Bright and early Saturday morning (well, 10 AM IS early to me these days), I suited up in my green scrub suit, donned my long white coat, just like the good old days, and drove up to the Fitness Center of the Alaqua Golf & Country Club, in the community in Central Florida, where I live. 
 
The plan was to shoot the necessary footage for the new DVD edition of my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM exercises (which you can check out and purchase, if you wish, by clicking on this link:   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html )
 
I had lined up a suitable model, Jennifer Kunzig, a personal trainer, to demonstrate the exercises, with the special modifications I’ve developed to prevent or eliminate knee pain. Let’s face it. No one wants to see some middle aged guy doing these exercises, when he can look at a pretty young woman, right? She had been dieting and restricting her water intake over the last week, so her definition would look good on tape.
 
I had also retained a videographer, to produce the DVD, a great guy named Jonah Travik (Jonah–now there’s a name you just don’t hear every day). I had worked with him before, shooting the DVD version of my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN
 http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html  (That has yet to be edited, but I expect it to be ready early in the New Year) and he’s great to work with.
 
Finally, I had secured permission to use the Golf Club’s Fitness facilities from the owner and developer of the community, a really nice guy named John Ritenour. His kindness gave us a super venue for the shoot, not to mention very convenient for me, as I live about two minutes  down the street.
 
So all was in readiness, the cast of characters was assembled and the sun was shining brightly. We were ready to roll. I got there on time (not too hard–I WAS only two minutes away) and met Jonah. We set up the lights and planned the camera angles, while we waited for Jennifer to show up, which she did about a half hour later. This was planned–no point in having her sit around while we were setting up.
 
Finally, I placed a neat little sign on the door of the Fitness Center: QUIET PLEASE. PRIVATE VIDEO SHOOT  WITHIN. THANK YOU. This was to discourage the curious and the club members, who might otherwise enter while we were shooting.
 
But with the sign and the obvious evidence that a professional crew was engaged in a project, you would think that once we started with the “lights, camera, etcetera, etcetera…” that anyone with good sense would respect our privacy and return later, after we were done, if they felt the burning desire to work out. Just common courtesy, right?
 
I mean, if the situations were reversed and I came across a film crew working when I showed up for my exercise session, it would never even occur to me to barge into the middle of things.
 
So, you know where I’m going with this, right?
 
First, a nice middle aged woman came in and wanted to get her workout in while we were still setting up. So, she got on the treadmill, then did a few dumbbell exercises, and so on. But she never held us up, as we worked around her. And she was properly deferential and only too happy to get out when we were ready.
 
We started shooting after she left and we had hit a nice, productive rhythm. We were moving right along, with me doing the talking and voice overs and Jenn doing the exercises. And just as we were hitting our stride, the door opens and in walks an elderly guy, presumably right off the golf course, walks over and turns on the T.V., and then gets on a treadmill and proceeds to begin walking on it, filling the room with the mechanical noise of its motor and the thud of his footsteps on the track. 
 
I couldn’t believe the stones on this guy. I guess he either didn’t see the sign, was oblivious to it, saw it but didn’t give a crap, or he thought that “quiet please” just meant, “don’t speak” (which he didn’t). And he DID keep the volume on the T.V. real low. 
 
Well, of course, everything we shot during this time had the rumble of the treadmill running through it. And I couldn’t throw the guy out. After all, I was a guest here, myself. But, still….
 
I was frosted at the impeturbability of this guy and his utter disdain and disregard for what we were trying to do. Maybe it’s just me, but I think he was a rude, thoughtless S.O.B., at a minimum. 
 
I let him live. But it required some considerable restraint. And the other members of the crew felt the same–we were all grinding our teeth at the nerve of this guy.
 
Finally, he finished and left. Unbelievable. One good thing about older guys–you know their workout won’t last too long. But of course, he had broken our rhythm and we had to reshoot all the footage that his treadmill sounds had screwed up. His little workout cost us at least an extra hour.  Thanks, pal.
 
Anyway, we finally got it done–a little later than I had planned, but finished. And I have to tell you, I think what we shot was great! I was really pleased. And I hope you will be too, when I unleash the final product as a set of DVD’s, sometime, early in 2009.
 
And in addition to the video, I reshot all the still photos, with professional lighting, and added a bunch of new stuff: more stretches, more exercises, the proper ways to use the stationary bike, canes, braces, taping, ACE wrapping, a real expansion of the program. It was a lot of work, but it should be great!
 
