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

 There I was over this past weekend, talking with some of the paticipants of Matt Furey’s GET TOUGH! Fitness Seminar this past Winter. I wasn’t there myself, built as I am for comfort rather than speed . But a near universal remark among those of my vintage, or even a bit younger, was the deep and persistent muscular aching they all experienced. Even those who are very fit and are habitual exercisers felt it. 

One of the ways that you know you’re getting older is this delayed muscular aching after vigorous exercise, that seems to be more intense, and seems to last much longer than when you were younger. The technical term for this is Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness, or DOMS.  As a mnemonic, just remember the old DRAGNET theme: “DOM…DA DOM-DOMS…” 

This is a product of inflammation, provoked by microtears and other microtrauma, induced by exercise. This is the stimulus for muscular hypertrophy–in other words, this is how exercise causes muscle fibers to grow larger and stronger. With age, this process takes longer, and the discomfort is prolonged. Since muscular hypertrophy results from this process,
it follows that it isn’t the exercise, but rather the REST after the exercise that allows the muscles to grow and strengthen. This has practical implications. If you’re trying to get stronger, REST, for proper recuperation, is just as important as the exercise you do.

This is especially important when you’re doing exercises to treat joint pain, such as the specially modified exercises I teach in HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, at  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
It’s sometimes difficult to differentiate between the joint pain itself and the muscular soreness that results from the exercises, when it’s excessive. The rule of thumb that I was always taught and that I have found to be true throughout my career is that mild muscular soreness that follows exercise, but fades by the following day indicates just the right level of exercise intensity. If soreness persists beyond the following day, it’s too much.

To treat this condition, first, REST. Don’t add to the problem by exercising before the soreness and stiffness have resolved. Next, apply local moist heat.  You’ll find it feels soothing, which helps to bring healing blood into the area and speed the resolution of inflammation. Anti-inflammatory measures are also helpful, including OTC medications. But be sure to take any of these meds with FOOD, to protect your stomach. 

It’s also worth noting that in the GET TOUGH! Seminar, the exercises were ALL bodyweight techniques–no free weights. And still, many participants had significant persistent soreness, in some cases for many days. That should put to rest the idea that bodyweight exercises are not adequate to really stimulate muscular strength. If you want a full body workout that is challenging, functional and SAFE, try Combat Conditioning, at  http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_conditioning.html
 
And if you want to treat a painful knee with non-surgical methods, including many of my specially modified exercises, see HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  It’s the only program like it out there…and it works. 

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

Yesterday, I was driving to the local Home Depot, to return some fans that we originally purchased, but turned out to be too small. So I was given the assignment by “the high command” to return them for credit. So, I collected all the boxes from the back of the car, placed them on the cart, and wheeled the entire bunch to the return desk.

After completing the transaction, my companions and I walked outside to return to the car. As we passed by the front of the store, I saw an incredible sight. There was a very large, very rotund, middle aged woman, with a bright red mohawk, with both sides of her head shaved. I don’t mean that orangy reddish, or strawberry blond color we normally call “red” hair. I mean, neon, flaming scarlet RED! It was the sort of thing you might see on a teenager who spent a lot of time in the mosh pits and clubs, certainly not what you would normally see on a middle aged woman. 

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. And I couldn’t believe someone would actually walk around like that. WHY? Why would someone who is, to put it mildly, singularly unattractive to start with, emphasize their most unattractive feature and make it impossible to ignore her? Maybe that’s the point.

Or maybe, I’m just getting old. Who knows? Maybe she’s a lovely person underneath all that. But the odds favor a weird psychology. Contrast that with one of my old employees, who just emailed me to wish me a belated Happy Birthday.

This woman was a very large person when I hired her. We’re talking really big. But she was very nice, seemed competent and she clearly wanted the job. My office manager, who had found her and chosen her for me to interview, had warned me that she was a big girl. My attitude was pretty much, “So what? As long as she’s nice and can do the job…” But as I came to know her, and admire her abilities, I naturally became 
concerned about her, for health reasons.

Well, she made the decision to make a change. And then, she DID IT. Before my practice ended, she had lost 100 pounds, with a combination of diet and exercise, and most of all, discipline. Think about that for a minute. She lost enough extra body fat to make another whole person.

And here’s the thing–she KEPT IT OFF for a couple of years. See, that’s the thing that’s rare. It’s terrific that she lost so much weight. But KEEPING IT OFF–that’s where most people fall short.  Hell, I’ve lost and regained enough weight in my lifetime to form my own football team! So I fully and fiercely appreciate her achievement. But now, she’s done even more–she’s now reached the target she set for herself over seven years ago: she has now lost a total of 135 pounds! And kept all of it off. Just amazing.

And here’s the payoff: she not only looks far better, but she FEELS much better. Her blood pressure is down, her blood sugar is down, her knees and back don’t hurt, she has a ton of energy and she is justifiably proud of herself. Her outer self is a reflection of her new, inner self, “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace” (with apologies to the Book of Common Prayer).

If you ask her, she’ll tell you: exercise is key. She started with walking, then added bodyweight exercises, to raise her metabolic rate and burn those excess calories. No longer fat and flabby, she’s now fit and fabulous. And sensible dieting, combined with exercise has wrought a miracle.

How about you? If your knees hurt, you can use my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM for your exercises (see it at
http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html ), or if you prefer a total body workout, you can try the best all around bodyweight exercises on the planet–Matt Furey’s Combat Conditioning http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_conditioning.html  But whatever you choose, just DO IT!
 
That’s it for today, my friend. Have a great weekend and be well. Til next time….

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

May 7, 2008

Yesterday, I talked about my introduction to weight training back in the “dark ages,” and the inspiration I drew from movie star, Steve Reeves of “Hercules” fame. My introduction to the martial arts was also inspired by another great star, Bruce Lee. I’m hardly unique in that regard. No one individual so completely captured the media and so completely dominated the martial arts field than Bruce Lee.

Originally a Wing Chun stylist, he had an explosive speed, animal grace and a theatrical and dramatic persona that no one else has managed to duplicate. All those who followed,  Chuck Norris (the Octagon; Walker, Texas Ranger),  Bob Wall (O’Harra, in Enter the Dragon), Jet Li (Black
Mask, Fearless, Forbidden Kingdom) and Jackie Chan (Shanghai Noon, Forbidden Kingdom), among others, all owe a tremendous debt to Bruce Lee. And as good as these modern day masters are, they cannot match him for sheer style and charisma. And all his stunts were done in real time, without benefit of computer enhancements. No. No one else could really compare.
 
I first saw him in the 1966 TV series The Green Hornet, as the title character’s sidekick (literally and  figuratively!) and chauffeur, Kato. My favorite episode was called “The Preying Mantis,” after the Southern Cantonese style of Gung Fu. Lee played Kato opposite the great Asian actor Mako, who was the villain. The great highlight of the episode was this fabulous fight scene in a Chinese temple. There are apocryphal reports are that he actually had to slow down his punches, for this fight, so the camera could record them. If it isn’t really true, it should be.
 
Anyway, I was just in awe of this guy. Here he was, a little (five foot, seven inches tall), cocky Asian guy (it was Oriental, in those pre-PC days), just kicking the crap out of multiple bigger guys, and at lightning speed. And even though it was a TV show, it had an authenticity to it that jumped out of the little screen.  In short, I believed–Hell, we ALL believed.

In later years, I’ve met people who actually knew him in real life, and to a person, they all say two things: 1.) He was a really great guy, personally, and 2.) He was really THAT good.
 
So, I decided that I really wanted to learn to do that stuff! I looked into it, but in the late sixties, you couldn’t find any Chinese masters who would teach a white boy. They apparently thought we weren’t capable of learning their martial arts. Imagine that! Well, a  friend of a friend was an Irish guy named Michael, who  happened to be a third degree black belt in Gojuryu–a  Japanese style of karate that had been derived, through Okinawa, from the Chinese arts. It had many of the flowing circular movements, hand work and low kicks that I admired in Bruce Lee’s Gung Fu.
 
At Michael’s urging, I went to New York Goju Kai, a dojo on West 13th Street in New York City, to train with a sensei who was a good friend of Mike’s, himself  a 4th degree black belt. It was around the corner and up the street from Union Square. It was a giant loft, with a polished wooden floor on the 3rd floor, reached by a rickety old elevator. The offices of Al Goldstein’s  Screw Magazine were on the 5th floor, just above us.  It was here that I began to train, in 1967. 

Every class began with deep breathing and bodyweight exercises, including the horse stance and deep squats, to strengthen the knees and thighs, fundamental exercises remarkably similar to those I teach today, at   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html

The principles remain the same, and the emphasis on deep breathing and integrated exercises that affect the  entire body was strikingly similar to Combat Conditioning   http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_combat_conditioning.html
 
Then, the fundamentals of punching and open handed strikes, kicks, stances, kumite (sparring) and kata (forms) were reviewed. Little by little, over time, my body and mind were transformed. Michael became my mentor and best friend, and a better formative influence would be
hard to find. While I never became the next Bruce Lee, the life lessons I learned in karate became the foundation of the man and surgeon I eventually became.  And I maintain a keen interest in the martial arts, even today–all because of my admiration of Kato, and the art of the immortal Bruce Lee. Well, that’s enough of strolling “Memory Lane” for today. Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,

Dr. Bill 

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

May 5, 2008

Today is Cinco de Mayo! And people from all over the world are “Mexican” for a day–drinking Mexican beer,  margaritas, eating tamales, enchiladas and dancing.  Hey, any excuse for a good party, right? In the USA, it’s actually a bigger deal than it is in Mexico, much the way St. Patrick’s Day is bigger in New York than in Dublin. Historically, though, people here mistakenly think it’s the date of Mexico’s Independence Day (which is really September 16th). 

Instead, the occasion recalls the victory of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin over occupying French forces on May 5, 1862 in the Battle of Puebla. So it’s become a joyous celebration of the turning of the tide in the war between Mexico and France, which culminated in the expulsion of France, the execution of the French puppet Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian I, and Mexican victory in 1867, five years after the Battle of Puebla.
 
So today’s a good day to knock back a couple of Dos Equiis or Coronas, or try that aged tequila margarita (I recommend Baccardi Agave Silver) or an ice cold pitcher of sangria (I always eat the fruit that they float in it and convince myself of its nutritional value). Also, a good time for hot tamales, guacamole or salsa and chips, sizzling fajitas, and my personal favorite, cheese enchiladas. Yum. And if you’ve never tried it, Mexican garlic soup is dynamite! 

Now, this is hardly healthy fare, loaded as it all is with enough saturated fat to smother your arteries, but–what the Hell–it’s only once a year! And if you yield to these indulgences, there’s no better way to demonstrate penance and get dietary absolution than to burn out those chorizo calories with some intense physical exercise. My good friend Matt Furey, who coincidentally has a birthday today, on Cinco de Mayo, has the best all around bodyweight exercise program on the planet, Combat Conditioning. Get it right now at
http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_conditioning.html 

Then you can enjoy your celebration AND your dietary indiscretions, without the guilt! What’s that you say? You have knee pain and can’t do full Hindu Squats?  No problem, my friend. You can get my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM for specially modified exercises to prevent or completely eliminate your knee pain right here, at  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
Either way, get those muscles moving and enjoy the day!  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

April 30, 2008

Just a brief note today to bring you up to date.  Sorry this is so late today, but I’ve been soooo busy today, I just haven’t gotten to this before
now.
 
Had my first nuclear stress test in 14 years this morning. No symptoms or anything like that, but a year ago, I had a CTA: computerized tomography of  the heart, just as a screening test, which showed a mild plaque at the base of one of the arteries. So I’ve been working to try to reverse it.
 
I saw a new cardiologist who was recommended by a doctor friend of mine. He has excellent credentials, a very competent and pleasant “bedside manner,” a terrific ability to teach and a willingness to  consider complemetary measures, too. I must say, I was pretty impressed with this guy, and I liked him, as well. In a few weeks, I’m going to interview him about common cardiac problems, for a CD, so you can all meet him, too. 

Funny thing was that when I asked him about the CTA results, he laughed and said, to his entourage (a couple of PA’s, and a medical student) that I was a fine example of a VOMIT. We all kind of looked at each other, wondering what in the world he was talking about. I knew he wasn’t trying to insult me. I said, “Hey, I bet that’s an acronym, right?”
 
Then, he smiled and said, “That’s right. VOMIT stands for Victim Of Medical Imaging Technology.” We all laughed at that. Some tests are hyper sensitive, indicate “pathology” that may not be very significant, and often result in even more sophisticated tests, chasing the initial result, unnecessarily. Apparently, CTA is one of those. It DID look really cool, though.
 
Anyway, according to my new nuclear stress test, I’m golden. Just need to lose a bit more weight. So the heart’s OK. It seems something else will take me out, eventually. Well, nobody gets out alive, right? Meanwhile, one less thing to worry about.
 
So back to watching the diet and doing my work with Matt Furey’s Combat Conditioning, tomorrow.  I had enough exercise on the treadmill today. You ought to consider doing the same thing.  Go to:   http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_conditioning.html
That’s it for today. I’ll talk to you again soon. Til then, be well, my friend.
 
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

April 28, 2008

I spent most of the day today at the cardiologist, for an initial visit. No, no. Nothing bad going on, but I’m not getting any younger and it’s been over 14 years since my last stress test, I’m embarrassed to admit. Even though I’m not a smoker and never have been, I have a family history that’s worrisome, so a little preventive maintenance is never a bad idea.
I’m afraid that I’m typical of most docs–we are, without doubt–the very WORST patients. I would have killed a patient that neglected himself the way I do to myself. (Hope you understand, that’s figuratively speaking…although I did have a “better dead” list). But, again, that’s typical.
 
I don’t really know why that is. Maybe we see so much disease that we erect barriers to seeing disease in ourselves, and repress any rational
behavior that might uncover some. Then again, maybe I’m just lazy…and a procrastinator, to boot. Just add it to the list of my failings–
I know my wife does.
Anyway, it was long past time for a checkup, so I went in today: EKG, blood pressure,blood tests, the works. My last blood tests were great, but you can’t be too careful. So the cardiologist wants me to have a thallium stress test. This is just like a regular stress test, except they first
inject you with a radioactive isotope called Thallium. This isotope has an affinity for heart muscle. so when it’s carried into the heart by
the coronary vessels, it’s taken up by the muscle, which becomes temporarily radioactive. When a scan reads the radioactivity in the heart, if your coronary circulation is good, your heart should be radioactive everywhere. If some areas are starved for circulation (ischemic), however, then areas without much radioactivity can be seen. So it’s a pretty definitive test for any significant coronary artery disease. 

So, later this week, they’ll inject me with this  stuff, then run me ragged on the treadmill and then, scan me. If this scan is OK, then I’m good for the next while. Given that I’m not as young as I used to be, I guess I’d better not let another 14 years go by before my next one.

At least with the exercises I’ve been doing for my knees, like those I teach at   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
and the walking, the weight loss, and the stretches and bodyweight exercises from Combat Conditioning http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_conditioning.html   I at least won’t further embarrass myself, by crapping out during the stress test. 

Now because misery loves company, and also because it’s good advice (remember, people came from all over, and paid big bucks for my advice–too bad I so seldom take my own advice), if you are middle aged, or more, getting a yearly medical evaluation, including an EKG,
lipid and liver blood profiles, and periodic stress tests, as warranted by your family history and your doctor’s recommendation, is a very good idea. Forget my irresponsible behavior and get yourself checked. Heart disease is still the number one killer of Americans. Don’t be a statistic. 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

April 8, 2008 

My old professor, “Broadway” Bill Fielding, about whom I wrote a bit yesterday, was so called because of his dynamic and often dramatic audiovisual presentations on his area of expertise, the cervical spine. In the days before computers and PowerPoint, he accomplished much the same thing by an electronic/mechanical device called a “lap dissolve.” This used two slide projectors that were perfectly aligned so the image of one would overlap the other. At the touch of a button, one slide would be replaced by the next, which gradually brightened as the former slide faded–hence, lap dissolve. While that’s no big deal today, at that time, the effect was almost magical.
 
And his speaking style was superb. This guy could make a tax return fascinating. He was full of witty little anecdotes, arcane facts and stories that were riveting. Because he was a legitimate expert in his field, he had an unbelievable amount of information at his fingertips. 

He was actually the first man in the world to photograph moving x-rays of the neck and cervical spine, a technique called (wait for it….) cineroentgenography, essentially x-ray movies that showed how all the parts moved in real life. Oddly enough, no one before him had ever thought to do that. He presented this 16mm film at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and brought the house down. He was a sensation. I got this from guys who were there. This all happened years before I arrived on the scene, as his resident and student.
 
Well, right after this presentation, he started getting x-rays in the mail with requests for consultations from all around the world. This, he referred to as “the mail-order business.” I asked him a question one day.  “How long was it before you were REALLY as good as they all thought you were?” I asked. He thought about it for a moment, then said, “About ten years.”  Wow.   He basically taught himself on the job. But there was no one else to teach him. This was all new stuff, on the very cutting edge, at that time.
 
Anyway, he would go around the country, giving these spectacular talks that would drum up the consultations and referral cases for his practice. Other surgeons would send him their problem cases for his opinion, and just as often, they would beg him to take the case.
Needless to say, this was a tremendous boon to his teaching program and we saw and learned from stuff that no one else saw. He referred to his time on the road giving lectures as “Show Business.”
 
Early in my career, having sat at the foot of the master, I too took to the road, giving lectures, supplementing my natural gift of gab (have I mentioned that I’m half Irish?) with my own color illustrations. He actually sent me a note congratulating me on ”getting into show business.” One of my greatest satisfactions was his very evident pride in my early accomplishments, especially after I was appointed Chief at my hospital and after the publication of my first book.
 
He’s gone, now. But his influence is still strong within me. After my injury, one of the things I missed most was the lectures I would give for lay people. I love to teach what I know to those that information can help.  That’s why Dr. Bill’s Clinic was born. I’ve put much of what I know about knees into my LITTLE GREEN BOOK   http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html  and my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM of selected knee exercises  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
But I still miss that interactive magic that happens in a public forum. Well, last week that changed, at least after a fashion. My good friend Matt Furey is the author of the international best seller, Combat Conditioning    http://drbillsclinic.com/combat_conditioning.html
This is an outstanding exercise resource for anyone who wants to become really fit for all competitive sports, or for any of the martial arts. Thousands of people, from all over the world, can attest to its effectiveness,  including me, and now, I can explain the scientific and anatomical principles behind its great success. 

Last week, Matt invited me to tape an interview with him for the Matt Furey Inner Circle. This will only be available on DVD to those smart enough to sign up for that forum (www.mattfurey.com). We talked about the science of the Royal Court, the three fundamental
exercises of Combat Conditioning, while Matt demonstrated the proper technique for each of them. We really got into it. Not only was it fun, but I could feel those old teaching “juices” starting to flow again. Somewhere, Bill Fielding is smiling. I’m back in “show business” again…and I couldn’t be happier.
 
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
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