities.  But I’ve been around now for a few years.
 
I’m old enough to remember Beatlemania and the Great Society, with the start of Medicaid and Medicare, the nomination of George McGovern and the gas lines and humiliating international disrespect of America (and Americans) that was the legacy of Jimmy Carter. I don’t mean I saw a video or read about it–I was there. It wasn’t pretty.
 
And, frankly I don’t want to see a replay of Jimmy (who apparently STILL isn’t smart enough to keep a low, dignified profile, befitting a former President, and keep his big mouth shut overseas). But based on what I’ve seen so far, and what I heard last night, that’s exactly what Senator Obama is promising, if he is elected. 

I confess to some ambivalent feelings about Obama. As an American, I’m proud of the progress our country has made, as demonstrated by Obama’s nomination and candidacy. The tears I saw on the faces of the people of color in the audience are very moving–I can’t possibly know what they’re feeling. But many there and around the country must feel that FINALLY they’ve seen something they never thought they’d live to see.  No doubt about it. And there’s no denying the man’s enviable gifts of rhetoric and the tenacity with which he defeated the Clinton Machine. 
 
So, I get it. Many African-Americans are going to vote for this guy JUST because he’s (half) black. And I understand that. In a way, it’s appropriate for them to support him. 
 
But…but…

I’d feel a whole lot better if this guy wasn’t an unreconstructed Marxist, a disciple of Sol Olinsky (a noted far leftist radical, political activist and an idol of Hillary Clinton, as well). Despite all his “centrist” rhetoric, there can be no doubt that his instincts are leftist and populist. He plays to the crowd’s emotions, skimming over the details and playing loose with the facts. And, thanks to the relatively low level of intellect, education and ability for rational analysis in the general public (for the most part, educated in government schools) and the fawning, if  not obsequious, advocacy of the media (not even pretending anymore to be objective), he has thus far escaped serious challenge and scrutiny. 

And that, given the chance, he will wreck the economy with massive tax hikes to redistribute income, increased regulation, even more massive spending on health care for all, including illegal aliens (a concept that is a demonstrable failure, slowly bankrupting all the social democratic countries in which it has been tried and leading to rationing of care, looong delays in treatment and bureaucratic waste and corruption) and perceptably weaken the country. 

This last will, of course, lead to increasing aggression against us and our allies, as the world’s despots engage in “diplomacy” and then proceed to do exactly what they want to. And all this, while we have quite insane Islamic Fundamentalists who ARE at war with us and want to kill us or convert us; an Iran which WANTS to provoke a war with us to hasten the “Return of the Mahdi,” the Twelfth Imam; a resurgent aggressive and expansionist Russia in Vladimir Putin; a rising and nationalistic China that, despite our being her largest trading partner, is already at “Assymetric War” with us and is building up its military; and the list goes on…
 
Yet, those who support Obama don’t care about ANY of this, if they even recognize these dangers. No, they CARE about the guy’s ethnicity. They EXCUSE his frightening inexperience, prefering amorphous concept of “CHANGE,” without requiring that he clearly define what that means, in concrete terms. They BUY whatever he’s selling. And they disregard and take for granted the relative peace (over 2500 days, without a terrorist attack on US soil) and long period of prosperity (even though the cyclical nature of the economy is in a periodic downturn at the moment).
 
Listening to a Democratic Convention is rather like entering an alternative universe, in which we still have bread lines, the social progress of the last half century never occurred and victimhood is not only encouraged, but is celebrated. Government is the solution to every problem. Collectivism is the only path to achievement; individualism (ie., “going it alone,” which actually BUILT this country) is denigrated.
 
I spent a while last night cruising some forums, to see what people were saying. In brief, Obama supporters were rhapsodical in their support of “The Messiah,” were swallowing whole the populist credo, and damning George Bush, the Iraq War, the “bad economy” and the usual litany of liberal complaints. It then occurred to me: the problem isn’t Obama, or any other politician that takes the public as he (or she) finds them. No. The problem is that many, if not most, of these people are IDIOTS! Not because they don’t agree with me, or because they embrace Obama, but because of WHY they do. It’s all emotion–no intellect. They have no clue what’s gonna happen if this guy gets in.
 
Well, if (when?) Israel bombs Iran back into the Stone Age, to abort or retard their nuclear weapons program BEFORE our election, that’ll be another wild card in this mix, probably in favor of McCain.
 