This is going to replace the current PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, so this current version is going to become a collector’s item. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, NOW’s the time, while you still can. Go to http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html  and order your copy 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

 Busy day it was today! Barely made time to write this email, but I just couldn’t let it slide. We got in late yesterday from our road trip from New York. Later than we originally intended, but the weather for most of the ride was horrendous!
 
Gales of wind and constant rain, ranging from drizzling to downpours from New York through most of South Carolina, for two full days, with hours-long, bumper-to-bumper traffic through Baltimore, Washington and almost all of Virginia. It was moving at a crawl. 
 
Have I ever mentioned I don’t do well with frustration?
 
I could’ve let the bride drive, but although she’s a much better driver than I am in daylight, in poor weather and worse visability–not so much. So, for self-preservation’s sake, I did it. But I didn’t like it. Well, who would? 
 
I guess we figured that all the folks that had travelled to visit their families for Thanksgiving had already gone home. WRONG! We won’t make that assumption again.
 
Well, I did get a chance to try out a few of the tips I’ve always passed on to my patients over the years. Last email, I mentioned the quad setting and butt tightening exercises that help to dispell knee pain.  They really do work. But, when you’re jammed in a car with less leg room than you’d like, although you can manage it for your left leg, it’s much tougher with the right. You just can’t get enough room to straighten it out.
 
So, here’s what I did, that helped. I noticed that the constant ache in my left knee (from being kept bent for hours) was a function of a slight outward twist on the joint line, that varied with my foot position. I tended to rest my foot with my heel inward and my toes outward on the gas pedal, which produced an ache at the medial (inner front) joint line of the knee. 
 
But when I reversed this twist, there was dramatic knee pain relief. I just turned my foot slightly, so the heel was outward, against the central wall of the driver’s side leg compartment, and the toes were relatively turned inward, still on the pedal. The pain was remarkably reduced, because the twist of the end of the femur (thigh bone) on the upper tibia (shin bone) was reversed. 
 
This simple maneuver, combined with frequent pit stops, helped me get through. 
 
The other problem was a tension headache, from wretched visibility, wet roads, high speed traffic (interspersed with HOURS of nearly standing still, that set my teeth on edge) and the usual collection of idiots, that seem to have no appreciation of the laws of physics and always seem to be next to me. I can feel the tightening of my trapezius muscles at the base of my skull.
 
ZOOOOM! Pouring rain, slick roads, huge volumes of spume, spraying off the 18 wheeler trucks right onto my windshield and some imbecile in a bright yellow pickup truck flashes past me, so close he almost left a streak of yellow on my door! Why should I be surprised? Who in the world drives a bright YELLOW truck–on purpose? You want to be SURE the cops can identify you? Well, no accounting for taste….
 
Anyway, you can’t do the rotating your head thing at 70 mph. But what helps is one of those neck pillows they sell for about 20 bucks, to use on airline flights.  They’re light weight, soft and they can be propped up behind your neck for support and blessed relief of stress.
 
Needless to say, whenever we stopped, I’d take the chance to do my knee exercises, like those I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM. See it yourself at   http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
The next day, the sun was shining, there was a mild temperate breeze; in short, it was beautiful. So the bride got to take us on home, a little later than we planned, but hey, we made it. That’s what counts.  I can hardly wait to do it all over again next weekend.  I must be out of my mind….
 
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

Last night, I was on a conference call with a number of friends and information marketers from all over the world. And during the discussion, memorable advertisements of the past were referenced. Most notably they recalled the famous cartoon ads that were commonly seen in the back of comic books, as well as Popular Mechanics and other pulp books, throughout the sixties and seventies, that promoted the “Dynamic Tension” bodybuilding system of Charles Atlas.
 
You know, the ones that show the iconic “97 pound weakling,” Mac, who is humiliated in front of his girlfriend on the beach, when he gets sand kicked in his face by a bully. Mac then sends away for the Charles Atlas Dynamic Tension Course, becomes a he-man and punches out the bully at their next encounter. 
 
This little illustrated vignette is considered by many marketers to be one of THE most effective and successful ad campaigns ever run. And of course the “97 pound weakling” has become part of our national culture, recognized even by people who have never seen the original ads.
 
This reference has a special meaning for me, because I’m one of the few guys around who actually met Charles Atlas, later in his life. Of course, when I met him, he was Mr. Siciliano to me.
 
