You know, I just saw an ad the other day, writen by a chiropractor, who is promoting the use of a cold laser for arthritis pain relief. He cited a two year old study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and then, MISREPRESENTED THE RESULTS, to better sell his modality.

Now, this is no slam against chiropractors. A number of them are my friends and colleagues and there’s no doubt that they help people, which is the name of the game. It IS, however, a criticism of dishonesty in advertising. Here’s what I mean.

The published study cited compared WOMAC scores (a standard statistical device for comparing clinical results of arthritis treatments) between two comparable groups. One group was treated with arthroscopic surgery (ie., debridement, or “housecleaning”), followed by medication and physical therapy.

The other group was treated only with medication and Physical Therapy. It was found after two years that there was no appreciable difference between the two groups (based on their comparative WOMAC scores). The conclusion was that there was no demonstrable clinical benefit from the arthroscopic knee surgery, when done for arthritis.

So this was the study referenced by the good doctor. But, after correctly summarizing the study’s conclusion, this doc then went further, to say this: “Once again, this study proves what conservative doctors have known all along. Non-invasive treatments are the solution to osteoarthritis knee pain.”

No. Sorry. First, that is NOT what the study proved. Second, that statement is patently absurd.

Invasive treatments, meaning ALL forms of surgery, but ALSO, strictly speaking, even injections into or around the affected arthritic joint, each have their place. You just can’t make a blanket statement that ALL non-invasive treatments alone are THE solution. It’s simply not true.

Every case is an individual situation. And no single treatment is applicable, or effective in all cases.

Look, even when I was doing joint surgery nearly every day, I encouraged people who DIDN’T need surgery to wait, try some of the many conservative treatments, from all across the medical spectrum, conventional, alternative, or some combination of the two (complementary).

Nonoperative treatments CAN be helpful and ARE effective for many cases of mild, moderate and even some severe cases of osteoarthritis.

But in other cases– where there is bone-on-bone, meaning that the underlying subchondral bone is completely exposed, by erosion of the protective cartilage layer, or even worse, cases where the bone itself has begun to wear away from friction, resulting in progressive deformities– surgery is the ONLY solution.

In these latter cases, surgery IS necessary. And frankly, treating these advanced cases with only non-invasive treatments is like pi$$ing in the wind–the results are likely to be… unfortunate. In some instances, this would be frank malpractice.

What you want is to avoid the UNNECESSARY SURGERY.

That’s why I put all the very best treatments, including the cold laser, into my newest healing program for knee pain, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY:

http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html

And now, as a perfect complement to that course, I’ve released my newest healing compound, DR. BILL’S JOINT HEALTH FORMULA:

http://www.favoriteformulas.com/jointhealth

This is a wonderful amalgam of the best ingredients available for the relief of the pain of arthritis, including a secret oil from New Zealand, that dramatically reduces symptoms of pain and stiffness. Taken in conjunction with my ultra pure, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA

http://www.favoriteformulas.com

and you have a powerful combination for arthritis pain relief, that may well delay, or even eliminate any potential joint surgery. The point, though, is that you must be wary of any claims you read on the internet. Just because it’s written doesn’t mean it’s true.

Well, any time now, you’ll be getting the instructions for the big switch to another provider for this newsletter. Remember, if you want to keep receiving this daily email, you MUST re-subscribe. Otherwise, they will simply stop. I’m hoping that you find some value in this and that you’ll follow me to the new service. But, as always, the choice is yours.

Til next time, my friend, be well. Talk to you soon.

Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and optimal health,

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

It’s almost here, my friend. Tomorrow, after a year of examining formulas and refining various ingredients, I’m finally ready. I’m releasing my newest healing formula–one designed to help you get rid of the chronic pain and disability of arthritis.

This formula contains a rare healing oil from New Zealand, shown to reduce arthritis pain by 67%, as well as a number of other ingredients that have been shown to help plump up your cartilage, restore the “cushioning” of your joints and increase your mobility, reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

And it’s all natural, too. No foreign molecules, no dreadful clinical side effects. Just healing compounds to help your aging, aching joints.

So get ready, get set…I’ll be back tomorrow, with this new healing formula and tell you where and how you can get it.

Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,

Dr. Bill

“The Wellness Warrior”           TM
 

Last week, while I was perusing my emails for Dr. Bill’s Clinic, I came across a request from one of my older subscribers. By older, I mean (quite naturally) older than ME. Ever notice how when anyone talk about “old guys,” they always mean older than THEM. Right?
 
Anyway, this man is, shall we say, in late middle age, has stayed in good shape and has been a runner for years. Problem is that he recently had a sudden onset of severe knee pain, after running to catch a bus, or something.
 
He was seen by an orthopaedist, who after examining him, decided that he may well have a torn meniscus. 
 
As you may know, there are two crescent shaped fibrocartilages, called menisci, which lie between the end of the femur (thigh bone) and the upper tibia (shin bone), inside the knee. 
 
They act as cushions and guides for motion of the joint, especially in twisting, or cutting movements. For more about these and other causes of painful knee pathology, please refer to my LITTLE GREEN BOOK:  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
Because these cartilage structures are invisible on standard x-rays, the doctor ordered an MRI scan of the offending knee. This scan is terrific, because it can show the structures and can predict if they are torn, with an accuracy of about 90-95%, on the medial (inside) compartment of the knee.
 
Sure enough, he had a torn medial meniscus. But he also had a surprise–he had almost completely bare bone exposed on the end of his femur, in the medial compartment. The guy was understandably shocked. How could he have such bad arthritis and not have felt it before this injury?
 
The answer is, this is not an uncommon picture. Sometimes, the articular cartilage becomes degenerative and gradually erodes away, exposing the bone. Though most people will feel this as significant pain, as it happens, a few will compensate (high pain threshhold, endorphins, etc.) and will feel nothing, at all. Until something happens, as did here, to DE-compensate his defenses against pain. THEN, he felt it.
 
Naturally, as a believer in natural healing, he was leery of knee surgery. And studies have demonstrated that arthroscopic surgery added nothing to just medicine, physical therapy and exercises, like those I teach in my newly updated and expanded PAIN-FREE PROGRAM & DVD:  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
HOWEVER…in this case, I DID recommend that he go ahead with surgery. Here’s why.
 
This man is very active and wants to remain so. He has exposed bare bone and therefore, will need at least a partial knee replacement, perhaps a total knee replacement, when his symptoms warrant it. But then, he will NOT be able to run or do any exercises involving impact, which could damage, or loosen the artificial implants.
 
He also has a significant tear, easily fixed, in addition to his arthritis. It seems reasonable to conclude that if the tear were “fixed,” he might well “buy time” and return to his asymptomatic state, at least for a while.
 
The studies that recommended against knee surgery for arthritis were talking about a general “clean out,” or debridement, NOT addressing a specific torn meniscus, with very specific mechanical symptoms, directly attributed to that damaged structure. When dealing with arthritis and knee pain, it IS best to be conservative, in most cases, where there is diffuse disease and no specific mechanical symptoms, as seen here.
 
That’s why I wrote my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can get here: http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
The many treatments from both conventional and alternative medicine are designed to help you avoid the UNNECESSARY procedure. but if the surgery IS necssary, as it was here, then it should be done.
 
Well, he DID have the arthroscopy, he did, in fact have the tear that the MRI predicted, and he DID do very well. He’s now glad he did it, as he has returned to his preoperative state of virtually no pain. And the procedure has bought him time, which he can continue to enjoy, until further progress of his disease makes a total knee unavoidable.
 
I love being right. 
 
And the only other recommendation I gave him that I would give you, too, is to get on my Powerhouse Omega Formula, an ultra pure, highly concentrated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, with a special enteric coating that prevents any fishy aftertaste and the dreaded “fish burps.”
 
http://www.favoriteformulas.com  
 
Omega 3′s have potent, long term anti-inflammatory properties that help to control the pain of arthritis, a as well as many heart and brain healthy effects, as well.
 
I also advised him to consider giving up the running, in favor of power walking, or hill sprints, which avoid the damaging shocks to the weight bearing joints, seen with running. If he listens to me, these measures may buy him even more time….
 
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

Earlier this month just after the New Year, when I was still in the early stages of recovery from my hernia repair surgery, I had mentioned that there were going to be some changes coming down the pike, with Dr. Bill’s Clinic. One of them will be coming up just next month. I’ll be switching this daily email and the daily blog that it becomes, to another server.
 
This will mean a bit of chaos at first. But I can’t tell you how many people have told me that they’ve signed up, multiple times, to get my emails, but never received one. That includes my webmaster.
 
Now you may like my commentary, stories and health tips and find them valuable. Or you may find they’re not your cup of tea and move on. And that’s fine. I realize I can’t be all things to all people. And I realize that not everyone is going to agree with me. 
 
(Of couse, I tend to think of these latter people as narrow, ignorant, misguided, jealous bastards, while those who agree with me are highly intelligent, morally superior and perceptive, discriminating individuals, who are excellent specimens of the species, but I suppose that’s only natural.) 
 
But if you DO want to keep receiving these daily messages from me, you will have to take action, when it’s called for and OPT-IN AGAIN. Now, I know it’s a nuissance. And I know I’m going to lose some of my flock. Everyone who does this, does. But, whether you like my emails or you don’t, the fact remains that I work my butt off to knock them out, day after day. And I work too hard at it to accept that my efforts are, in large part, being wasted.
 
It’s far more likely that the “mail will get through” with this move and that you will receive your daily dose of Dr. Bill, without interruption. But, as I said, this will require some effort on your part, when the time comes.
 
Since you are here, that already tells me that you’re different from the herd. And so, instead of simply accepting that I will lose a number of my friends, through inaction or lack of information, I decided to give you a heads-up early, BEFORE the transition, so you will be expecting it and take the appropriate action, ie., sign up again and confirm that you WANT to continue to receive communications from me.
 
I will periodically make a number of repeat announcements over the next few weeks, which I hope will minimize the predicted loss of subscribers. It has to be done, though. And I hope you will want to make the transition with me.
 
But anyway, you have been warned.
 
The other big change is that, very soon, I will be posting PODCASTS on various medical topics on iTunes. The show will be called “The Wellness Warrior” and will feature episodes on health related topics that will help you be healthier, happier and live longer.
 
Some episodes will be 20 to 30 minutes long, mainly audio. Some will be short video tips, maybe a minute or two. But I hope that all of them will be interesting to you. Oh, and you can leave comments and ask questions and stuff, too. So, I hope you’ll sign up for them when they’re up and ready to go. I’ll keep you posted.
 
My first podcast will be an episode about Fish Oil–The Omega-3 Solution. I’ve already recorded it. I’m just fine tuning it, before it goes live. In this podcast, I’ll go over the many health benefits of pharmaceutical grade fish oil, especially my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA  http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
This will be an overview, explaining exactly what omega-3′s are, why you need them and how you can benefit from taking them. The following podcasts will continue in that vein, boiling down all the latest information to the essentials that you can use.
 
Later episodes will focus on the ways you can relieve your pain in simple, non-operative ways, that I cover in more depth in my healing program,  HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY   http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery   and still others will feature interviews with other physicians, surgeons and health care practitioners, to give you a well-rounded variety of opinions on a given topic. For example, I may interview a cardiologist on coronary artery disease and the things you can do to prevent clinical heart disease, or a rheumatologist, about how to cope with arthritis.
 
So, I hope you’ll stay tuned to the changes coming in Dr. Bill’s Clinic in the very near future. 
 
And if you have any particular topics you’d like me to address, or ideas about how I can make this more beneficial for you, please drop me an email. 
 
Meanwhile, thanks for all your support and for the kind remarks and comments that I often get from enthusiastic subscribers. I hope you’ll continue to want to be a part of my little health “family” and will take the necessary action, when the time comes.
 
Have a great weekend, my friend and be well. I’ll talk to you again soon. Til next time,

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

Later today, I go to see my surgeon for my post-surgical office visit. The incision is clean and dry, no redness (erythema), no drainage, no swelling and it appears to be healing very well. Nice and clean, with no signs of infection.
 
Of course, it’s a bit tender still, but nothing like it was for the first few days. As a surgeon myself, I know that it’s healing well, and I’m  grateful it is. But the doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient, or so they say. 
 
So, I will dutifully go to the surgeon and get his official evaluation and his blessing, before starting back on my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA,  http://www.favoriteformulas.com  my garlic, DR. BILL’S MAXIMUM ALLICIN FORMULA (only available for those already on my fish oil), which enhances the lipid lowering actions of the pharmaceutical grade, enteric coated fish oil, to make it a net cholesterol lowering agent, as well as lowering triglycerides.
 
Especially since this cold snap and nasty, rainy weather lately has made me feel my incision more lately, than before, I’ve really missed its natural anti-inflammatory action. Did you know that in a number of clinical studies, fish oil was found to have an equivalent effect to NSAID’s, but without their adverse side effects? It’s true. In fact, in cases of rheumatoid arthritis, fish oil use allowed some patients to reduce, or eliminate NSAID’s. 
 
And, as I’ve mentioned before, inflammation is a necessary part of this hernia repair, allowing the ingrowth of fibrous tissue into the implanted mesh. So I have had to forgo the comfort of my usual dose. But, as a result, all my joints are “talking” to me, my back is aching and of course, the incision site aches, too. So I’ll be glad to get the OK to start it up again.
 
I’ll also be glad to start some mild knee pain exercises for my aching knees, like those in my newly redone and expanded PAIN-FREE PROGRAM and full length DVD  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
Combined with walking and isometrics, I can begin the long process of rebuilding my fitness, a step at a time. Luckily, he did a subcuticular closure, meaning there are no sutures to be removed–a long suture under the edges of the skin gives a hairline scar and a tight closure. There wasn’t even a drop of blood, when I took off the initial dressing. Good job, all in all.
 
So, I’m looking forward to a positive evaluation, now eleven days and counting, out from my surgery. This will take about six months to really mature, but this is a good beginning. Thank God! If there’s ever going to be a problem or a complication, it’s gonna happen in a doctor, guaranteed. 
 
Well, over the weekend, we had that plumber return and install a couple of new toilets for us. I went upstairs, to say hello and came up on him, kneeling on the bathroom marble floor, while setting the base of the commode. And, whaddyaknow…he was wearing KNEE PADS! Just like I told him to. 
 
You know, usually, I give folks good advice and more often than not, they ignore it. People often don’t respect or value what they don’t pay for. But not this guy. I told him I was proud of him. He said, “Hey, if I’m told something by a guy who knows what he’s talking about, I listen.”
 
Well, good for him. If he sticks with his new protection, he’ll be real happy a dozen years from now, when he DOESN’T have to suffer with patellofemoral arthritis. For more simple, but effective tips on preventing, or treating knee pain, try my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
So that’s it for today, my friend. Talk to you soon. Til next time, 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

Last night, or more correctly, last afternoon (it gets dark so early this time of year), I took my first outing in the car since surgery. We were down a few items in the larder, so we went to the local grocery store. My wife drove, since I can’t effectively respond quickly in case of emergency.
 
I thought it would be a chance to escape cabin fever and get a little ambulatory exercise. So I came along for the ride. We wrote a list, so we would get what we actually needed, and avoid impulsive shopping.
 
While walking with my cane down one of the aisles, a truly enormous young man turned round the corner ahead of me. This guy was gigantic–rolls of flesh encircled his body, where once there was a waist and his frame fairly quivered with every footfall. Seeing that I was on a cane, he very politely stood aside to allow me to pass–a good thing, too, because there was no way we were passing each other in that aisle, at the same time.
 
I nodded in thanks and continued on my way. But I got to thinking about what lay in this man’s future, if he doesn’t take stock of himself and get control of his body weight. Odds are good that his blood lipids are way out of whack, with sky-high cholesterol and perhaps high triglycerides, too.
 
He’s a cinch to have heart disease, with atherosclerotic plaque in his coronary arteries, perhaps his carotids and vertebral arteries, too. This would make him a set-up for heart attacks, strokes, even PAD (peripheral artery disease). He may well have high blood pressure, a seperate cause of heart disease and strokes.
 
In addition, he almost certainly has insulin resistance, if not full-blown diabetes mellitus Type II, with all the potential complications of that disease. A number of cancers, too, are associated with obesity, as well as a depressed immune system (which may well be WHY cancer has an increased likelihood in the obese).
 
There are other physiological consequences, too. Morbid obesity makes it much harder to breathe, easier to aspirate, easier to get pneumonia and more likely to get a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) with possible pulmonary embolism (which can also kill you). It also makes it more likely that you’ll develop sleep apnea, a condition that can lead to an increased risk of stroke.
 
Then, there are the mechanical, orthopaedic consequences. An increase in gross weight increases the load on the weightbearing joints. For every pound above the norm, you increase the joint reaction force on your hips and knees by a factor of at least 3-4 times. If climbing stairs, it’s up to seven times bodyweight; running, up to ten times.
 
Then, there’s the effect on your spine. Although this particular man was heavy all over, he had the typical “apple” pattern of central fat deposition, where the bulk of the adipose tissue is in the belly. This is what we in the trade call “omental fat,” present within the abdomen, on the omentum and interlarding the coils of the intestines.
 
Mechanically, this increased mass, hanging in front of the spine, has to be balanced, so you can walk around. The body does this by increasing the deep curvature of the small of the back (ie., the lumbar spine). Your shoulders are pulled back and your pelvis is tilted backward, to increase that curve (lordosis). This all happens automatically.
 
This exact same mechanism is invoked in the woman with gigantic breasts, too, though her back pain is more likely to be in the mid, or upper back. In both cases, it’s what’s up front that counts–the extra anterior weight is counter balanced by bending the spine backwards, which causes shearing and compression on the lumbar discs, worsens spinal arthritis, causes cramps in the paravertebral muscles and can cause, or aggravate, herniated discs, with severe back and/or leg pain.
 
So significant is this cantilevering effect from excessive anterior body mass, that in certain clinical circumstances, surgery is used to radically remove excess abdominal fat (paniculectomy),  or a reduction mammoplasty is done, to reduce the mass of breast tissue (which, though I know, as a physician, is sometimes clinically necessary, is a procedure, as an artist, that I consider an aesthetic disfigurement of the female form, akin to drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa).
 
You must forgive me. Ever since I lost all my own excess flab, I’ve been impossible. Nothing worse than a convert, as they say. But you must admit that getting rid of that excess poundage is the single best and simplest way to “cure” a myriad of ills.
 
And this is the perfect time to do it. The Holidays are over. So are all those temptations. Time to get serious. So, what to do?
 
The short answer is simple: a lean protein diet, with fresh, low glycemic index vegetables and fruits, increased fiber, lots of water. And a couple of softgels of my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA, twice a day.
 
http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
This highly concentrated, enteric coated, ultra pure, pharmaceutical grade fish oil will provide the essential long chain fatty acids, to balance the overabundance of omega-6 fatty acids, so common in the Western diet, these days.
 
Then, you need to kick up your metabolism to a higher level, so you burn adipose tissue, instead of deposit it. The single best way to do that, bar none, is…(drum roll…) EXERCISE. Big surprise, right? 
 
Walking can be done by anyone. And if you’re that one in a million who can’t walk on dry land, walk in a pool. As soon as you can, step up into a real exercise program, like my new and improved PAIN-FREE PROGRAM & DVD
 
  http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
Exercise will boost your metabolism, build muscle, burn fat tissue, and, in the case of this program, relieve knee pain, long term. 
 
To further boost your metabolism, add my Heart Charging Formula, to supercharge your cellular mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses that provide the cells the energy for everything they do.
 
http://www.favoriteformulas.com/CoQ10formula 
 
So don’t wait any longer. Just DO these simple things and just watch your health improve! Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for optimal health and wellness,
 
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

Eary yesterday, while I was reading my email, I came across an article from News 8 Austin with the provocative title: “Doctors Eliminate Arthritis Without Surgery.” Wow. Who knew? That would be news to me and I should know. So, I clicked on the link and read the article.
 
Talk about your misleading headlines!
 
It was actually a pretty good, if superficial, review of what is known about arthritis: that the most common form is osteoarthritis, it affects more women than men, the hip and knee are the most commonly affected joints, it is made worse by increased body weight (ie., obesity) and in its advanced form, it can result in joint replacement surgery.
 
But as for eliminating arthritis, without surgery? Uhh…No.
 
They also reported that researchers at Tufts University (my old stomping grounds in Boston, where I did my fellowship in joint reconstruction, at the New England Baptist Hospital) had found that older people (above age 65) did better with Tai Chi. They described Tai Chi as a series of slow, rhythmic Chinese exercises. They also found similar benefits with walking, swimming, bike riding and other, comparable low impact exercises.
 
All this is very nice, but it’s old news. Nothing new in the whole thing. 
 
It’s been known for many years that low impact exercise is the thing to do with arthritis. The shock of impact with running, for example, will not cause arthritis. But if there is any pre-existing degenerative change in the cartilage surfaces of the joint (and who of us at, in, or past middle age doesn’t have some form of degeneration in our joints?), the impact will ACCELERATE the arthritis. This is the source of joint pain that seems to come suddenly, “out of the blue.”
 
I’ve been saying for years that low impact exercise is the way to maintain your joint motion, while improving your heart and lung reserves and lowering your blood pressure and blood lipids, like cholesterol and triglycerides. Stretching also helps to improve and maintain your joint motion, an important element in preserving joint function.
 
But, in addition, resistance exercises are needed to increase the mass and tone of the muscles around the joint. Why? Well, stronger muscles help to share the load of body weight borne by the joint surfaces. In addition, they provide increased dynamic joint stability and in the knee, alter the functional dynamics of the kneecap (the source of over 50% of all knee pain, in my experience).
 
These are the same principles I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, which you can get here:
 http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
But if you truly want to eliminate the SYMPTOMS of arthritis (not the same thing as eliminating the disease itself, which we cannot do, at present), then you need to add other conservative measures to the exercises. 
 
There are many conventional and alternative treatments which reduce the pain of arthritic inflammation, slow the progress of the disease and help to preserve the cartilage which remains. All of these elements together may prevent, or at least delay, the need for joint replacement surgery.
 
Remember, I spent nearly a quarter century DOING such joint replacement surgeries (total hips, total knees and revisions) and arthroscopies. Who better than a surgeon to teach you how to avoid surgery?
 
That’s the idea behind my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can get here:
 http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
One such simple example is the use of fish oil, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, that have natural anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to its known and proven heart and brain healthy effects. My POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA, an ultra pure, highly concentrated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil   http://www.favoriteformulas.com 
 
has even addressed the problem of the fishy aftertaste, or the dreaded “fish burps” by the use of a special enteric coating, which virtually eliminates this problem. That’s why I take it myself, twice a day, every day.
 
So while that headline was misleading, or at least premature in its optimism, there are a LOT of things than CAN be done. You can reduce pain and inflammation, slow or stop the progress of joint destruction, and preserve your function, so you can continue doing what you want to do for many years to come. And, in most cases, you can do it without surgery. Get one of my life changing products and see for yourself. 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

Sometimes, life just hands you potent examples of the principles you try to present. I spent this past weekend at a marketing seminar, in beautiful Clearwater, Florida, learning the latest methods to present my medical knowledge and clinical experience, to help you with your knee pain. Well, it would have been beautiful, if not for the drenching downpour of days and the wind driven rain. But at least the hotel was nice.
 
One of the other attendees, a friend of mine, happened to mention that he had “bone-on-bone” in his right knee and has for years. Now, this man is a karate champion, with nearly 300 wins on the tourniquet circuit, to his credit. And to look at him, you’d never guess that this was a problem.
 
He walks without a limp. He can still execute a number of athletic movements, including kicks, deep squats, calisthenics and so on, without any apparent trouble.
 
His question to me was what could he expect and what could be done, short of knee replacement surgery? Those are good questions and ones I get with great regularity. And my friend’s situation brings up the concept of “decompensation,” something poorly understood by most people.
 
You see, when someone has end stage osteoarthritis (ESOA), which describes a complete loss of the protective cartilage coating on the joint surfaces, they usually have progressive pain. But sometimes, they experience only minimal, or even NO pain, despite x-rays, which reveal the full extent of the disease, with the complete absence of cartilage that defines the end stage of arthritis. 
 
Though marked limitation of motion is the rule, as well, sometimes motion is preserved in the end stage joint. In these situations, we say that the body has compensated for the arthritis.
 
But often, such cases will suddenly develop severe, disabling pain, marked limitation of motion, seemingly out of the blue. This sudden  onset of pain and disability is called decompensation. 
 
If the patient didn’t know about the full extent of the disease, this can come as a very unpleasant surprise (and following “Murphy’s Law,” usually at the worst possible time).
 
As for what you can do if you’re in this situation, there are a number of measures and treatments for knee pain that will help considerably. 
 
I’ve revealed many of them in HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can see here at: 
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
Some of these include the use of a cane (which, though a really good way to get immediate relief of pressure on the affected knee, or hip, I can’t see my friend accepting it as an option), modification of activities (ditto), and the use of anti-inflammatory compounds, either OTC  NSAID’s (with FOOD, please, to protect your stomach from adverse side effects, like ulcers or GI bleeding), or omega-3 fatty acids, proven to be equivalent to NSAID’s naturally, without adverse side effects. 
 
A good choice (in fact, your best choice) would be my POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA, which you can (and should) get here: http://www.favoriteformulas.com  
 
Other things that can help include local heat applications, gentle range of motion exercises, without heavy weight bearing, acupuncture, and weight loss (though this doesn’t apply to my friend, who is in very good shape) and even a local skin rub of a special solvent, with proven anti-inflammatory properties. 
 
One last ditch effort to temporize is intra-articular injection of a special gel compound, which may be effective in about 75-80% of cases, for variable periods of time. When this works, it provides almost miraculous pain relief, which may last for up to six months. Best of all, it can be repeated, if necessary.
 
Let’s be clear, though—even if all these non-operative, conservative treatments can help to delay the inevitable, they will not avoid surgery forever, in the case of end stage disease. Once cartilage is gone, it’s gone. At that point, total joint replacement will be needed, eventually.
 
How do you know when it’s needed? You will KNOW. When the pain becomes intolerable and you can no longer live with it, then it’s time. Until then, however, my conservative measures are well worth a try. They “burn no bridges” and they can often buy you time, even in the very worst cases. 
 
That’s it for today, my friend. Til next time, 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

The week doesn’t go by that I don’t get someone who writes me a tale of woe about their knee. Often, the email is one gigantic, dense paragraph of a confusion of clinical history, x-ray and scan results, their interpretation of what their doctor said was wrong, what their neighbor said was wrong, what medication they have been on, and then a litany of their fears and apprehensions. This often goes on and on and on for a full page.
 
Let me tell you something: it is very, very hard to read an interminable email that is one solid block of type. Especially if your story is a long one, for my sake, break it up! Throw a few paragraphs in there, one every time you change to a new idea, or new topic. I’m happy to help if I can, but just seeing a solid block of writing makes me want to ignore it. So, a word to the wise….
 
A common topic, repeated over and over, is the painful knee, often with recurrent swelling and fluid (water on the knee), with limited motion and most often, the diagnosis of arthritis. And it’s often a knee that has been evaluated by an orthopaedist and the patient has been told that a total knee replacement will be needed.
 
Invariably, the very next thing the patient says to me is, “But I don’t want any surgery!” 
 
Well, sure. Who does? But somehow, they think that I can tell them something different, despite my never having examined them, having no idea of their medical history, or other factors about them that would impact on that decision. It IS true that my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can get here at:
 
http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
CAN reduce or relieve pain, even in cases of advanced osteoarthritis of the knee. Using the conservative, non-operative treatments from across the entire medical spectrum, including alternative, as well as mainstream conventional methods, symptoms can be diminished and surgery delayed or entirely avoided, until a truly mechanical issue, like a locked knee, or a collapsed joint surface, or intractable pain makes it inevitable.
 
The ideal solution is to use the techniques revealed EARLY in the course of the disease, when they’re far more likely to be effective. For example, it should be no surprise that losing 10% of your weight can make a HUGE difference in knee pain, sometimes eliminating it. Likewise, taking some POWERHOUSE OMEGA FORMULA http://www.favoriteformula.com  an ultra pure, highly concentrated, enteric coated, pharmaceutical grade fish oil, is an excellent long term way to reduce inflammation, that may result in more severe knee pain. And of course, besides reducing body weight and reducing inflammation, knee pain exercises, like those I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM   http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html  are another great way to reduce or eliminate knee pain, restore function, currently limited by swelling and pain, and delay or avoid surgical treatment. 

Remember, no one can MAKE you have surgery. When it’s indicated and nothing else will do, surgery can be life-altering and restore your comfort and function. I spent nearly a quarter century doing just that, for thousands of patients. And very successfully, too.
 
But, you want to be sure it’s a NECESSARY surgery, that nothing else, no lesser, non-operative treatment will do and that there are very good reasons that you can’t put it off any longer. And the best way to do that is to try these conservative methods and see if they work for you, preferably BEFORE you reach the end stage of the disease. 
 
The best thing about them is that they burn no bridges. If and when they no longer help, and it’s otherwise indicated, you can still have knee surgery, without penalty. So remember, the take home message is “early intervention.” The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll feel better. 
 
Til next time, my friend, be well. Get your Christmas Shopping done early. 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 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