February 2, 2009

I’m sitting here in my Southampton study, late morning on Monday, reflecting on Superbowl LXII.  And what a game it was! It had everything you could hope for–passion, well-matched opponents, a back and forth struggle for the lead, an outcome in doubt until the final seconds, and moments of true human excellence, that take your breath away.  This one had it all.
 
Now, unlike many of my friends, I’m not a real football fan. I don’t watch any game that comes along, or make my wife a “weekend widow” to sports. No. But, for the same reason I’ll watch a great championship fight, or the World Series, I always make it a point to watch the Superbowl.
 
And because I’m NOT a big fan of any particular team, I can appreciate the outstanding performances of players on BOTH teams. Here’s a few of the insights I gained watching this great game.
 
In the first quarter, I saw Santonio Holmes of the Steelers receive a pass and run down the field past all his blockers, only to suddenly change direction, spin on a dime away from a tackle and make additional yardage, before getting stopped. As an orthopaedist, I can tell you that those sudden changes in direction are what screw up a lot of knees–excellent way to tear an ACL or meniscus, or other knee injuries, like those I detail in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK at   http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
But Holmes made this feat look easy. I promise you, it isn’t. What we saw was the end result of many, many hours of dedicated training and conditioning, using principles and exercises, like those I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM at
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
And in what was arguably the most outstanding athletic feat in the game, #92, James Harrison’s 100 yard interception return, running the entire length of the field for a touchdown, was amazing!  The longest play in Superbowl history, and we were there to see it. Talk about exciting!
 
And speaking of good knees, how about Half Time performer, Bruce Springstein, sliding into the camera–ON HIS KNEES, at the end of his first number.  “Born to Run” and “Glory Days”–no “wardrobe malfunctions,” here. Just raw talent on display. No wasted time, either. BAM, bam, one hit after another. Great show!
 
At the half, it was Pittsburg 17 and Arizona 7.  That might have been a demoralizing lead for the Cardinals, but their team, led by quarterback Kurt Warner never gave up. True grit and tenacity, not to mention real talent and drive on display last night, as they clawed their way back. How about that terrific pass that Larry Fitzgerald took down the field for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, to put Arizona up by 23 to 20? Just amazing. That guy has great hands–big and strong and runs like the wind. Great player.
 
You know, I read before the game about the different characteristics of the opposing quarterbacks. The analysts said Warner was capable of great things, but tended to become erratic under pressure. But they felt that Ben Roethlisberger was controlled and consistent. I think they were right on in their analysis. Of the two, Roethlisberger WAS the more consistent, more in control player. He threw longer, more accurate passes and was pretty nimble for a big, stocky guy. No doubt that night, he was the better man. 
 
But for all the passes thrown by quarterbacks, it’s the passes completed or intercepted that count. So, at the end of the fourth quarter, with Arizona leading, and time running out, what could Pittsburg possibly do to pull victory out of defeat? 
 
Elementary, my dear Holmes! 
 
It was the outstanding catch by Holmes in the Cardinal’s end zone and his magnificent drive down the field, to score the touchdown, that upset what looked like a sure Arizona win and gave the Steelers their sixth Superbowl championship–first franchise in history to chalk up six wins.
 
No wonder Holmes won the MVP award. He deserved it. And besides great entertainment, there were a number of great lessons for everyone in this game:  never give up, keep fighting, it ain’t over til it’s over. The best qualities of the human heart were on display last night. But the perhaps the greatest lesson of Superbowl XLII was aptly summed up by Ben Roethlisberger in a postgame interview: “Anything is possible.”
 
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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 30, 2009

You know, yesterday, after I wrote my daily email,  I clicked SEND and off it went. Only later, when I was re-reading it, did I realize that I gave you  a catalog of various knee problems that could cause the popping or snapping in the knee that I’ve been experiencing lately. Then, I mentioned the various treatment options, that I teach in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN
 http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
Among these, I mentioned boosting my fish oil consumption, but I never mentioned WHY that’s a good idea, in this situation. What was I thinking?
 
You know, one of the things I have to guard against all the time is the assumption that you know what I know. And, of course, that’s not the case. I mean, if you knew what I know, why would you be here, listening to me? You’d already know what I had to say, right?
 