I worked as a delivery boy for an Italian fruit store to earn money after school, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, in the mid-sixties. I pedalled this enormously heavy bicycle up and down the hills of Bay Ridge (so-called because of the hills), delivering the fruits and vegetables carried in its basket to my boss’ customers. It gave me some spending money and a pair of rock hard thighs, from the hours of pedalling.
 
Well, one day, my boss Mr. Scotto, an old world Italian, who made his own wine in the basement of the store, told me to take an order of fresh oranges to an apartment house on 88th Street and Shore Road in Bay Ridge, just down the street from Fort Hamilton High School (where I would one day go). He told me that this guy I was delivering to was Charles Atlas. Yeah, sure. I thought he was pulling my leg….
 
So off I went. I found the apartment, noted the name “Siciliano” on the door and rang the doorbell. And who should open the door, but HIM. He was much older than his photographs, but unmistakable. He had a full head of white hair and a rather large head. He was still a big handsome guy, with mile-wide shoulders and a very pleasant, affable manner. Holy crap! I couldn’t believe it! Old man Scotto had been telling me the truth.
 
On my right was a life-sized mural, painted on the wall next to the door, of him, as a nude young man, posed like a classical Greek statue, clothed only in a strategically placed fold of a royal purple robe. I just stared at him, probably with my mouth open. “You…you’re really him…” I said.
 
He just smiled and then, Atlas shrugged. “Well, I was a young man then,” he said quietly, with a gentle smile, referring to his painting. Then he gave me a tip, advised me to live a clean life, drink plenty of fresh orange juice and exercise. Then, he sent me on my way. I never saw him again. But I did meet him. How cool was that?
 
I later looked up everything I could about him. Born in 1893 in Calabria, Italy, as Angelo Siciliano. He emigrated to the USA with his father in 1903 and took the name Charles. At age 15, he was attacked on the streets of Brooklyn, where he grew up. The following year, he actually did have a bully kick sand in his face at Coney Island beach. He decided to do something about it.
 
During a visit to the Brooklyn Museum, he became aware that the muscles on the Greek and Roman statues were a product of exercise. After flirting with free weights and pulley exercises, but being disappointed with his results, he became inspired by a lion he saw at the Prospect Park Zoo. He theorized that the heavily muscled cat developed its muscles by pitting one muscle against the next. He developed a system of isometrics based on that idea and literally transformed himself into the paragon that the world came to know as Charles Atlas.
 
He was originally nicknamed Atlas by his friends, after the classical Greek statues, and took the name legally in 1922. He won the title of “Wold’s Most Perfectly Developed Man” in 1921 and 1922. He started a small mail order business to sell his exercise system that didn’t do much until he partnered with Charles Roman, an advertising man, in 1929. 
 
It was his new partner that wrote the famous ad and created the term, “Dynamic Tension” to describe the Atlas System. This system was not only a series of exercises (some of which are similar to those I teach today in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, which you can see at http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html ) but also advice on diet, health, grooming and correct behavior. 
 
Through Roman’s efforts the business thrived, despite the Great Depression, and Charles Atlas became the iconic figure of physical male perfection that we know and remember today.
 
Charles Atlas died from heart failure (for which he had a family history) at age 80, in Long Beach after a jog on the beach, December 23, 1972. But his legacy lives on. And, as a young man, I was lucky enough to meet him. Only once, but I remember….
 
Til next time my friend, be well. And have a great weekend.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill
 
P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2008 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD
All rights reserved

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

This morning, I was going through some old boxes stored in my garage (no basements in Orlando–the water table is so high that you can strike water eighteen inches into the ground). I’m trying to get rid of some stuff that has been lying around for far too long and to do that, I have to go through it all. I’m trying to be ruthless, but it’s hard.
 
I’m a “pack rat” by nature. I save books, old notebooks from school, articles, pages cut from magazines, illustrations that took my fancy, paintings, posters, art prints, sculpture, electronics, tools, guns, coins, items of clothing, weights, exercise equipment, office and tax records, you name it. Then, there’s the stuff my wife likes, like multiple sets of china, clothes, pocketbooks, and enough shoes to give Imelda Marcos a run for her money. And on top of all of that is furniture and more furniture. You name it, I’ve saved it. Never know when it might come in handy….
 
In digging through this stuff, it’s like being an archeologist, or treasure hunting. Every new box I open is filled with stuff. Everything I touch evokes a memory. Which is why it’s hard to part with this stuff–it’s like throwing away a part of my life, in a way. But it’s got to be done.
 
The trouble with stuff is that after a while, you don’t own your possessions–they own YOU. We’re now married for over 34 years and I still have stuff from Grammar School, Junior High, High School, College and Medical School for God’s sake! Little by little, like barnacles on the hull of a ship, the stuff accumulates. This, of course, makes every move a nightmare. So the stuff has to go.
 
But, as it’s contrary to my nature, I can’t simply pitch everything. No, I have to go through it, to be sure I’m not throwing away some long buried treasure from my past. It’s sick, I admit it. In my own defense, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink and I don’t fool around on the bride–hey, you’ve gotta do SOMETHING, right? Could be worse.
 
So, while I’m digging through the boxes, I came across my old bones collection, from the office: near perfect skull, probably a young woman, a femur, tibia, a vertebral body, a bag of foot bones. Thing is, these are REAL human bones. Can’t get these any more. The countries that used to produce them, chiefly India, under Indira Ghandi, outlawed the practice many years ago. 
 
Today, plastic models are the best a young medical student can do. Not the same thing, though–they can’t capture the subtle details, especially in the delicate internal bones of the skull. So I’m thinking, good thing I didn’t just throw these out. Can you imagine these bones coming to light in the garbage dump? I can see the cops knocking on my door now….
 
Then, I came across my old knee model. This IS plastic and shows the menisci and all the ligaments. I used to use this to explain why someone was having pain, to demonstrate which part of the joint was damaged. Then, under these items, I came across my teaching handouts. I used to give these to the patients as “take aways” so they’d remember some of what I told them during their office visits. Even though I could tell what was wrong with someone and formulate a treatment plan in under a minute, I would often spend the next hour or so explaining everything to the patient and family. But as studies done at the University of Florida showed years ago, people just don’t remember what they were told. They retain less than 27%, especially stuff like complications of surgery, after only 24
hours. 

So, my handouts were my way of reminding them. Each one was a single page, with all the pertinent information we had just discussed. One for each of the most common clinical problems I treated. And then, there was my physical therapy prescription. The therapist loved my Rx, because I gave them the diagnosis, the surgery (if any), with exactly what was done, and specified exercises and modalities to be done. This was the prototype of the exercises I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, which you can get at
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
The therapists liked this because most docs sent them a prescription that said “P.T.” They left pretty much everything up to the therapist, who of course had NO clinical information about the patient. Incredible. How could they help, if they didn’t know what they were treating? Made no sense to me. So they generally gave the patients knee extensions, or leg presses with resistance, to strengthen the quads, followed by ice and later, hot packs and electrical stimulation. Hard to go too wrong with those.
 
The miracle was that many people got better, anyway. That’s a tribute to the power of exercise to relieve pain, even if done in a very general way. Better, by far, if exercise is done strategically, to alter the dynamics of the knee, according to the pathology causing the problem. That’s what the PAIN-FREE PROGRAM does. See it at http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
Well, back to the junk heap. I’m sure I can get rid of a lot of this stuff. Just have to keep digging…. 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

It’s just a lazy day here in Florida. The sun is playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds, but it’s warm and quiet. Hope it’s peaceful and restful where you are. Time to kick back, relax and enjoy some hot dogs (yeah, I know they’re terrible for you, but I dearly love them, so I’ll indulge, occasionally) and shrimps on the barbie. 

The best hot dogs (in my opinion) are from Nathans, heavy garlic, grease and “strange meat,” but they taste great! And the very first Nathans is still in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, at the junction of Surf and STILLWELL Avenues! That’s right. My ancestors were early settlers in Brooklyn and used to own that land. (Wish they’d saved some for me…oh well) Anyway…
 
It’s Labor Day, a day of rest, in honor of the working men and women of America, and the official end of the summer season. And that means, it’s time for a SALE!
 
And while it’s going on (until midnight tonight only), take advantage of my 20%-50% OFF SALE on selected Dr. Bill’s Clinic products.
 
Go to http://drbillsclinic.com/labor_day_special.html
 
Talk to you tomorrow. Til then, be well, be happy and enjoy the holiday.
 
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

Hi sports fans! Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for–the Opening Ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, on this most auspicious of all days:  08/08/08.  According to my friend and mentor for all things Chinese, Matt Furey, eight is considered a lucky number in China. So a string of eights is especially propitious. The date wasn’t picked by accident. 

The Chinese have been working like demons to finish everything in time for the Games. And making preparations for a horde of people from all over the world. And providing security for dignitaries and visitors, to prevent any terrorists from ruining the events. So, finally, the Opening Ceremonies will begin in just a few hours, from when I write this. 

President Bush is scheduled to be there for the Ceremonies, despite some early grumbling about his boycotting them, to highlight human rights abuses by the regime, such as suppression of dissent, the current occupation of Tibet and other examples. In fact, just prior to arriving in Beijing, the President just yesterday made a speech in which he offered the support of the United States for those in China who yearn for freedom. 

The Chinese promptly suggested that our President should, in effect, mind his own business and not meddle in the internal affairs of China. But the message was delivered and when the sting of Bush’s words have faded, the Chinese will remember that he was there. And that’s far more important than any speech–he gave them FACE, respect, and that will pay dividends down the road.
 
In this instance, I think he did the right thing. I favor the ENGAGEMENT of China, rather than confrontation, whenever possible, mainly because I think it’ll be more effective in the long run. The Chinese wanted this showcase to the world BAD, for the international prestige and respect the Olympics confer, and of course, for the money. To the Chinese, these Games are a symbol of China having arrived on the World Stage and a great source of national pride. 

But it’s a double-edged sword: to get the Games, China had to open up to the world, thereby inviting many foreigners and their respective press corps into the notoriously secretive and authoritarian country. But you can’t do that, without exposing your people to those foreigners and their very different ways. And some of the worst abuses will not stand foreign scrutiny. It will be interesting to see if China’s government wants world recognition and acceptance as a major power, more than it wants to maintain strict authority over its people. I think it likely that it can’t have both, in the long run.
 
Once the “Genie of Freedom” is out the proverbial bottle, it’s pretty tough to put it back, especially with the world watching. And the thirst for freedom is apparently alive and well in China. In fact, according to my friends who have been there, the people have a great deal of personal freedom, quite unlike the picture we’re often given here. But then, we know how biased the press is in our own country. There’s no reason to suspect it isn’t the same with regard to China. Some reportage is cast through the prism of preconceived notions, so who knows what the real story is? There’s still that business in Tibet….
 
But guess what? The Dalai Lama has blessed the Games and prayed for their success on his website. Pretty canny move…and a great gesture of hope and potential reconcilliation by a great religious leader.
 
Well, for all the tedious back-biting rivalries between countries that are the normal state of affairs, the Olympic Games periodically come, like an island of hope and idealism in a sea of turmoil, a brief respite from the constant international tension. Now, I’m well aware that the IOC is corrupt and often does stupid things (witness their witless abuse of the poor Iraqi athletes, over some procedural nonsense). But the Games are greater than their venal governing body.  In the end, it’s about the athletes.
 
And the athletes are magnificent specimens of humanity–Aces all. I have a fierce, profound admiration for all of them. Just think about your own life; while you and I were partying and having fun, these kids were getting up at the crack of dawn to work, exercise, train, and perfect their performance, despite set-backs, injuries, and frustrations. It’s hard not to admire such consistent dedication and unbelievable discipline.
 
My old friend, Dr. Ben Rubin, was a Team Physician for the US Olympic Diving Team. He took care of Gold Medalist Greg Louganis. He told me that the average person couldn’t even comprehend that level of desire and discipline that makes an olympic athlete. They eat, sleep, live and breath their sport, with a dedication to excellence that’s hard to imagine. That’s what it takes. That’s how they got there.
 
These athletes will form that special bond between those who have shared a momentous experience, as soldiers in battle, or students in school. And the  friendships they will form will last a lifetime, human bridges across cultures and politics and ideologies. 

In truth, these kids are the best of us, not just as the representatives of their countries, but as examples of the best of humanity, of what we CAN be, but all too often are not. It’s not just their physical skills we admire, but the strength of the spirit that allows them to scale those heights and achieve the pinnacle of human endeavor. It’s what’s inside that makes a champion.
 
So, let the Games begin! And let’s all hope for a safe, successful Olympics, not only for China, but for us all.

Now, if you’re not an olympic level athlete, you STILL need to exercise. But if your knee is painful, it could frustrate your best efforts. Want to do Hindu Squats? Well, if you do the special modified version I teach in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM exercises http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html   you can get all the benefits, but without the pain. The secrets are simple, once you know them, and they make all the difference in the world. Try it and see:  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
Til next time, my friend, be well. Have a great weekend and enjoy the Olympics!
 
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

“Everyone…this is Bill.”

 ”Hi, Bill.”

 Just kidding. This has nothing to do with THAT twelve step program. It has to do with one way you can get rid of your chronic knee pain. 

You see, if you’re a boomer, like me, or just a guy or gal who has annoying or even severe anterior knee pain, most likely, it’s because of a kneecap problem. And most kneecap problems are NOT due to injury, but rather to a weakness of the quadriceps muscles in the thigh.
 
Why should this be so? Well, just think about it for a minute. Today, many people live in single story homes, drive everywhere they go, and haven’t been on a bicycle since their early teens. Eventually, this sedentary lifestyle catches up with you and, as you age, the cartilage behind your kneecap begins to soften, or worse. We, in the trade, call that chondromalacia patellae: literally “soft cartilage” in Greek.
 
This is a degenerative disease, kind of a first cousin of arthritis. And, oddly enough, up to a certain point, it’s actually reversible. The key is to reverse the muscular weakness with exercise. Now, I know this is anathema for a whole lot of folks, but it’s hard to overstate the importance of exercise in preventing, or eliminating knee pain.
 
I saw a great example of this in my first year of practice. The Hospital Administrator of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital came in for a late evening appointment. For political reasons, he had to avoid the appearance of favoritism to any single office. But, hey, he had knee pain, did his homework, and decided that I could help him. Hence, the late visit.

He had begun having pain in the front of his knee, as well as giving way. He was afraid that he had torn a meniscus and that he would need surgery. It was enough of a worry for him that he wanted to be treated by the best available surgeon, if that indeed turned out to be necessary (that would be me). So, despite his misgivings, he came in.

After his initial history, I did a thorough examination of his knees. Sure enough, he had temderness under his kneecap, and more diffuse tenderness at his inner (medial) joint line. But most striking of all was quad weakness that was amazing! I mean, he couldn’t even begin to resist my efforts to bend his straightened knee. Anyone’s thigh muscles should be strong enough to resist an examiner’s arm–there’s no comparison in the relative strength of these muscles. I was dumbfounded. I’d never seen that level of weakness in an otherwise healthy, fairly normal, middle aged man. It was bad enough that I actually worried about a potential neurological disease, at first.
 
Turns out that he almost never did any exercise, not even stair climbing. Well, that was better than a neurological disease. At least it was potentially reversible. But, it required a real effort on his part and a real change in behavior. I started him on a course of Physical Therapy, including the exercises that eventually became my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM  http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
 
In addition to quad setting and straight leg raising, quarter squats and leg extensions, I had him climb stairs. All these exercises helped him strengthen his quadriceps, especially the VMO. And as his strength improved, his pain simply went away. He was amazed and, as you might expect, very, very happy. He had avoided surgery, or even an arthrogram (this was in the early eighties, before MRI’s were available. Naturally, from this point on, I was “golden” with this guy. But the key thing is the importance and the potency of simple exercise in the relief of knee pain.
 
This is a simple test you can try yourself, if you have anterior knee pain. Try climbing a staircase–most have twelve, sometimes thirteen, steps, and do it for repetitions, several times a day. Give it a week or so, and I’ll bet you feel better. Not perfect perhaps, but better. This twelve step program is a good way to strengthen those quads. That’s why I included stair climbing in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM, which you can see at
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html   as well as a number of other excellent exercises to prevent or eliminate your knee pain. Give it a try!
 
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 28, 2008

Yesterday, I had occasion to meet with an older colleague, who despite his 68 years is still practicing, because he loves it. He told me that he fully expects to practice until he “drops dead” in his tracks. And I have to tell you, he really is good at what he does. But he then said, that he didn’t know if he could keep it up, because he was LOSING INCOME by remaining in practice!
 
He became aware of this at tax time, when he asked his accountant how much he would owe Uncle Sam. The accountant told him, “nothing.” “How could it be nothing?” my friend asked. The accountant replied, “Well, you lost $80,000.00 this year.” My friend was incredulous. He had LOST income! But, in the same year, one of the CEO’s a major HMO banked over 1.4 BILLION, with a “B.” There’s something really wrong with this picture.
 
He then told me that he was just at a conference where a younger doctor, a guy with an M.D. AND a Ph.D. was giving a lecture and he referred to himself as a “healthcare provider.” My friend raised his hand and said, “Say, here you are with TWO doctorates and you’re calling yourself a “PROVIDER?” What’s the difference between your level of education and training and that of a junior nurse
practitioner or an orthotist, or a vendor of equipment. Are you no different from them?” The young speaker stopped in his tracks and said, “You know, I never thought of it like that. You’re right.”
 
There you have it. One of the brightest, most highly qualified and respected experts in his field, a man with not only one, but TWO doctorates and he was not only deemed merely a “provider,” but he had accepted that definition himself! Talk about brainwashing!
 
This is no accident, but the full flowering of a very deliberate campaign to diminish the power, authority, autonomy and influence of the physician. And, sadly, it has worked. This first started back in my residency days, when we would have to call the nurses hired by
insurance companies to authorize treatments and surgeries for patients. Problem was, the nurses had the authority to say yes or no, but had no clue as to what we were talking about. As you might imagine, this situation made most of the docs livid.
 
My own approach was a bit different. I’ve always been a big believer in the “more flies with honey” theory. So, instead of excoriating these nurse with scorn, I was pleasant and funny and very nice to them. I also taught them what they needed to know, to make the right decision, which of course was what I wanted them to do. After all, I’ve always liked to teach (just like I teach today with my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM; see it at    http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html).
 
They were so disarmed by a doctor treating them with respect that they NEVER turned me down. Cost me nothing but a little time and the patient got what the patient needed. Everybody was happy. I never understood why most of my colleagues just didn’t get this. But I think they were just incensed that they had to answer to a nurse, who, let’s face it, was not their equal and was clueless, to boot.
 
But this insurance company attitude just exploded when ”HillaryCare” first reared its ugly head in te early nineties. It was the climate that Hillary created that made physician organizations quail and made insurance companies ever more arrogant and overbearing. The AMA, the American College of Pediatrics, followed by the American College of Surgeons, Internists, you name it, each one couldn’t wait to sell out its own constituency, so they could have “a seat at the table.” Disgusting!
 
Well, the whole boondoggle collapsed of its own weight, eventually (did you know that there were CRIMINAL provisions in Hillary’s plan for doctors AND patients, with terms of imprisonment, for any who tried to opt out of this collectivist wet dream? What the hell is a prison term doing in a health care bill?) But the damage was done. With the insurance companies feeling their oats and the docs in craven disarray, we became “providers,” to further diminish us and knock us off our pedestals.
 
Not that organized Medicine didn’t deserve some blame for this. They accepted this, instead of telling them all to go to hell! And they had abused the old system, so no one felt sorry for them. Stupid. But still, the worst doctor in the world, has at some time saved someone’s
life. How many other members of other professions can say the same? The profession didn’t deserve this.  And it was, as usual, the patients who got it in the neck.
 
They were robbed of their confidence in their physicians, and eventually of the intimate relationships they once enjoyed with their doctors, as they were sent by clerks to other “providers,” to save the HMO’s a few bucks.
 
How I wish this were just a bad memory. Unfortunately, with the campaigning for the new Presedential Election, the familiar spectres of Universal Coverage and Universal Health Care have arisen again. And at the same time that the unlimited burden of nonstop illegal immigration is causing our present system to groan and buckle at the seams. It won’t take much to completely collapse it. And if the
fools in Washington are true to form, they will draw the exactly wrong lessons from its demise.
 
Don’t be misled: There Ain’t No Such Thing As a Free Lunch.  Remember? Whatever you do, don’t let the government run
Health Care. These people are IN government, because they ain’t too bright and they can’t do honest work. Never forget that. We’re talking about your lives, here.  Sensible reforms are what’s needed, like making insurance policies available to individuals, not just through jobs, and guaranteeing coverage even with pre-existing conditions. But not a government takeover. These people can’t do anything without screwing it up! (And remember, I no longer have a dog in this hunt. I’m retired. But my opinions were shaped by my years of experience on the front lines.)
 
So, first thing, joint the resistance: always tell your insurance companies that you want to see a DOCTOR, not a PROVIDER. It costs nothing and it really annoys them (I used to refuse to speak to them if they called me a provider). Next, listen carefully to what every politician promises you–if it sounds too good to be true–it IS. And finally, hold on to your wallet: when they talk about “the rich,” paying for this, if you have a job, they’re talking about YOU.
 
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