December 9, 2009

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.drbillsformulas.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

December 7, 2009

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.drbillsformulas.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

December 4, 2009

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

It’s early morning in my Southampton study, and as I look outside the window at the beautiful stone waterfall my wife had built (which she still has running, despite freezing temperatures), I reflect on the really nice time our family had yesterday. My wife had arranged this for her Dad, his wife and a family friend, as well as the two of us, as a treat to open the Holidays. 
 
So this past morning, we got up early and drove to the Jitney station. Although I have always loved going into The City, we have taken to travelling in on a giant bus, The Hampton Jitney.
 
The advantages are pretty substantial: you sit in comfort, without the tension and stress that are inescapable when driving yourself. Here, someone else does the driving and deposits you right outside your destination. And when your entertainment is over, they pick you up, drive you back and drop you off where you left your car. I’m telling you, you can’t beat it.
 
You can’t put a premium on the lack of tension brought about by having someone else drive you. As many times as I’ve driven into the City for some very nice times, there was always that wearing tension from trying to keep other drivers on the LIE (Long Island Expressway) from running into you, at high speed. As good a time as you may have had, you lose the glow real fast when you have to drive home yourself. Take it from me, this is a whole lot better. Very civilized.
 
Anyway, for this trip, the plan was to get into The City by noon and have lunch at a nice little French Restaurant on 28th Street and Lexington Avenue, La Petite L’Auberge. The bus let us out right in front of the restaurant at the appointed time. And another benefit–no worries about trying to find a parking space!
 
Let me tell you, it was terrific! The cuisine was Country French and, although our lunch was included in the theatre package, I understand from our guide that their prices are very reasonable–especially for a French restaurant. And more amazing still, they gave us a goodly amount of food.
 
We had a choice of three appetizers, three entrees, and three desserts. The food was wonderful. And the service was very pleasant, friendly and efficient, with none of the stereotypical hauteur that one sometimes sees in such places. If you’re ever in New York City, I highly recommend this establishment. I think you’ll be very pleased.
 
After a leisurely two hours, we all piled back into the bus for a ride to the Marquis Theatre on 46th Street. The play was the musical “White Christmas” (not Winter Wonderland, as I mistakenly reported yesterday–hey, my wife got the tickets. I just go where I’m told!) featuring Irving Berlin evergreens like “White Christmas,” “Happy Holidays,” etc.
 
Although I’d naturally heard the songs over the years (they’ve long ago become part of our cultural lexicon), I had no idea what the story of the play was about. So, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise for me.
 
It was set in the post WW II America of 1954 and concerned the efforts of a couple of soldiers, who had become famous and successful Broadway song and dance men, who attempt to produce a Broadway musical in a Vermont Inn’s barn, for the benefit of their old commanding General, who is now the owner of this failing Country Inn. Along the way, they both discover true love and the real meaning of Christmas. Corny? Maybe. But real traditional Americana and a thoroughly enjoyable family show. 
 
I really enjoyed it and my father-in-law, who is a real part of that WW II generation, was in his element. He loves those old songs and those synchronized dance numbers. He was a pretty good dancer himself, in his day.
 
These days, however, he’s been slowed down by arthritis in his back and his knees. So, sadly, his dancing days are over. I know for a fact that he had arthritis in his knees years ago, because I operated on him back in the early eighties and saw he had arthritis back then. Of course, I tried to advise him to do the exercises I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM (see it here, at http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html),  but you can’t do a thing with him! He does what he wants. So now, it is what it is. But after all, he IS 84+.
 
But IF I could’ve gotten to him years ago, and IF I could’ve given him the advice I have to give, now in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  and IF he had actually followed that advice, then maybe he’d be in better shape today. 
 
The point is, there ARE things you can do to alter your destiny. You CAN prevent knee pain, you CAN  slow the progress of arthritis and you CAN, in many cases, avoid unnecessary knee surgery. To see how, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
Until you do, if you have knee pain when walking, you can keep yourself from falling and minimize your pain by using a CANE, when you walk. Stubborn as my father-in-law is, even he does that, now. You should, too.
 
Well, that’s it for today. Only a week to go til Thanksgiving–can you believe it? Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

Well, I’m back in my study this morning, after being at a business/marketing meeting this weekend in Tampa. Since I live in the Orlando area, it’s a straight shot for me, driving along I-4 West. Takes about an hour and forty minutes to two hours, depending on traffic, especially through the city of Tampa. Compared to my recent drive to Southampton, New York, this is a snap! 
 
Given my personal history of knee pain and arthroscopic surgery, this would be a real trial causing nagging aching and swelling of the knees.  But I actually practice what I preach– I use all the tips I’ve passed along to you to reduce your knee pain, while driving. You can see all of these in my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, and you can get your own copy at
 http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html   These tips were a life saver during the long haul to New York, but they’re pretty useful for shorter drives, too. Try them yourself and see.
 
Anyway, I was catching up on my email and other correspondance when I came across an advertisement that promised to END ARTHRITIS PAIN FOREVER. Hmmmm… It sounds like they’re promising a CURE. But what do they really mean?
 
Here’s the thing: I spent a quarter century treating people with various forms of arthritis. And as a surgeon, I’ve actually SEEN the damage that arthritis does, first hand. That’s intimate knowledge of the destruction that these diseases (note, it’s NOT just one disease, but MANY) can wreak on joints. This is direct experience of seeing and feeling those destroyed joint surfaces, with my own hands, that even rheumatologists don’t have, unless they’ve personally scrubbed in on open joint surgeries.
 
Based on that experience, I can tell you this–there is NO CURE for the most serious forms of arthritis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (and other inflammatory forms), at this time.
 
But the ad says they cured “rheumatoid arthritis SYMPTOMS.” That implies that they cured rheumatoid arthritis, doesn’t it? But, I assure you, no one to date has done so.
 
So again, what do they REALLY mean? Is is just false advertising? No, not really. But it IS deliberately misleading. 
 
You see, when most people think of arthritis, they think of the “wear and tear” arthritis you get as you get older, in other words, osteoarthritis. When you talk about rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, you suggest (without quite saying so) that you are talking about rheumatoid arthritis. But when you read the ad copy, you find out that what they’re really describing is the arthritis of LYME DISEASE, which is due to a bacterium and therefore CAN be cured. 
 
Are the SYMPTOMS the same as rheumatoid arthritis? In the short term, yup. But will the same treatment, antibiotics, actually cure rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis? Nope.
 
This is just a classic case of advertising leading you to draw inaccurate conclusions, based on false assumptions. They are NOT lying. But they ARE trying to fool you. And if you don’t know any better, you’re going to fall for it. These guys are GOOD at this.
 
To help you sift the truth from all the B.S. out there, you need someone who KNOWS on your side. If you had read my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you CAN, if you go to  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html you would know better. 
 
With treatments drawn from across the entire medical spectrum, conventional, alternative and complimentary, you can finally understand WHAT TO DO, and HOW TO DO IT to relieve your pain and restore your function. And WHY, as well. So don’t be fooled. Arm yourself with the best health resource you can get to get rid of your knee pain, FAST, with easy, proven methods that WORK. Go to  http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
That’s all for today, my friend. I’m going out for a walk in this beautiful weather. There ARE advantages to being in Florida, at least at this time of year   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 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