Well, sometimes, falling prey to this failing, I forget that I haven’t spelled out what I mean. I kind of assume you just KNOW, you know?And I did that, this time. Sorry ’bout that.
 
Let me see if I can make up for it. You see, a plica, or shelf, or flap of synovium inside the joint may swell and thicken, as a result of inflammation. I DID mention that. But I then assumed that you knew what I meant when I said I’d boost my fish oil intake. So maybe that made no sense to you.
 
Here’s the spelled out train of reasoning.  Inflammation causes the membrane lining the knee joint (and all other mobile joints, too) to become swollen, thicker and produce too much fluid. In more severe cases,this results in an effusion, or ”water on the knee.” The swelling and thickening (hypertrophy) of the tissues leads to the formation of a moveable piece of tissue that can get momentarily caught, then released, between the moving parts, the femur and tibia.
 
Now, often, this is relatively acute, so the tissues are still membranous, just inflamed and thickened. So if you can reverse the inflammation, then the swollen tissues may shrink and return to normal. That’s the idea behind the fish oil.
 
Fish oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. And these fatty acids have marked and proven anti-inflammatory properties. They block the conversion of arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, contained especially in red meat, to inflammatory mediators (chemicals that cause tissue inflammation), especially prostaglandins.
 
These chemicals provoke the changes in the tissues and stimulate PAIN. So increasing my fish oil intake is a no-brainer. But it needs to be increased for a while, often up to 12 weeks, or more, before its full benefits can be felt.
 
And, on the other end, I cut back on my red meat intake, to reduce the amount of arachidonic acid my body has to deal with.
 
Now, in the short term, there ARE things you can do to reduce pain and inflammation, that act in concert with the fish oil, which is good for the  longer term. And I teach you exactly what to do in my new healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY
http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Of course, if you develop a chronic inflammation for long enough, the swollen synovial flap becomes fibrosed–replaced by scar tissue. Once that happens, you have to cut it out, because it can’t shrink any more, even if inflammation is reduced. Fortunately for me, this snapping has only emerged over the last few days, so it can’t be scar tissue yet. 
 
Hopefully, all the integrated treatments I teach at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html   will resolve the problem soon. Physician, heal thyself, eh?
 
Well, anyway, have a great weekend my friend. Be well. I’ll talk to you again soon.
 
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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 29, 2009

I was sitting here at my desk, tapping away at my computer last night, setting up my new accounts for twitter, myspace and facebook. I typed out invitations to a bunch of people on my personal list to become my contacts and friends. Why I never bothered to do this before, I don’t know.
 
But I guess I thought it was just for kids or something. No, that’s pretty lame, I must admit.  I guess it just never occurred to me, until one of my friends opened an account on these social networking sites and wrote me how much fun he was having.
 
So, I’m fashionably late to the party, but better late than never, as they say.
 
If you’d like to join my page on any or all of these websites, as a friend, please feel free. Look under William Stillwell.
 
Well, after sitting in the chair for hours, typing away (and writing an article on osteoporosis for Total Health Breakthroughs, at the same time), I finally got up to stretch.
 
SNAP! Wow! I got this painful popping sensation in the anterior lateral joint line of my left knee. Definitely something within the joint. Great. Just what I need right now. It’s always the way, isn’t it?
 
So, I’m trying to think if I injured myself recently, in any way. Nope. Can’t remember anything (that doesn’t mean nothing happened, only that I can’t remember anything). But this IS the knee that I had surgery on a few years ago (actually, almost four years ago–God! It just goes faster and faster…), when I discovered, to my dismay, that I had some significant arthritic changes in the joint.
 
My mind reviewed all the possibilities, all the potential problems that could cause this painful snapping or popping. Could be a tear of my lateral meniscus. No recent injury, but that can happen just from degeneration. After all, I had a degenerative tear of the medial meniscus in that knee, which my surgeon fixed (ie. removed) at the time.
 
Could be further degeneration of the cartilage surfaces of the joint, with some crater formation. I hope not, but it could be. After all, I had more arthritic change than I would have believed, and no history of specific injury to account for it.
 
Could be a loose piece of cartilage, like a “joint mouse” (yeah, they really call it that), but since the popping is always in the same spot, that’s much less likely.
 
Most likely, though, is a flap of synovium, the lining of the knee joint, that’s become chronically inflamed, and as a result has become thick and possibly fibrosed (replaced by scar tissue), so it can flip in and out of the joint space, between the moving surfaces of the femur and tibia. Such flaps, or plicae, are common and are the most likely reason for this sensation. Hell, I hope so–I’m too busy right now to dick around with surgery.  It’s funny how being on the other side of the table changes your perspective
 
The point is, if you know what the possibilities are, you can figure out what’s most likely to be causing your problem. That was the main idea behind my popular LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN  http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
so you can do this, too.
 
Once you figure out what your problem is most likely to be, you can start doing those treatments that are most likely to give you the result you want–relief of knee pain, and without needing surgery  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
So, I’m increasing my fish oil intake, for its known anti-inflammatory effects, and stepping up the intensity of my proven knee exercises (see here at   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html )  Hopefully, these measures will get rid of this new nuisance. 
 
I tell you, I can hardly wait for Old Age, because Middle Age is such fun! Well, I guess it beats the alternative, right? Talk to you soon. 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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 28, 2009

I watched a news program, with some bemusement, as politicians from both major parties in Congress slow roasted Bernard Madoff, who has been accused of running a Ponzi Scheme with pension funds. Now, I’m not very sympathetic to this guy, but…not one of these politicians seems to have a sense of the deep irony that is so rich in this situation. Wrapped in a cloak of self righteousness, each one lambasts this guy for doing exactly what THEY do, on a regular basis.
 
This is only one example of course. The discussions on the various “stimulus proposals” are pregnant with disingenuousness, not to mention laden with so much pork, it makes Congress look like a pig farm on steroids. In fact, the best example of a Ponzi scheme is…Social Security, as a metaphor for the entire Federal government!
 
You may recall that the term, “Ponzi Scheme” is so named after a guy named Ponzi, who ran a scam in which early investors were paid off with money from later investors, until the money ran out.  Hmmmmm…doesn’t that sound familiar?
 
Government types pull this crap all the time. How can they sit there in high dudgeon, railing at some poor bastard, I mean “witness,” who is only guilty of what is routinely done by Congress?  Talk about sheer arrogance. These guys give “chutzpah” (“sheer nerve,” or “gall” for those in the Midwest) a whole new dimension. 
 
I mean, c’mon folks! These guys, most of them anyway, couldn’t possibly run a company, or hold down a real job, in the real world, or balance a checkbook, based on the evidence they present daily. They continually demonstrate that they can’t run the government properly. “Trillion” is the new buzz word.
 
But they’re ever ready and willing to hold US to a far different standard and make pronouncements about how we should run our own affairs. Just listen to Nancy Pelosi–this woman, third in line for the Presidency, mind you (THERE’S a frightening image), is an idiot. Just look at that vacuous stare…she is CLUELESS, but ever eager to advise us. Based on what? I ask.
 
And Rep. Barney Frank (and his partner in crime, Sen. Chris Dodd), up to their armpits in culpability for this real estate mess, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, that led the spiral into our current financial black hole, sitting up there, in high dudgeon, like the Inquisition, to fix the blame for this situation anywhere but where it belongs. Yeah. THEY’RE gonna fix everything. Right. Unbelievable. It’s insane, my friend. And the inmates are in charge of the asylum.
 
Better hold on to your wallet, pal. 
 
And you better take personal responsibility for your own health, too, if you haven’t already. Because this same incompetent crowd, who demonstrate daily that they can’t even run what they’re supposed to, are just salivating to take over the entire Health Care Industry. Like they haven’t done enough damage.
 
Oh, sure, we’ll all be covered, no more “uninsured,” but the coverage will suck. And there WILL be rationing (though it won’t be called that). There’s no way to avoid it. Old guy with a bad heart? You want a cardiac bypass? Fat chance, pal. You know what that costs? It’s coming, my friend….
 
So you better get ready NOW. Take resposnsibility for your own health. Stay OUT of the system, by avoiding health problems. Make better choices in your activities, lose weight and get rid of bad habits (like smoking). Improve your diet; take vitamins, nutrients and supplements and EXERCISE daily, like your life depended on it…because it DOES. One good way is to click here, at http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
Hey, I’ve done my part for you. You have knee pain? Read my LITTLE GREEN BOOK, so you can learn what’s causing it and what your options are. Go to  http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
Bad arthritis? Think you might need surgery? No problem. Get my popular, new healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, right here at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
The only way to win is to stay OUT of the system. So get a handle on your health and watch, as the games begin…
 
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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 27, 2009

Just this morning, as I got out of bed, I flipped on the news channel, just to see what was going on (and to get the correct time–the cats had managed to disconnect the power cord to my radio-alarm clock–little devils!). As luck would have it, they had some doctor, commenting on the most recent drug scare by the FDA, the glorious Food & Drug Administration.
 
While their record is far from stellar, they occasionally do provide the public with timely warnings about various health threats. This time, the warning was about skin numbing creams, both OTC and prescription.
 
These are creams or lotions that numb the skin, by the use of local anesthetics, like Benzocaine, Lidocaine, Tetracaine, Novocaine, etc. Used properly, they can provide blessed relief to anyone with a bad sunburn, or a painful abrasion, and are even used over painful arthritic joints, or areas of neuritis–where the underlying nerves are irritated.
 
A couple of years ago, I had occasion to use Lidocaine skin patch, myself, for a painful neurological condition. Man, it was a life saver. I developed a burning dysesthesia–that means a burning nerve pain over my right upper buttock and low back–that lasted for about three months.  How did I manage that? Glad you asked.
 
One night, I was sound asleep in bed, with my wife, when I was awakened by a jarring crash.  Turns out the entire bed frame had suddenly collapsed onto the floor! We have this enormous king-sized bed, with a 22 inch thick mattress (Kingsdown, if anyone’s interested), that my wife hates, because it’s so hard to get sheets that fit, and I love, because it’s so comfortable and supportive for my rotten back. 
 
Anyway, the thing weighs a ton, especially with both of us and quite a few cats on it. Normally, there’s a short, central supporting leg under the frame, to support the weight. But somehow (probably those pesky cats, again), the damn thing had been knocked out of position, unbeknowst to us. So, lacking that support, it decided to collapse that night, just for maximal effect. Thank God no cats were under it, when it went….
 
Anyway, we had all our guest rooms filled with house guests (Murphy was working overtime that night!), so we couldn’t just pop into another bed. My wife said we should just go to a local hotel (in retrospect, the correct decision). But, oh no.  I decided I would FIX this thing, right then and there (I’m an orthopod, you know. That’s what we DO). 
 
And I did, bent over for about two hours, with power drill and screw driver, after first disassembling this giant bed, myself (in retrospect, stubborn, but not too bright–ever notice how wise we all are in retrospect?).
 
Well, we went to sleep, but by morning, I had this searing, burning pain in the right lower back. I called up my spine doc, my good friend Dr. Tom Dowling, for advice and help. And he prescribed these Lidocaine pain patches, to apply right over the painful area. And man, what blessed relief….
 
But it seems that some geniuses out there are applying such patches, or creams and lotions containing the local anesthetic, in large volumes, then wrapping the area with bandages, to maximize absorption. And some are doing so over painful, arthritic joints, so they can work out or jog better, or applying the compounds over cuts, which does the same thing. And some of these brilliant specimens are then developing cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heart beats), or seizures, as a result, which has actually resulted in a few deaths. Hence, the FDA warning….
 
These patches and lotions, like everything else I teach in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK, which you can get at
 http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html   have a real benefit to offer. But only if they’re not abused, or used stupidly. 
 
To learn how to use them correctly, especially for arthritic joints, make sure you get over to my web site and click on this link:
 http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
That way, you can get the benefits these compounds were designed to provide, but without the dangers. Hey, it’s like anything else. You have to use any medication the way it’s recommended, not just make up your own rules. Otherwise, YOU may be the subject of the next public service announcement:  ”…And now, a word from the FDA…” 
 
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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 26, 2009

During one evening of our recent cruise through the Caribbean, I went to an art preview in one of the lounges on the upper decks of the ship. After viewing some of the available works, including some by Rembrandt, Renoir, Picasso, Miro and a number of modern masters, I decided to go up on deck for a walk.
 
Nothing I love better about cruising than the hiss of the ocean, as the ship slices through the waves, the salt smell of the deep and the cool ocean breezes. After waiting for a short while, the elevator arrived and I stepped on, into a group of other passengers. On board were a group of older women, and a middle aged woman and her husband.
 
The middle aged lady suddenly asked one of the older women, “When did you have your knees done?”  And she replied, “Oh, about seven months ago.”  “Gee,” said the middle aged lady, “I think I have that in my future too, but I want to put it off as long as possible, if I can.” 
 
With that, I looked and observed that indeed the older lady had the scars of a total knee replacement. I hadn’t noticed before, because frankly, she wasn’t a beautiful young girl (Hey! I’m on vacation, you know!)–then, I might have paid attention. Anyway, talk about a great segue way…
 
So, I leaned over and asked her “Do you have arthritis?” “Oh, yes,” she said. “My doctor said I need that, but I don’t want it!”
 
“Well, if you don’t want it, then it’s too soon for you anyway,” I advised her. “Besides, there are many things you can do, treatments that really work to help you relieve knee pain and restore knee function, but without knee surgery.” See how at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
We got off at the same deck and continued our conversation on the landing. Turns out her husband was a massage therapist, who had been keeping her going with gentle massage, that improved her blood supply to aching joints. Many of the effective measures I teach in my new healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, seen here at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html result in increased local blood flow, which reduces inflammation and speeds healing. That, combined with the other healing secrets I reveal, are truly effective, providing FAST RELIEF and delaying, or avoiding surgery entirely.
 
She hadn’t realized that she had options and that they didn’t require her to suffer. She was typical of the many people who have been helped by this life-changing information. I gave her a card, and advised her to get online and go to http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
That encounter on an elevator could be the best luck she could have hoped for. With luck, she’ll follow through and enjoy the benefits of this great medical information. She promised she would. Like you, she’s got nothing to lose but her pain… but, I guess we’ll see.
 
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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 23, 2009

A week ago today, while on our cruise through the Southern Caribbean, I read with sadness of the death of the great American artist, Andrew Wyeth, who passed on January 16th, at the ripe old age of 91 years old. Now, apart from my interest in things artistic, as an artist myself, why am I even mentioning this event in this venue? And what does this have to do with orthopaedics?
 
Because I knew him, for a brief time, during my adult joint reconstruction fellowship at the New England Baptist Hospital, with my friend and teacher Ben Bierbaum, I actually Operated on him for surface replacements of his hips and, as far as I know, he died with my scars still on his hips. Here’s what happened, as I remember it…
 
In 1978, I was fortunate to be one of two Aufranc Fellows, chosen competitively each year to participate in what is arguably the finest and most prestigious joint reconstruction fellowship in the country. Many celebrity patients, politicians like the Kennedy’s, show business leaders, like Arthur Godfrey, and world class artists, like Andrew Wyeth, came to the surgeons of The New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, for the best orthopaedic care available.
 
So, imagine my surprise when I was asked by Dr. Ben Bierbaum, My Chief of Service and teacher, to go do the admission workup on this patient, a job normally allocated to a resident, and it turned out to be Andrew Wyeth. He was a really nice guy, very refined, but down to earth and he was there because he had very bad osteoarthritis of his hips (you can learn more about OA and other orthopaedic diseases, albeit for the knee, in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK, which you can get here at   http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html ) 
 
At that time, Dr. Bierbaum, who was the Orthopaedic Surgeon-in-Chief of The Baptist (and probably the best, most artful hip surgeon with whom I ever had the privilege to work) was doing what was then believed to be a bone sparing procedure, called Resurfacing Arthroplasty, or Surface Replacement. 
 
This was different than a standard total hip replacement, because the head and neck of the femur were preserved, and covered with a polished hemispherical metal shell, articulated with a polyethylene shell in the acetabular socket of the pelvis. The theoretical advantage was that it preserved nature’s own hip architecture, provided excellent, almost normal motion and excellent stability (It turned out to cause excessive wear of the plastic with resulting osteolysis, or absorption of bone, but we didn’t know that, then).
 
This procedure was more demanding than a standard total hip, because the surgeon had to be careful to preserve the blood supply to the hip. But Ben was the best. And I was lucky to be there to assist him. He usually did the surgery, rather than letting us (the Fellows) do it, with his supervision, because he believed we could learn more by watching him closely, than by trying to do it ourselves (I didn’t realize, til later, how right he was).
 
Anyway, we operated together on one of the pre-eminent artists of The 20th Century. Mr. Wyeth and I had become friendly prior to his surgery and he knew of my interest and training in Plastic Surgery and layered wound closures, that produce minimal scarring. And he had seen some of my own art work and liked it. As a result, Mr. Wyeth had specifically requested, one artist to another (though I was scarcely anywhere near his league–he was just a very gracious man), that I close his wound, to give him the most minimal scar possible. And Ben, who knew himself of my skills in that regard, was OK with that.
 
Anyway, I did my best and he was very pleased with his result, a hairline gentle “S” incision, that healed beautifully. Some weeks later, Ben and I did his other side, with the same excellent result. 
 
In the postop period, while he was working on his rehabilitation, he was kind enough to autograph a book of his watercolors (Kerner’s Farm)to me:   “For Dr. Bill Stillwell, Who will one day produce a book of his own art much better than this. —  Andrew Wyeth.” 
 
As I said, a very gracious man, as well as a prodigious talent in the world of art. He will be missed.
 
Til next time, my friend, have a great weekend, 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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 22, 2009

One of the most fascinating things I’ve discovered about vacations aboard ship is the enormous wealth of orthopaedic pathology that people are walking around with. These cruise ships are like small floating cities, so there is a great cross section of the population on each, including many “walking wounded,” with all sorts of observable problems on display.
 
Just the other night, I was speaking with a nice lady, who has had multiple fractures of her tibia fixed with metal plates and screws. Unfortunately, the surface of her knee joint was penetrated by one of the screws, resulting in the rapid onset of arthritis. 
 
So now, she needs a total knee replacement–technically, a revision total knee replacement, which means using total knee implants after any prior surgery (as opposed to a total knee revision, which is the replacement of a prior total knee replacement that has failed, for whatever reason). Thus, she will need to have the previously implanted plates and screws removed, before the surgeons can proceed with the total knee.
 
In addition, she is bird thin, which from a surgical standpoint is both good and bad. It’s good because her bones are close to the surface and her limbs are light, making it easier to move the leg and knee and improve the accuracy of the requisite bone cuts and positioning of the implants. It’s bad because the tissue envelope covering the metal and plastic implants is thin, so there is less protection from infection than with heavier soft tissues. As in many areas of life, strength and weakness are the very same thing.
 
As if that weren’t enough, she also had a “Triple A,” an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (a balloon-like weakness in the body’s largest artery, the aorta, eventually lethal, if not resected) removed and replaced with an artificial Dacron aortic graft. And she reportedly has developed ANOTHER AAA above the old one. This woman is a medical practice, all by herself!
 
Now, like Jack Spratt and his wife in the nursery rhyme (but in reverse), she’s married to an enormous guy, who has also had a total knee replacement. Now HIS implants have plenty of soft tissue coverage, which is good. But his bulky legs limit the accuracy of the cuts and placement of implants, (the extra tissue just gets in the surgeon’s way), limit the depth of his knee flexion (the calf hits the back of the thigh sooner with big legs, stopping the bend of the joint) and edema (soft tissue swelling from fluid accumulation) and venous stasis, in which blood pools in the feet, ankles and lower legs–a potential luncheon for germs and infection. These things are all potentially bad. 
 
In addition, his heavy body weight (“large body habitus,” as we say in the trade) makes him a set-up for multiple complications, like heart attack, pneumonia, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or emphysema), stroke, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolus, and so on. Obviously, he avoided those complications and enjoys a successful result, but these risks are very REAL.
 
Now both this big man and his thin little wife had, or currently have, end stage osteoarthritic knees (you can learn more about this and other serious knee problems and their solutions, in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK at   http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
And in his case, he ran the risks and came out a winner.  She has yet to do so…and we hope she’ll do as well. But her main problem is pain, not bone loss, deformity, or instability.  Just pain. Now, wouldn’t it be better if she could relieve that severe knee pain, but without surgery? 
 
She could start by taking some pharmaceutically pure FISH OIL (For the very best, go to http://favoriteformulas.com), which has proven anti-inflammatory and pain reduction properties, then try any of the many other treatments from across the entire medical spectrum in my newest healing program,  HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY. Get yours NOW, at
http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Even if surgery can’t be entirely prevented it can often be delayed, so you don’t have to suffer while getting an underlying medical condition controlled and optimized.  And in some cases, you can get rid of your knee pain for good. So, never have surgery unless it’s absolutely necessary…See how at  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 21, 2009

The other night, I was having dinner with a few new Friends on the ship. Bernie is a nice middle aged guy who, with his wife Cathy, had built a rather large business in oil and diesel delivery in New Jersey. But they were originally from Fort Salonga in Long Island, right down the road from St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Smithtown. This was the prior name of St. Catherine of Siena, my old hospital, where I was Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery for so many years.
 
I had noticed him previously, prior to dinner, because he was walking with some difficulty, bent forward at the waist and using a cane. I noticed him particularly because he had his adjustable cane too short, a common mistake. To this day, I automatically catalogue the orthopaedic problems I see in those people I encounter. It’s just reflex–happens automatically.
 
In Bernie’s case, I couldn’t be sure if he had a bad back or a bad hip, possibly both. Both those conditions cause people to bend at the waist. Hard to tell for sure from a glance on a ship. But he also had wobbly knees and tended to hold the rail in the halls with his other hand, which tended to favor a bad back, possibly with nerve damage to his legs. Hips tend to cause a special side-leaning limp, toward the side of the weakness, called a Trandelenberg limp. He didn’t have that.
 
So, it was with some interest that, as luck would have it, he and his wife became my dinner companions, one night. Turns out I was right; he had just undergone major back surgery–TWICE.
 
Seems he had a laminectomy with disc removal at the commonest level, L5-S1, for a spinal stenosis and disc herniation (where the bony canal of the spine squeezes the spinal cord and nerves and the disc compresses the nerves, too), together with a fusion, to provide stability. 
 
But only three weeks after his initial surgery, he had a sudden onset of recurrent pain, this time with severe pain radiation down his leg, like sciatica. An MRI scan showed that the bone graft used for the fusion had slipped out from its intended position. So the poor guy had to have his back reopened and the surgery done again, only three weeks after the first surgery. Here was a guy who had planned to enjoy the Holidays with his problem fixed and his surgery behind him. Then, I told him about my own saga, with my spinal fractures and crushed discs (great dinner conversation, eh?). Talk of broken backs and shattered dreams! You see, you just never know….
 
That’s why I keep harping to you that you better be damn sure that any surgery you undergo is absolutely necessary, and try everything to avoid the operating room, if you can. That’s why I wrote my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can get at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
True, this focuses on the knee, particularly the exercises, but many of the methods and principles I teach here are from across the entire medical spectrum, conventional, alternative and complementary, and they’re applicable to ANY kind of surgery you might be considering. 
 
Let’s face it, the best surgery is the one you can avoid. And who would know that better than a surgeon? So, if you want to relieve your pain, FAST, and do it without surgery, try my popular program yourself at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Til next time, my friend, be well. Reporting from the High Seas of the Caribbean,

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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 20, 2009

Today, America makes an indelible mark in its history, as Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. And as the first black man to win that office, he shatters yet one more “glass ceiling” of our nation, forever, bringing us all closer to that “more perfect union,” for which we continue to strive.
 
We may disagree with some of his policies in the future. We may find some incongruity in his repeated invocation of Abraham Lincoln and the Declaration of Independence, which conflict with his apparent commitment to leftist ideals. And we may discover that not all change is progress. We shall see…
 
But there is no denying the importance of his singular achievement, nor his pragmatic intelligence, which we hope will be enough to restore the economy and keep us all safe in a dangerous world.
 
Most of all, never in history has such awesome power been transferred between administrations so peacefully as in the United States, as symbolized by the Inauguration of a new President. For all our contentious politicking and campaigning, when it’s all over, we come together behind our chosen President. This is the true strength and the resilience of the American System, an example to the world, which I believe in, with all my heart.
 
And so, on this auspicious day, truly a day to remember, I join with millions of Americans to wish President Obama good luck and best wishes for every success in the future. May the Almighty give him the wisdom and strength to guide our Nation in the days and years to come.
 
With best wishes,

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 conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.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, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved