January 27, 2010

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

You may have noticed that yesterday’s email was a bit late–like, it wasn’t broadcast until after midnight, which pissed me off to no end. Fortunately, that was just after midnight EDT, and many of my subscribers reside all over the world, in other time zones. So only the east coast people were affected. But it was still mega annoying.
 
Thing was, I had it written and ready to go much earlier in the day, but my terrific merchant service, 1shoppingcart was on the fritz. “Error” kept coming up, every time that I clicked on the appropriate button and tried to send the email. Very frustrating, to say the least. So I saved my work, by clicking on “save draft.” And then, clicked off, hoping that whatever the problem was would be resolved with a little time.
 
Later, about 11PM my time, I logged back in, clicked on the “saved drafts” button, so I could retrieve the email and send it off, and guess what? The damn thing had ERASED 80% of my email! AAAAARRRRGGHHH!  I HATE when that happens! Must have been gremlins in the shopping cart….
 
Anyway, I had to rewrite nearly the whole damn thing again, from memory. Luckily, my memory isn’t shot just yet I was retyping frantically, with my rudimentary hunt and peck skills, re-saving every paragraph or so, just to be on the safe side. And I finished before midnight. YEAAA! Only, the line-up of others ahead of me pushed its transmission to after the witching hour. C’est la guerre….
 
Well, I guess I should be thankful that this doesn’t happen ALL the time. Anyway, when I was so rudely interrupted by the gremlins, I was telling you about my friend, who had recurrent knee pain. He initially had a very good response to the specially modified knee exercises I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, at http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
But, like many people, he felt so good, he became lax and gradually stopped doing them. After all, he felt good, no pain, so the knee must be OK, right?
 
Err….no, sorry. The problem he had was a chronic degenerative condition. And that doesn’t disappear, just because you’ve compensated for it and relieved the resultant pain. So, absent the beneficial effects of exercise, the kneecap gradually fell back into the  abnormal tracking pattern that caused his problem to start with. Whether his actual disease was chondromalacia, or osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral compartment, the final result was recurrent anterior knee pain. 
 
As I mentioned, there are two fundamental components to treating this condition: 1.exercise and 2.measures to reduce inflammation. And they must be addressed simultaneously. 
 
Fortunately, there are many ways to combat inflammation. Conventional conservative treatments, home remedies, over the counter medications (with proper precautions), as well as a number of proven alternative treatments, which work by different mechanisms, can have a  synergistic effect to relieve knee pain. I cover a number of these, with specific instructions how to use and combine them, in my newest healing program,  HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can get at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Long term, there is no better treatment than exercise.  That’s why I include a Baker’s Dozen of the most effective, proven knee exercises and stretches in this new program, as well. Or you can get the full range of exercises and stretches in the PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, at   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html  But either way, exercise is key in getting and maintaining complete pain relief and restoration of full knee function. 
 
If he follows my advice, my friend should get relief of his recurrent knee pain in short order, probably less than seven days. But to keep it, he’s got to do the work…and keep doing it.
 
You can get away with a lot and slack off when you’re young. Young tissues are forgiving. But as you age, more conscientious efforts are required. If you don’t do the necessary work, you will pay the price. It’s as simple as that.
 
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