The country’s greater than any one man. We’ve survived potentially disastrous Presidents in the past. The sheer inertia of such a huge country and the innate nature of the ornery and independent minded Americans tends to temper the worst abuses and prevent the rapid change envisioned by populists. Thank God.
 
And, as I write this, McCain, who is 72 years old today, has picked a young, attractive, 44 year old woman, the mother of five (a “Hockey Mom”), Governor of Alaska,  Sarah Palin, to be his VP pick. Wow. One way or the other, whoever wins in the end, as the old Bob Dylan song goes, “…the times they are a-changing.” 

So, now we’ll see…will internal plumbing trump skin color, or not? A Chinese curse says, “May you live in interesting times.” Indeed, we are.
 
Well, if “The Savior” gets in and you’re a hard-working taxpayer, you’re going to be spending a lot of time on your knees in the next four years, as you’re weighed down with taxes and regulations and maybe, take refuge in prayer. And if you have knee pain, and want to get fast relief, without surgery, try my newest book, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY. Go see it at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Have a great Labor Day weekend! And watch out Monday for my End of Summer/Labor Day Sale!
 
Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

The last time, we discussed what’s really involved in arthroscopic knee surgery. My thesis is that you’re far less likley to be afraid of necessary, needed surgical procedures, if you understand what’s actually done. Otherwise, your imagination creates a lot of nightmares that are much more intimidating than the real thing–by far!
 
Although the procedure I described was for treating a painful, degenerative kneecap, the same basic techniques are utilized when dealing with torn menisci, loose bodies, inflamed synovium and even ACL ruptures and tibial plateau fractures. The specifics are different for each type of pathology, but the basic approach is the same.
 
Let’s look at torn menisci first, for today. As I point out in the section on menisci in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN    http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html   these cushions have no blood supply, except for the peripheral 25-30%. So many tears on the inside of the knee simply won’t heal. Therefore, treatment is basically removing the loose, torn fragment. 

After inserting the arthroscope into the joint, as we discussed yesterday, and identifying the loose torn piece of the meniscus, the surgeon uses small nippers, called “basket forceps” to nibble away the offending fragment. The little pieces of the meniscus float around inside the joint, until they’re sucked out by a power shaver (basically a tube with a rotating blade, attached to suction).  This shaver is also used to cut away overgrown and/or inflamed synovium (joint lining membrane), or shredded, fragmented articular cartilage (a process called debridement, or “house cleaning”).
 
Loose bodies, usually fragments of bone coated with cartilage, which have “fallen out” of the articular surface by disease, have been grown inside the synovial membrane, or have been “knocked out” of the joint surfaces by trauma, are removed by long grasping forceps. These are basically “grabbers” that the surgeon uses to capture the loose body and extract it. If it’s too big to pass through the arthroscopic portal (the little incision used to introduce the scope into the knee), either the incision can be enlarged, or the loose body can be broken up into smaller pieces and remove them, one by one.
 
Anyway, as you can see, you can do lots of different things through the arthroscope, but since nearly all the stuff inside the knee is devoid of nerves (or blood), the minimal disability is about the same, no matter WHAT you do inside. And THAT’S what the arthroscopic revolution is all about. And that’s why the pain is so minimal and recovery so rapid after this type of surgery. Pain and disability are functions of the size of the incisions and the amount of internal bleeding.  Minimal incisons, minimal disability. Simple, no? Pretty cool, too. It’s really transformed surgery!
 
Now, you know the worst of it. Not so scarey, is it? But that doesn’t mean you want to have surgery if it isn’t really necessary. That’s the key: you don’t want to be irrationally afraid of surgery, because there ARE times it’s needed. But you DO want to AVOID the UNNECESSARY surgery. This is a common sense, rational approach and the same one I used for lo those many years in practice, which resulted in my treating over 90% of my patients, WITHOUT SURGERY.
 
If you want to give your body the chance to heal naturally, if you want to stay OUT of the operating room, if you want to improve the odds of conservative treatment working, or use alternative methods to relieve your pain, then you need my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can see at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Now, I had planned to continue with a description of joint replacement — what it is and what it isn’t–with the same idea: you will be less afraid if you understand what it really is. But I have a special treat for you instead. My friend, Fred Nicklaus, a veteran of 30 years in the martial arts and a guy who has HAD a hip replacement himself, is going to have a special offer on his Combat Endurance course, a proven method to give you a core of steel. But more about that tomorrow…
 
Meanwhile, if you have knee pain and you’re keen to stay out of the O.R., try HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY at
http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

Of all the problems that I saw, in all my years of practice in orthopaedic surgery, the number one problem that brought people to see me was the painful kneecap. And the vast majority of them got better with simple, conservative, non-operative treatments. 

Because of the sheer volume of such people, however, I also did the most surgical procedures on those people who failed to improve with the non-surgical approach.
 
Naturally, people are afraid of surgery. I mean, when you think about it, you’re completely vulnerable, helpless really, under anesthesia, strapped to a  table, with bright lights in your eyes, strange sounds, smells and sights all around you, and some guy is literally invading your body with instruments–it’s far more intimate than any romantic encounter you could imagine. 

And worst of all, you’re NOT in control. You’ve literally put your life in the hands of a stranger. That’s probably the worst thing about surgery–no doubt about it, it IS scarey: the lack of control and, most of all, the UNKNOWN. People are most afraid of what they don’t know and don’t understand.
 
But, in accord with what I said yesterday, the best antidote for fear is truth. When you KNOW what it is that you have to deal with, it’s much easier to handle it. When it has dimension, magnitude, duration and intensity, it has a FINITE size and shape, and it’s far less scarey.
 
So here’s the truth: surgery is nothing, more or less, than the human equivalent of going to the body shop. Our bodies are basically machines. Now I, and probably you, may believe that we are far more than that as people, but the body is, for all intents and purposes, a meat machine. And like all machines, if something mechanical goes awry, it requires a mechanical solution. 

It’s no more complex or difficult than that.
 
So it follows that you DON’T go to the mechanic unless you have a real mechanical problem, right? In the same way, you DON’T require surgery, unless there’s a very specific mechanical problem that only surgery can fix.
 
Most people who have kneecap pain WILL get better with the measures I reveal in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can see at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
But here’s the scoop on what you can expect if you DO need surgery for the painful kneecap. 

Arthroscopic surgery involves two or three mini-puncture incisions, maybe 1/4 inch long. It can be done with general anesthesia, where you are unconscious; local anesthesia, where only your knee is numbed; regional anesthesia, like a spinal or epidural anesthetic (injection into the back); or my personal favorite, local with conscious sedation. This last method is great because the pain is blocked by local in the knee, and you’re in a twilight kind of deep relaxation–you couldn’t care less what they were doing to you. It feels great! That’s how I had my own knee surgery done and I highly recommend it.
 
Through these mini incisions, an arthroscope (steel tube, 3-5mm wide, containing lenses and fiber optic light) is inserted into the joint, which is then inflated with sterile, salt water solution. The scope is then used to look around and document any pathology. 

If shredding of the kneecap cartilage is found, it is then removed, usually by a power shaver, and the fragments cut or shaved away are sucked out by a vacuum pump. This smoothes the surface of the patella.
 
If the kneecap is tracking too far to the outside (laterally), the tight tissues on the outside of the knee may be split, lengthwise, to release the tension and permit the kneecap to return to the center, where it belongs. Sometimes, a few sutures are placed on the INSIDE (medial side) of the capsule to aid the centralization.  But that’s pretty much it. 

Then, the scope and instruments are removed, the little punctures are sutured and the knee is dressed. Then, you go home, where you start the exercises I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, which you can see at http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
Once the mystery is removed and you think of these surgeries as mechanical adjustments, they’re far less intimidating, aren’t they? 

BUT, that doesn’t mean you run out and get surgery and I’m not advocating that. No. That’s the LAST thing you do, and then, only if nothing else is working.
 
The BEST SOLUTION is to do whatever’s necessary to let your body heal itself. And that’s where my new program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html   will help you. The idea is to use whatever works to relieve your pain, and AVOID UNNECESSARY SURGERY. 

Tomorrow, we’ll look at another knee surgery. The more you know, the less you’ll fear and better you’ll feel. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

The week doesn’t go by that I don’t hear from someone that they were told they need surgery, but they’re scared to death of it! Now, even when I was doing a great deal of surgery, I was NEVER doing anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary. I often tell people that over 90% of the patients who were referred to me were treated NONSURGICALLY.
 
Why was this? After all, I was paid quite a bit to do surgery. Why wouldn’t I push it more?
 
Very simple. 

If you develop the reputation of being very conservative when it comes to recommending surgery, ironically enough, you end up doing MORE surgery than if you had been very aggressive initially.
 
You see, the physicians who refer patients, and other patients who refer their friends, want to have confidence that they are sending these people to someone with integrity, who won’t push an unnecessary procedure, and will only recommend surgery when that’s the only option, or sometimes, the best option.
 
They believe, quite accurately, that their recommendation reflects on them. And they want their patients/friends to feel good about the guy they sent them to. So they tend to refer to the surgeon who is SLOW to operate. Over time, this results in a very large volume of surgery with EXCELLENT RESULTS, because the procedures were properly indicated and the surgery therefore worked.
 
I learned this very early on in my practice, from one of the senior men in my group. This guy was a truly outstanding hand surgeon–gifted, in fact.  As a young guy, just out of training, I naturally wanted to do surgery. That’s why I trained so long–I wanted to DO something to help people. 

And, like many young guys just out of training, I believed there wasn’t ANYTHING I couldn’t do. Time and maturity have a way of humbling the best of us, but at that time, I BELIEVED in my own abilities.
 
Well, this older man, who had much more experience, but understood the drives of a younger man, told me, point blank, what I just told you: 

“Bill, restrain yourself and try conservative treatment first, with every patient. Not only is this the right thing to do, but mark my words, you’ll end up doing MORE surgery than if you’re too aggressive.”
 
And because I had seen this man in action and greatly admired his extraordinary skills, I respected anything he told me. In short, I did exactly what he told me to do. 

And you know what? He was right.
 
In time, I came to appreciate that this was the ethically correct approach, as well. But at first, I learned to be this way as a matter of enlightened self-interest. With maturity, I developed personal guidelines to PROVE that any procedure was indicated and it was the correct approach for the patient. 

And, I incorporated a number of alternative measures into my practice, as well (despite the odd looks and derisive remarks of my colleagues), as they seemed to work and they often offered improved results in non-surgical cases, of which there were many more than the surgeries.
 
So, many people told they need surgery tend to panic. They’ve all heard horror stories and imagine every evil result imaginable, if they allow themselves to go “under the knife.” And in some cases, where surgery really IS the right thing to do, they miss the opportunity to get an excellent result, or worse, because of misplaced fear and ignorance.
 
I don’t want that to happen to you. 

So, for the rest of this week, each day, I’m going to teach you exactly what’s done in a number of the most popular orthopaedic surgeries. You might as well know what’s really involved. In this way, you can face what you fear. And I’ve always found that learning the truth robs fear of its power over you.
 
But remember, MOST cases can be treated WITHOUT  surgery. That’s why I created my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
So if you, or someone you know, has knee pain, or been told you need surgery, check this out. With the very best techniques from across the medical spectrum, conventional, alternative and complementary methods, you may well be able to relieve your pain–WITHOUT SURGERY. Try it. You have nothing to lose, but your pain. Click the link below and see:
 http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

Just yesterday, I came across an article on one of the sports blogs about the various knee injuries seen with a number of sports, including basketball, soccer and football. With the Olympics in full swing, it’s easy to focus on the more dramatic sports that get much of the press, when it comes to knee injurues, acute and chronic.
 
But surprisingly enough, one of the most frequent causes of chronic and acute knee problems is… GOLF! Now, golf is a gentleman’s (or gentlewoman’s) game, no doubt about it. And it looks like the players mainly walk around, when they’re not riding in their electric golf carts. They don’t even carry their own golf bags–a caddy does that for them. But if the knee problems generated by this sport aren’t as dramatic as some, they’re no less real. 

You see, golf applies more subtle forces across the knee joint, that are often internal. Walking on uneven terrain, rolling hills, even sand traps, induces the same irregular joint forces as walking on a beach. And the torque, or twisting forces, imposed on the knees with every drive are tremendous.  In fact, it’s that twisting stress, with full body weight on the knee, from every swing of the driver that’s responsible for most of the injuries.
 
You normally don’t even think in terms of golf injuries until some high profile player, like Tiger Woods, is knocked out of competition by his bad knees, or some specific knee injury. But the danger is always there, maybe especially for the average player, who isn’t conditioned as well as the professional athletes.
 
You go into any golf club or country club locker room and all you’ll hear about is aches and pains of shoulders and knees. Well, part of that is simple aging. Lots of boomers and seniors play golf, which aggravates dormant conditions, like arthritis, or synovitis, or chondromalacia patellae (for a complete run-down of the many problems of the knee, in layman’s language, see my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN   http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html ).
 
But part of it is newer injuries, like ligament sprains or ACL tears, or especially torn menisci, caused by that repetitive twist. Pain in the knee is so common in this sport that I call this chronic knee pain “Golfer’s Knee.”
 
While Tiger had a completely ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament, as well as a meniscus tear and articluar cartilage damage, all of which require surgery, in many cases, proper conservative treatment of Golfer’s Knee can avoid knee surgery. As it happens, my latest publication provides golfers and anyone else with all the tricks, tips and effective techniques from across the entire medical spectrum, conventional, alternative and complementary. It’s called HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Acute pain is treated first by anti-inflammatory measures and joint stabilization, while long term treatments focus on specialized exercises and stretches, to improve strength and stability. These are supplemented by nutritional measures, herbs and nutriceuticals, to enhance healing and retard the development of arthritic changes. 

Yes, there are situations where surgery is needed. But my goal is to teach you how to prevent an UNNECESSARY surgery, of which there are far too many. So, if you have knee pain, from Golfer’s Knee, or any other source, learn how to relieve your pain and restore your function, with the best conventional and alternative non-surgical methods. Go see how at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
You’ll be glad you did. 

Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

Last Friday, my wife and I had to put down one of our cats, Chelsea. I couldn’t even write about it, til now.  As I’ve said before, I’ve had a number of people die in my presence, occasionally even in my arms. I can handle that just fine, even though it’s always sad.  But the animals just GET to me…
 
We were there when Chelsea was born. Her mother, Molly, a beautiful calico longhair had wandered into our garage, pregnant. And she decided to deliver on the night before I was scheduled to fly to Boston for a yearly conference on Total Hip Replacement, hosted by Harvard School of Medicine. Naturally, she pulled this about two o’clock in the morning.
 
There we were, watching the miracle of birth as, one by one, four little wet kittens popped out and took their first halting steps in this world. I finally bailed and went to bed–I had to get up at six AM to make my flight. My wife stayed up all night, talking to the mother in labor and continuing to give her soothing encouragement and comfort. I think it’s a woman thing, that no man can fully grasp….
 
The next morning, on my way out the door to the airport, I was surprised to discover that Molly had delivered two MORE babies, six in total. And one was this little longhair, with a leonine face and a bright orange splotch on her head. My wife named her Chelsea.
 
She had a problem, though–hypothermia, a condition wherein the body gets too cold, and the core temperature drops. Left alone, it’s fatal. My father-in-law, who was visiting, said “Well, she’s gone,” as they drove to the local vet. But my wife refused to give up on her. And she survived, for over 13 years.
 
It’s funny, and people who don’t live with cats don’t understand this, but right from birth, each kitten has a very distinct personality, with very specific quirks. She had this penchant for biting my watch, whenever she got the chance, don’t ask me why. And of all our cats, she had the face that most resembled a little lion. She fit in very well to our happy little family, with all her littermates. This was the group that got us started down the road to insanity, taking in all these strays, as soon as it was safe, after they were born.
 
While all our babies are getting older, even as we are, Chelsea had a special problem. For the last year or so, she had been throwing up periodically, which was making her very thin. She would eat like mad, then projectile vomit impossible volumes for a little cat. This happened every few days.
 
We had the full workup: laboratory tests, physical exam, x-rays, even an ultrasound exam, in an effort to find out what was wrong with her. I suspected a type of cancer, but all the studies pointed to IBC: inflammatory bowel disease. So, we did what we could for her. Fed her special food, and cleaned up after her, when she had an episode. But despite our best efforts, she got so very thin.
 
Then, one day last week, she suddenly got very quiet and just stopped eating or drinking. And this was a cat who lived for food. So we knew the time had come….
 
You wouldn’t think that a little, barely five pound cat could affect us so much. Maybe it’s the complete trust and the innocent acceptance, love and companionship they give us that makes the pathos of ending their lives so poignant. Maybe it’s the implications of our own mortality. I only know that we were there at her beginning; we were there at her end…and we go on.
 
I know it was a kindness to her. I like to think she’s in a better place, now–no pain, no sickness, no hunger. But it’s always hard, and it’s so final…Sic transit Chelsea.
 
Well, we have quite a few more to care for. You know, one of the reasons we admire cats is their innate grace. And the reason cats are so graceful is the enormous amount of muscle, compared with the size of their frames. Cats are Nature’s perfect predator–a seamless blend of  power, speed, and balance. 

If you watch them, you can learn a lot about how we should train. They stretch, they scratch their claws, they run in bursts of speed and they spend a great deal of time resting. When you think about it, they exemplify exactly how we should treat our own bodies. Exercise for strength, stretch for flexibility, get proper nutrition and plenty of rest–just the formula I use in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, which you can get at  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
To get rid of nagging knee pain, patella problems, giving way, water on the knee, and other painful maladies, the best long term, non-surgical option is exercise–specific, specially modified exercise to stretch and strengthen the knee. See how at
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html   Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

I just read on one of the news services that Sly Stallone plead guilty in an Australian Court to importing banned performance-enhancing drugs. It seems he has been on an injectable form of human growth hormone (hGH), by prescription, of course, Jintropin. The problem is that Australia has banned such substances, unless a special permit is obtained.
 
Needless to say, Sly didn’t have the requisite permit. He wrote a letter of apology to the Court, citing ignorance of the local rules for his inadvertant violation of their laws. I think this is very likely true.
 
Now, anyone who has seen Sly Stallone in recent films, like Rocky Balboa, or the most recent installment of Rambo, will not be surprised to learn that Sly uses hGH. The guy is 61 years old after all, but has the muscle mass and definition of a guy many years his junior. Even with heavy weight training, which is probably not a good idea at that age, those results are unlikely without some enhancement.
 
Turns out that Jintropin is the most popular hGH injectable supplement in China. Like all available hGH injectables, it is a synthetic, recombinant form of growth hormone. It is most definitely a “performance enhancing drug.” And, therefore, it’s most definitely verboten in the Land of Oz (as the Aussies, pronounced “Ozzies,” like to call their island continent).
 
We’ve discussed this topic before. Human growth hormone levels are responsible for muscle growth, strength, speed, healing response to injury, and are associated with many characteristics of youth.  Growth hormone falls rapidly with increasing age, and is thought to be, if not the cause, at least a contribution to, or associated with the effects of aging. For this reason, it has been thought that increasing these GH levels will reverse the effects of aging, increase muscle mass, enhance performance and boost the immune system.
 
Injections of hGH, up to now, have been the most effective way to do that. But these injections are only available by prescription from a physician and there has been speculation, if not proof, that the increased circulating growth hormone levels could increase the emergence of cancer, at least theoretically. In addition, large doses of GH may result in blood levels of GH beyond what is needed for optimal health, with unknown consequences.
 
The fact is that hGH production is still carried out in the pituitary gland, even in older age, but it is NOT RELEASED. Wouldn’t it be better to be able to allow that natural GH to be RELEASED, than to artificially raise the level of the hormone?
 
Now, thanks to the research done by a physician friend of mine, you can do just that with Trans-D Tropin
 http://drbillsclinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html  Trans-D Tropin is a botanical formulation that is applied topically, for absorption through the skin.  It stimulates the release of one’s own naturally produced growth hormone. This means that you can return your body’s level of GH back to the level you enjoyed during your teens, but NOT to abnormal levels. It literally “turns back the clock.” 

In addition, Trans-D Tropin has been shown to DECREASE  IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1), the substance identified in association with increased cellular growth and tumor formation. In other words, according to the manufacturers, this formula actually REDUCES the risk of cancer. It also reduces levels of insulin and cortisol, two hormones associated with inflammation and aging. 

I use this myself. I was never a fan of injectable GH–too many unknowns, too much risk for me. But Trans-D Tropin http://drbillsclinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html   enhances GH levels, with all its benefits, within physiological parameters (in other words, within limits that are normal for a young man), and reduces cancer risk, as well. 

Reported benefits of Trans-D Tropin include an improved youthful appearance, with reduction in wrinkles, decreased body fat, increased lean muscle mass, with attendant increased strength and performance, improved stamina and endurance, reduced chronic pain, faster recovery from injury or surgery, increased REM sleep with better, more restful sleep, a stronger immune system, improved overall health and a general sense of well-being.
 
Dr. Nicholas V. Perricone, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine wrote, “Trans-D Tropin technology is the single most effective age reversal therapy I have found in over 15 years of clinical practice.” 

So, if you want to look like Stallone when you’re in your sixties, feel better, stronger, faster and healthier and do it with a DECREASED risk of cancer, do what I do.  Get some and rub it on your skin today: Trans-D Tropin  http://drbillsclinic.com/trans_d_tropin.html  It’s safe, it’s easy and, compared with injectable GH, it’s cheap. It’s a no-brainer. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

Well, here we are in Orlando, where it’s cloudy but not even raining yet. And the press has worked itself into a lather over the approach of Fay, a tropical storm with hurricane potential. Now, it is true that Fay has spawned some tornados, apparently killed ten people and should be taken seriously. But so far, virtually nothing that has been predicted has happened.
 
I’m well aware that meteorology is an inexact science. That’s rather like saying King Kong is a large monkey. I mean, these guys are wrong so often that they could probably do better if they flipped a coin. They know it’s raining when they look out the window. For all the sophisticated computer models, specialized radars and scientific analysis, they are clueless about what’s going on in the real world.
 
See, the problem is the computer models. The models are accurate ONLY if the premises on which they’re based are valid. Wrong assumptions, wrong results. Since the facts on the ground (or rather, in the air) are always changing, it makes it tough to accurately predict what’s actually going to happen. You see, I understand their limitations, but talk about your overpaid guys!  They get paid whether they’re right or wrong! In fact, most people expect them to be wrong. Meanwhile I was supposed to be perfect–any deviation from perfect is assumed to be defacto evidence of malpractice. Feh! Makes me sick!
 
Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad we don’t have to deal with a major hurricane. It’s just annoying that every prediction these guys make is presented with a certitude that keeps us all in a state of fear. That was the premise of a very good book by Michael Crichton, he of Jurassic Park fame, of the same name (State of Fear). His theme was the constant “state of fear” that the media tries to keep the public in, with one dire prediction after the next. And it’s absolutely true.
 
And here’s something else to think about: this is the same “science” that supports those who buy into the whole apocalyptic “global warming” business. Almost all of it is based on computer models, just like the day to day weather, apparently with the same degree of accuracy. 

This would explain the phenomenon of melting polar ice caps, rising seas (which, given Al Gore’s time line, should have swallowed several coastal cities by now) et al, which are a product of extrapolated computer models. Same problem: if the assumptions on which the models are based are faulty (ie. warming, such as it is, is the product of man made activity, greenhouse gases and the like), the results are, too. This is why the polar ice caps of Mars are also observed to be receding, absent ANY man-made activity (so far as we know). And it explains why our polar ice is now INCREASING, contrary to the predicted findings of the models.
 
People who are fully invested in the whole global warming enterprise are aware of these disturbing variations in the real world from the computer models. That’s why you now hear more about “climate change,” than global warming these days. Here’s a clue: the climate is ALWAYS changing–that’s what it does. And all climate is a function of the activity level of the SUN, the source of all energy on earth. The amazing thing is not that climate varies now and again, but that the narrow range necessary to preserve life on our little planet is remarkably constant.
 
So while the meteorologists and weathermen appear to be fey on Fay, I’m going to look out my window, onto the real world, and see what the weather’s doing. Still cloudy, still no rain, mildly breezy here in Orlando. But the radio says twisters were noted in Southern Florida. Which way will it go? They have NO IDEA, though they have plenty of predictions. Ah well, let’s hope it misses us. We’ll soon know…
 
Speaking of the crappy weather of the Hurricane Season, ever notice that your joints ache when it’s about to rain? Or that you feel sleepy when it’s cloudy and damp? Well, that’s a function of specialized nerve endings in the tissues around your joints that respond to a fall in barometric pressure (baroreceptors). Any inflammation, as from synovitis, arthritis, a chronic sprain or strain, a recent fracture (even if healed) aches with damp weather.
 
You can ease those aches and pains with some local heat applications and the various anti-inflammatory measures I teach in my newest program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY    http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
Using measures from across the medical spectrum, you can relieve pain, reduce inflammation and restore function in your painful knee–without surgery. 

Til next time, my friend, stay dry, stay safe, and be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

Wow. What a spectacular accomplishment for Michael Phelps and the U.S. swim team at the Beijing Olympics. Eight gold medals in one Olympic Games, finally surpassing the outstanding record of Olympic great Mark Spitz in Munich, ’74. And breaking seven world records in the process, too.
 
Spitz was as gracious as it’s possible to be and has been supportive of Phelps for the entire Games. As he so wisely said, “records are there to be broken. And 36 years is pretty good.” What a gentleman and sportsman he is–true class, on display.
 
There are a lot of lessons for all of us in Michael Phelps’ great achievement. Rewards for hard work, determination, laser-like focus on his goals, and a little bit of luck–all are instructive. 

And for all that he is now the greatest athlete in the history of the modern Games, he remains a down-to-earth, even humble guy, appreciative of the support and the achievements of his team mates, as well as the varagies of fate (like his 1/100th of a second win in his contest with Serbia’s Milorad Cavic last Saturday, in the 100m Butterfly).
 
It’s hard for any of us mere mortals to fully appreciate the enormous pressure of expectations, as well as the truly great competition he had to face. I mean, this guy went into the Games with the press and everyone else saying, “Can he do it? He could possibly break the record of Mark Spitz set in the ’74 Olympics. Can he really win eight golds?” I can’t even imagine how that must feel.
 
I think the winning of ANY Olympic medal is a truly outstanding statement of excellence in your sport. A gold is often separated from a silver or bronze by the thinnest sliver of time, mere hundreths of a second, as we saw. A good day or a bad day may be all the difference between being a medalist or not, or gold, silver or bronze. At that level, everyone competing is a champion. 

But, as they used to say on the old “Highlander” TV show, “in the end…there can be only ONE.” And to that one goes the gold medal, to that athlete that was the best…at that contest, on that day.
 
The point is, a single gold medal is a pinnacle of an athlete’s life. Eight is enough to catapult Phelps into the pantheon of the greatest athletes who have ever lived. How do you better that? Only by competing, not with others, but with yourself, alone…at least internally.
 
All indications are that Mr. Phelps will be an exemplary champion. He embodies everything that’s made America great: hard work, focus and dedication to a goal. If he never did another thing in his life, his place in the ranks of sports immortals would be assured. But he says he plans to compete in the London Olympics, in 2012. So, he’s not done yet….
 
Congratulations to a fine young man, a true paragon for the younger swimmers of tomorrow to look up to and an American Sports Hero. Closest thing we’ve got to Aquaman or the Submariner! And that “eight” thing the Chinese are so fond of as a sign of good fortune…it certainly paid off for Michael Phelps.
 
As it happens, swimming, or even walking in water, is one of the very best exercises you can do when you have arthritis, or an injured knee. It’s highly recommended, when you can find a pool for strengthening your quads, without any impact and with limited weight bearing, besides. But if you can’t swim, you can do nearly as well with my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM exercises. See them at
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html   That’s it for today. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

Some jokes are funny because they’re true.Like, you know you’re over-the-hill when …

1. You and your teeth don’t sleep together anymore

2.   2. It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired in the first place

3.   3. Getting lucky means you found your car in the parking lot.

     But a lot of the “Over the hill” jokes and so-called “common-knowledge” about aging are just flat out wrong. And if you accept them, they can ruin your quality of life. Take back-pain for example.

   Most folks would say, “You know you’re over-the-hill when your back goes out but you stay home.” I hate that one because it’s a flat-out-lie. Back-pain is only a part of getting older if you let it be. If you suffer from back-pain, sciatica or a herniated disc, you know how hard it is to do the things you love. It can stop you from playing golf or tennis or picking up your grandkids.

   It slows you down and makes you FEEL old.

   So I have GREAT NEWS for you today:

   I’ve arranged for you to get two free gifts to get rid of any back-pain you might have.

GIFT ONE is a FREE copy of The Healthy Back Institute’s “Back Pain Relief Guide”

GIFT TWO is a VIDEO about how to both get rid of your back-pain AND make sure it never comes back

again.

Just click here to watch the VIDEO and get your Free Pain Relief Guide so back-pain doesn’t ruin anything for you ever again. If you know you have a specific condition, choose the guide appropriate for you…  Or if you’re not sure what kind of back pain you have just click here and watch the video and get the Back Pain Relief Guide. Over 500,000 people have used the information and strategies in this free guide to get rid of their back-pain.

Just listen to what other back-pain suffers are saying …

§         “This is UNREAL… I never would have thought something so simple could get rid of over 5 years of constant, chronic back pain.” – George Santos, Atlanta, GA

§         “I’ve been pain free for the last 8 weeks. And I mean PAIN FREE for the FIRST TIME in over 15 years!” - Mark A. Visalia, CA

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.htmlP.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html

P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html

FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION

Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved