February 1, 2010

Worked my butt off this past weekend, cleaning the house for an anticipated visit by my father-in-law’s wife’s brother and his wife, from Italy. Seems the guy is reported to be allergic to cats. Heh. That would make ours the wrong house to visit, as a general rule (we’re down to 24 now, having just lost Misty, our oldest, on this past Christmas Eve Day).
 
But, as these nice folks have never been in the States before, in the interests of international diplomacy, we decided to go the extra mile and super clean the place to make it “safe” for an allergy sufferer.
 
But first, we had to trap the cats and confine them. Otherwise, you’re just spinning your wheels. Fortunately, like me and most of our friends, they’re “food sluts.” Nothing they wouldn’t do, no place they wouldn’t go, for a tasty meal. So, my wife and I cracked open a few cans of wet cat food and played “Pied Piper” with them.
 
It’s quite a sight to see them all following the aroma of the food, right into the bedrooms, where we locked them in for the day. Then, we could work in peace.
 
So, we finished the house and then set about making some food. One thing about Italians is that they know good food. So we pulled out all the stops.  Turned out pretty well, too. They seemed to like everything and had seconds….
 
Nice couple they were: Mario and Tina. Live near Naples (the real one, not the one in Florida), have four kids, the oldest of whom is now in his forties. And they speak no English. Fortunately, Anna, Charlie’s wife and Mario’s sister, is bilingual, so we had our own built-in interpreter. Very lovely people. And we had a good time.
 
During the meal, Mario mentioned to my father-in-law that his son was supposed to have surgery on his knee. Between Anna’s interpretations and sign lingo, I was made to understand that he was having arthroscopic surgery on his lateral mensicus, which according to an MRI scan, was torn. And, since he found out that I was an orthopaedic surgeon, he naturally wanted to know if I thought that surgery was necessary.
 
Pretty good question, really. I pointed out to him that if he had read my book on treating knee pain, DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html  he would know the answer. And a lot has to do with the nature of the tear, where in the meniscus it is, and how active he intends to be after surgery. And all that is assuming that the tear actually exists.
 
The MRI scan is a great tool for diagnosis. On the medial side of the joint (inner side), its accuracy is about 90-95%. But, because of the screwy anatomy of the lateral compartment of the knee joint, MRI findings of the lateral meniscus are only about 60% accurate. So, actual pathology has to confirmed at arthroscopy, before you can begin to decide on appropriate treatment.
 
Apparently, he got the injury playing football. Not our idea of football, as in the Superbowl, but European football, or soccer. The rapid twisting, cutting movements in that game result in lots of meniscal tears. And, despite his age, he’d like to continue playing, after the proposed procedure. That being the case, he SHOULD have the surgery. 
 
If he was a low demand user, ie., a couch potato, then the same injury need not be treated so aggressively. In fact, the pain could then be treated with a number of the non-surgical options that I recommend, from across the entire medical spectrum, including the best alternative treatments, in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY: http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  
 
The exercises I show you, plus one, or several, of the other simple, easy to apply solutions for knee pain, including the anti- inflammatory properties of my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA,  http://www.favoriteformulas.com    an ultra pure, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, can often get rid of your knee pain fast and keep it gone, for good. Two capsules, twice a day, for a couple of months should do the trick, by reducing inflammation.
 
He felt very reassured that his son was making the right decision. And he was relieved that he had every reason to believe that his recovery would be fast and uneventful. Especially after I told him that I’d had such surgery myself and obviously, did well.
 
Then, it was time for them to make the run to the Orlando International Airport. Another of his sons was flying in to visit and they were going to pick him up. Naturally, they all want to go to Disney World.
 
So, having done our bit for U.S. international relations, and made two new friends, we all said “Ciao!” and bid them farewell. After a few well-earned moments of peace, for ourselves, the bride and I released the feline hordes, who descended on the kitchen, looking for more food!  There’s no end to it!
 
And, you know, that guy, Mario, never sneezed once! Guess we did a pretty good job. Well, that’s it for today, my friend. 
 
Remember that very soon, now, I will be asking you to sign up again, if you’d like to continue getting my daily emails and commentary, when I switch to a new server to improve email reliability and delivery. I know it’s a pain in the butt, but it’s necessary. 
 
On the other hand, if you’d like to bail, but were afraid of hurting my feelings, just don’t do anything and that will be done for you–you’ll just stop getting these daily ramblings and musings. To continue, you will have to take action, when the time comes.
 
Anyway, be well. Talk to you soon. 

Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
“The Wellness warrior”         TM

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, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 27, 2010

Really reaching back through the dim mists of time for this one, today. We’ve been toying with the idea of getting another large flat screen TV for the bedroom wall. Originally thought about doing this for Christmas, as a gift to ourselves, but budget constraints and other expenses put the kibosh on that.
 
While considering this, with all the pre-Super Bowl sales going on, I had occasion to think of the many TV’s we have and those we’ve had in the past. Now, I don’t use the TV continually. I read quite a bit, too. But I tend to get most of my news from the TV, I enjoy the news analysis and opinion shows and I’m a sucker for a classic movie–hooks me right in.
 
(Have you ever noticed that even if you OWN the movie, on a DVD or tape, you just HAVE to see it, if it comes on TV? Or is that just me?)
 
Anyway, this all caused me to reflect on my very first TV, back in the 50′s. Now, I realize that you, like many others, may not have been alive then. And it may be difficult for you to imagine a world without a color TV somewhere in it. But the first TV’s were black and white. 
 
Ours was a big console, a real piece of wooden furniture, with this rounded greenish, cream colored screen, maybe 13 inches wide or so. It had rounded corners and a curved front and a few very basic controls. My Dad always tried to provide the best for his family, so we were the first on our block to get one, or so I recall.
 
I remember the day it arrived, in this gigantic cardboard box. It was quite the event. My mother, me and I think, one of my friends(though I don’t remember who) were there for the unwrapping. The delivery guys lifted the big wooden console out and placed it against the wall in our living room. This was in the semi-attached house on 88th Street in Brooklyn, between 3rd and 4th Avenues, so the neighbors were all agog at this development, on display.
 
I DO remember playing with the box, crawling around inside and playing hide and seek. I had no idea that I should have been interested in the screen. Had no idea what it was. Never saw one before. Didn’t take long to find out, though.
 
Although they came with rabbit ear antennae at that time, my father had sprung for a real antenna, for installation on the roof, to improve reception. It didn’t take long for me to see the potential. I had a number of favorite shows: Howdy Doody with Buffalo Bob(and Clarabell the clown, Flubbadub, Mr. Bluster, Indian Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring, Chief Thunderthud and the rest of the gang), The Lone Ranger (stirring strains of the William Tell Overture, and the sonorous tones of the announcer: “Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear…the Lone Ranger rides again…”), Captain Midnight (sponsored by Ovaltine–I never DID like that stuff, but I loved the show), and perhaps my favorite, “Winky Dink and You.”
 
This last was an early educational show for kids. Winky Dink was what we’d call today a virtual character: he was this animated guy, with a big, five-pointed star for a head. Winky dink would give you hints about the object that was developing in front of you, as dots on the TV screen. 
 
You were supposed to apply a special orange plastic film to your TV screen, so you could draw on it and connect the dots, to make the picture. Very clever, interactive idea to educate kids and get them involved. Only, we didn’t have the special screen. So, seeing no real impediment to connecting the dots, I drew directly on the actual TV screen, with a grease crayon.
 
Mom nearly had a stroke! I remember her scrubbing that crayon off the family treasure. I was in bad odor for a while (though she never could stay mad at me for long). I also loved “Captain Video and his Video Rangers” (beloved of Ed Norton, on the Jackie Gleason classic, “The Honeymooners”), “Tom Corbett, Space Cadet” and many others. All in black and white, all primitive by today’s standards, but a whole world of imagination, right in our living room. 
 
It’s different today. Five year old kids are more facile with computer screens and iPhones than I am. Ah well. We are each a product of our respective Age, aren’t we? Today, many of us have a TV in every room, some so large that they rival the movie experience, images so crisp and defined in living color that they seem to include us in the action on the screen. That’s progress….
 
Yet, in many ways I was just as happy with my big cardboard box and my imagination, too innocent to know that the TV itself was the key to many worlds of wonder. It was a different world then (Alert! Sure sign of advancing age…).
 
Same thing with Medicine in that time. Mostly, it was GP’s, General Practicioners (Family Practicioners in today’s parlance). Specialists, like surgeons were relatively uncommon and the GP’s actually DID surgery, set bones, you name it. Primitive by today’s scientific standards, but warm and comforting, too.
 
In those days, many home remedies were used side-by-side with the latest advances in medical science. The Family doctor knew that many of these remedies worked, so they were an accepted adjunct to treatment. When Big Pharma became Big Pharma, however, all that changed. Like priests of sacred secrets, who do not wish to share their monopoly with the laity, many of today’s doctors view alternative, home remedies with contempt, citing the lack of double blind, controlled studies. Yet, many of these simple remedies WORK.
 
Take fish oil, for example. Literally thousands of well designed studies have shown that the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil have tremendous potential for healing and for preventing heart attacks, lowering blood pressure, slowing (or even reversing) arterial plaque, lowering triglycerides and (with garlic) lowering cholesterol, and even combatting the pain of arthritis, on account of its potent  anti-inflammatory properties. All this, and virtually NO serious side effects (something you CAN’T say about many drugs, including Advil and Aleve).
 
Yet many conventional physicians STILL don’t fully recognize the healing potential of these natural remedies. Lucky for you, you have ME. And my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA http://www.favoriteformulas.com  Used with a healthy diet, sensible habits and daily exercise, like my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM & DVD  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html  it can not only help you optimize your health, but help extend you life, as well. Regarding supplements, alternative and natural remedies, in many cases, it’s “Back To The Future,” using the best of them, in conjunction with the latest cutting edge medical technologies, to give you the best chance of being your very best.
 
Well, that’s it for today, my friend. If you haven’t done so, please go by and sign up for my Podcasts and Video Podcasts at iTunes or http://thewellnesswarrior.mypodcastworld.com   Til next time, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and your optimal health,
 
Dr. Bill
 
“The Wellness Warrior”           TM 
 
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, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

January 12, 2010

One of the most frequent questions I get is whether or not surgery is indicated for knee pain. Usually this applies to chronic, aching, long term knee pain, typically seen with osteoarthritis. But once in a while, it applies to a sudden onset, or an acute exacerbation of low grade, pre-existing knee pain.
 
Especially among those who lean toward the natural, often holistic treatments available in the realm of Alternative Medicine, the very idea of knee surgery is anathema. Even when they’ve been seen by a qualified orthopaedist, or other licensed health care practitioner, and been told that they do need surgery, suspicion remains.
 
Part of this is due to the Medical Profession itself, those practitioners who are overly aggressive in their promotion of the surgical approach. But part of it is unwarranted, based on a knee-jerk (sorry) assumption that a surgeon will always want to operate. That’s simply not true. 
 
The best surgeons DON’T operate on anyone who comes in the door. They only offer surgery when it’s appropriate, as the only, or the best alternative treatment, from the available options. I don’t even ask you to rely on the altruism of the surgeon. No. You can always depend on self-interest.
 
Just think about it. Were that NOT the case, if surgery was done frequently, without just cause, there would be a very high number of complications from unindicated procedures, poor results, very dissatisfied patients, and very, very unhappy referring physicians (because that would reflect badly on THEM). 
 
Result? The referrals would simply dry up and the surgeon would have no practice, in very short order. 
 
Surgeons survive and prosper by referrals from primary care physicians and other (HAPPY) patients. And the best way to enjoy an excellent reputation is to do the right thing, for the right patient, at the right time, consistently. That means to do surgery ONLY when it’s necessary and avoid unnecessary procedures.
 
Ironically enough, this approach is not only more honest and more in the interests of all concerned, patient, surgeon and referring doctor, but it results in the surgeon doing MORE surgery, that’s really needed.
 
Still, there is that suspicion, that little voice of doubt….
 
Let me give you a current example. One of my subscribers sent me the following email to ask for my opinion.
 
“Dear Dr. Bill,
 
I have arthroscopic surgery scheduled for tomorrow for a “potential” meniscus tear in my left knee (interior). I just stumbled onto your website and am having second thoughts about having surgery. I am 39 and in good health. 
 
The pain in my knee started after overindulging in three days of soccer, running and biking. It started about four months ago. It initially swelled and was painful to walk on, but is now just occasionally sore (mainly before storm events and after heavy use). 
 
My knee is tender on the inside, lower area. I have full range of motion and do not want to risk losing this due to surgery complications. Your insight would be greatly appreciated.”
 
I advised him to proceed with the surgery, which was arthroscopic, after all, and likely to cause little disability. He just sent me copies of his intraoperative photographs, taken by his surgeon as documentation of pathology, a standard practice today. He did indeed have a degenerative tear of his posterior horn of the medial meniscus. And the surfaces of his knee were otherwise in good shape. All this was consistent with his symptoms and his diagnosis of a torn medial meniscus.
 
That means that if surgery were NOT done, he would certainly have developed irreparable cartilage changes and ultimately, arthritis. In other words, this was a NECESSARY surgery. However, the same tear in someone who already had severe arthritis may, or may NOT be necessary, depending on his symptoms.
 
So, in this instance I was right. His surgeon was right. And, ultimately, the patient himself chose correctly.
 
So what can you do to choose correctly for your own knee pain? First, and I’ve said this over and over, get a real evaluation by an orthopaedist, or at the very least, a licensed health care practitioner. 
 
It’s what you DON’T know that can hurt you. No one can make you have surgery. But you need information to make a rational decision. And this is the best way to get complete information, so you can explore your options, based on what your problem actually IS.
 
By all means TRY conservative, non-operative measures, from the entire spectrum of treatments, alternative as well as conventional, like those I teach in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY
 
  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
For example, inflammation is usually part of the reason for pain. Reducing inflammation will almost certainly reduce pain. One natural way to do that is to take a pharmaceutical grade fish oil, like my ultra pure, enteric coated, POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA    http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
Local heat and strategic exercise also play a role, as do braces and ambulatory aids, at times. In many cases, pain can be resolved and function restored, using these nonsurgical therapies. 
 
But at other times, an operation IS the conservative thing to do. So don’t suffer needlessly, wondering should I, or shouldn’t I?
 
It’s a matter of judgment, based on the facts. So get your doctor involved early. And though you SHOULD be sure you are kept informed and fully understand ALL your options, don’t automatically assume that the doctor is there to screw you, or give you a surgery you didn’t really need. Most of us are pretty decent guys, if you give us a fair chance.
 
Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
“The Wellness Warrior” TM
 
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, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

I got up this morning prepared for a marathon day.  And, it didn’t disappoint. The bride has decided to move a bunch of our stuff to the Northern Command in Southampton. So the moving guys showed up, as expected, this morning. I barely made it out of the shower when they were knocking at the front door.
 
So the bulk of the day was spent making and taping cardboard boxes, packing china, crystal, artworks, and lots and lots of books. While the moving men were active with all this activity, I was emptying and winnowing all the files and papers in my home office file cabinet. 
 
Now normally, I’m awful at this type of thing, because I can’t go through three pieces of paper without starting to read some of it. Then, I get hooked on what I’m reading, or “discover” something that hasn’t seen the light of day for years–”Oh, THAT’S where that was…” So I’m about as inefficient at packing as it’s humanly possible to be.
 
These moving guys, who do this all the time, can empty an entire bookcase, hell, an entire room, while I’m still fooling around with my files. Their secret is that they’re detached. They could care less what they’re packing, so they pack quickly. 
 
We’ve used this bunch before and we trust them. These are experienced and seasoned moving veterans, one guy in his 40′s and the other, who is the driver, just 50. Despite the constant physical nature of their job, though, neither one is obviously muscled. There’s nothing to indicate the incredible level of wiry strength they can easily summon. The driver is only 130 pounds and wears the same size pants he wore in high school.
 
Yet, I’ve seen him hoist weights that seem to dwarf him, and carry them out to the truck, like they were nothing. The little guy’s as strong as an ant. Sure, part of it is technique, proper body mechanics and the knowhow, born of experience. But most of it is the functional total body strength that results from repeatedly handling awkward loads, in real life situations and day to day activities. 
 
This kind of strength can’t be built in a gym, lifting free weights that isolate specific muscles in limited arcs of motion. To develop this kind of functional strength, if you’re not a mover, or other physically active professional, you need to train your body as a functional unit. And in my experience, there’s no better way to do this than Matt Furey’s International Best Seller, Combat Conditioning. See what I mean at http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_conditioning.html
 
This was supposed to be a “little move,” only some of our stuff, not the bulk of it. But it still took two full days and they used up all the boxes they had brought, mainly on my books–I have a huge library, full of arcana from all over, covering many diverse subjects, as I have very broad and wide ranging interests. So, I had to run out to Home Depot and buy a whole lot more of them.
 
When the guys were finished packing up all our stuff, it was time to load the truck. They had hired some local talent to speed things up a bit. While that was going on, the driver got me aside and said, “Hey, doc, can I ask you a question?”
 
Now, if you ask any doctor, they’ll tell you that we get this all the time. Many of them hate it. But not me. I always felt it was a privilege to be able to help someone with what I know. Turns out he had a common problem–pain in the kneecap, worse when he was driving his big eighteen wheeler truck for hours on end.
 
Odds are good he had chondromalacia patellae, a degenerative softening of the kneecap cartilage, sometimes due to injury, or aging, but at least half the time, for no apparent reason. You can learn more about this and other conditions that cause knee pain in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN   http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
I advised him to get a pillow and put it under his thigh while driving his big rig, and to push the seat way back, so his knee can be held straight. This allows the kneecap to “float” and usually relieves the pain. I also advised him how to use OTC medications safely, but effectively, and how to combine them with some proven alternative treatments for fast pain relief. See how in detail at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
It took til after 8 o’clock tonight, but they got it done. So they’re starting out back to New York tonight. The bride and I will collect our next batch of cats and start our trek tomorrow. It’ll take all weekend, since we have to stop every eight hours or so to let the cats out, to run and use the kitty box, eat and drink. But hopefully, by Monday, we’ll be there to accept delivery of all our stuff on the other end.
 
I’ll talk to you then. Meanwhile, 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 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

So this morning in my study, I was going over a number of health related blogs, reviewing them for any potential for commentary and teaching points. A number were pretty good, most often involving the back injuries one sees in sports or exercises or stretches for general fitness or specific injuries. A few had to do with joint replacements of the hip and knee, which happened to be my specialty in practice. 
 
But then, I read one that was incredible. Not good incredible, as in ‘Wow! How amazing!” but incredible as in, “I can’t believe they have this thing out there on the web!” It concerned ACL injuries and rehabilitation and it was so full of factual errors and frank mythology that I couldn’t believe it.
 
I wanted to tactfully reply, correct the most obvious misconceptions, hopefully without insulting the author, or hurting his feelings. It wasn’t a scam, or a deliberate attempt to misrepresent facts for some nefarious purpose. It was obvious that the author was sincere. He was just wrong.
 
For example, one guy said that an ACL rupture wasn’t painful. In fact, it’s one of the most painful and disabling injuries you can suffer. What he meant was that a CHRONIC ACL disruption is painless–the damage has already been done. But the resulting instability, the “wobbly knee” that results from absence of the ACL, CAN indeed cause pain, from secondary tears of the menisci, synovitis, and arthritis.
 
Further, there ARE some people with an ACL injury who DON’T require surgery. This fact is almost entirely ignored in these articles. Specific exercises, especially leg curls and calf exercises, can often compensate for people who make low demands on their injuredknee. The point is, there are options that can be offered.
 
Unfortunately, it was a major pain to reply. First, you have to register in order to reply. Then, the registry doesn’t accept the information and erased all the info I had just input. Finally, I just gave up in disgust. Too bad. Some people are going to read that blog and accept what it says uncritically. As a result, they’ll absorb information that’s just incorrect. And who knows what the consequences will be?
 
Funny thing is, people will believe almost anything they read on the net, even though it’s well known that there’s no filter. That’s one of the internet’s chief charms. But it’s also one of its chief problems, when you really have a need to know the facts about a topic. Without a bit of comparative research on your own, there’s often no way to tell what’s fact and what’s fiction.
 
You may read it on a website, but “it ain’t necessarily so.” But the written word has power to persuade, whether it’s accurate or not. So, especially in seeking medical information, it’s best to go with a trusted source. Hey, that’s one of the major reasons for the existence of Dr. Bill’s Clinic. I’m here to try to provide some guidance and practical advice, based on my nearly quarter century in clinical practice in orthopaedic surgery. That’s why I wrote my healing programs: to help those of you with knee pain, grinding, instability, arthritis, water on the knee, deformities, and any other problems with a variety of treatments, conventional, alternative, and complimentary, from across the entire medical spectrum.
 
DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN is a concise, but complete guide to all the root causes of knee pain and the treatments that I know from experience, professional and personal, do work. You can get your own copy, including an audio CD, at  http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
But, just so you know, the LGB does NOT include the recommended knee exercises. Those are given in a separate companion manual: DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, a selection of exercises and stretches that helps to prevent or eliminate knee pain–once & for all! You can get it here, at this link:   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
Most recently, based on what people seemed to want, I created my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, in both written and audio CD formats. This is a blend of the former two programs, and in addition, adds a great deal of new material, especially on herbs and nutriceuticals and other alternative treatments to help you avoid the unnecessary knee surgery, or at least delay the most invasive procedures, like total knee replacement, in the case of end stage disease, like arthritis. 
 
If you’ve been thinking about having surgery, but would like to delay or avoid it, you can get it here: http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
So, above all, don’t believe everything you read. DO your due dilligence before you accept whatever is out there on the net. The right advice can make a big difference in your life, but you need to be sure of the facts, before you act.
 
Well, that’s it for today. Til next time, my friend, be well. And have a great weekend!
 
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