January 15, 2010

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

Yours for a pain-free tomorrow and your optimal health,
 
Dr. Bill
 
“The Wellness Warrior”    TM

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html 
 
P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
 http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html 
 
FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
 
Copyright, 2010 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
All rights reserved

December 29, 2008 

During the second half of my surgical internship, I was assigned to the VA Hospital in Richmond. At that time, and it probably hasn’t changed, everyone wanted to go to the VA because you got to do surgeries that were way beyond your usual fare. As an intern, I got to do surgeries that I normally wouldn’t be given to do for at least another two years, or so, at the regular hospitals. 
 
When you think about it, that’s really unfair to the vets. I mean, here are guys that have sacrificed for their country and here they’re being used as guinea pigs for some young punks looking to learn surgery. But, of course, at that time, all I cared about was doing more surgery. The fairness of the situation never even entered my mind–that’s just the way things were.
 
Anyway, one of the patients on my ward was a guy who had been operated on by every house officer who had rotated through that surgical service since he had been admitted over three years before. The guy was an old man, a real basket case. 
 
He couldn’t even eat because he had NO intestines left. He was fed through a vein, by I.V. hyperalimentation–a very fancy term for total parenteral (by vein) nutrition. Every few weeks or months, he would develop some complication or another that required another surgery. There was hardly anything left of him, but he kept on chuggin’ along, educating generations of interns.
 
Then, one of the residents told me how he came to be like this and my blood just froze. You see, he originally came in for a “minor surgery.” He was just supposed to have a simple bunionectomy. But, hard luck guy that he proved to be, it got infected.
 
So he got a second surgery to drain the infection. And I.V. antibiotics, of course. But, the surgical site turned into osteomyelitis–bone infection. And of course, this required another surgery.
 
Then, he needed a toe amputation. Then another. Then, his veins clotted up, so he needed a central I.V. line, for long term antibiotics. Which also got infected and needed removal. And a new central line. Then, one day, he got horrible stomach pains, which required a full work up. Turns out he had now developed a real problem: mesenteric embolism — a shower of clots that blocked off the arteries which feed the intestines. Without blood, the intestines literally die and develop gangrene. Which requires their removal. Naturally, you try to leave what you think will live and only remove the dead or dying tissues.
 
But the same thing happened again. And again. Each time, taking more and more of the man’s intestines, until finally, he had nothing left. By the time I showed up, he was The “Phantom” of the V.A.–a shell of his former self–quite literally.
 
And then he got really sick and resistant to the antibiotics. Turns out he had developed a subphrenic abcess (a big infected collection of pus, under the liver) and it was my job to take him to the OR and drain this mess. Which I did. If that didn’t gross me out, nothing ever would again.
 
Well, he rallied, but eventually it was just too much for the poor man. He died. Finally at peace. I came upon him one morning, while making rounds, already cold. And I also noted that he had perfect vital signs charted, right up until 8AM, when I found him. Hmmmmm…Guess the VA night nurses were too busy with other things to notice that this patient had passed on. 
 
I was sent to the autopsy, to learn what had finally gotten him. And I was shocked to see that when they opened him up, there was almost nothing left–he was like a used up, empty shell. Cause of death? Organ failure–take your pick. Poor guy. No one deserves this.
 
And I reflected, not for the first or last time, that our bodies were merely machines, shells driven by an animating spirit and that whatever made us “us,” the soul, if you will, was long gone from him. 
 
The horror of all this is that it started with a “minor surgery,” a “simple procedure.” And like that poem, “For Want of a Nail, the Kingdom Was Lost,” one thing led to another, and another, until the final, pathetic denouement.
 
Lessons learned here? 1. Ain’t no such thing as a “minor surgery” (only minor surgeons). 2. “One never knows, do one?” 3. Murphy is always waiting. 4. Whenever possible, avoid surgery…and you avoid its complications.
 
And after a lifetime in the OR, I’ve distilled the lessons I’ve learned in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY, which you can get here at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Think you need surgery if you have a torn meniscus?  Maybe you do. But then again, maybe some of the tips I teach you in this program can relieve your pain, but keep you out of the O.R. See for yourself, at  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
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

When I was first building my joint replacement practice in Long Island in the early eighties, I focused on doing the most difficult revison procedures. Just so you know, a revision is a re-do operation of a prior joint replacement that failed, for whatever reason. What else you need to know is that these surgical procedures are at least four to five times the magnitude of an initial “virgin” joint replacement. 
 
The biggest revisions I’ve ever done have involved an entire body transfusion. That means transfusing the entire volume contained in a human body, over 12 units of packed red cells, together with platelets (that help to stop bleeding by forming “white clots”), FFP, or fresh frozen plasma (which contains clotting factors, to allow the bleeding surfaces to clot and stop intraoperative and postop bleeding), and additional fluids, containing electrolytes (charged ions, like sodium, potassium, chloride, etc. that let the heart beat and the nerves work, among other things).

Many times, the loosening of the initial implants results from resorption of the surrounding bone, a process called osteolysis. This occurs as a biological reaction to extremely tiny wear particles of polyethylene, from the plastic parts of a joint replacement–kind of like “brake dust” that accumulates on your car wheels from the wear of your brake pads. This often leaves weak or missing bone, which has to be replaced with bone graft, large pieces and ground up fragments of banked human bone, harvested from donors who have died. 
 
In addition, removing bone cement from the inside of the bones is time consuming, tedious and takes its own toll in damaging and removing native bone stock. Fashioning and fitting these bone grafts to reconstruct the patient’s bones is often the reason for long operative times in the OR. It ain’t easy.
 
And of course, these monster surgeries are fraught with potential complications and much higher risks than the virgin cases. So a failed joint replacement is not a small matter, but a pretty big deal to fix.
 
The longest total hip revision I ever performed took 15 hours, though most were in the three to six hour range. In other words, these are enormous surgeries, on a par with the biggest open heart surgery or excising and grafting an aortic aneurysm, in terms of magnitude and metabolic stress on the patient.
 
And for all these reasons, many surgeons who are comfortable doing primary (virgin) joint replacements are not so thrilled to do revisions. They often feel, many times quite correctly, that they’re out of their depth, way over their heads. 
 
So why in the world would I WANT to attract these cases?
 
My reasoning was multifactorial. I was the only one in the region really trained to do revisions. Most guys wanted someone to clean up their messes, and if I developed the reputation of being an expert in revisions, it would be a great indirect advertisement that I was an ideal choice for doing the simple, “virgin” total joints, too.
 
The problem was that most surgeons wanted to ship their disasters out of town, by referring the case to a big kahuna in The City, so they wouldn’t be embarrassed by the failure of their surgery and wouldn’t be tacitly admitting that someone else in town might be a better surgeon. So I had to attract these cases by going to the patients directly, by word of mouth. And once I got them, I had to handle these cases very diplomatically, so as not to embarrass the prior surgeon.
 
Even in the OR, where my pal and assistant Steve and I would scrub and come swaggering into the room to save the day, like “The Pros From Dover” in the movie M.A.S.H., we were careful not to badmouth the prior surgeon. After all, the failure was often NOT the fault of the surgeon, but caused by factors outside his control.
 
I always felt the guy did his best and “there, but for the Grace of God go I.” Other hotshot surgeons of my acquaintance were not so sanguine or understated in this regard. But I’ve always believed that the Universe has a way of punishing that sort of arrogance, eventually. In any case, my behavior did not go unnoticed.
 
Gradually, the other surgeons in town (and in the entire region) grew to trust that I wouldn’t throw them under the bus to the patient and family. I enjoyed the repuation of a gentleman, as well as an expert in this field. So they began to send me their grief, I would ask them to scrub with me, so they would become part of the solution, maintain their contact with the patient and family, and be able to bask in reflected glory, when the new surgery restored the patient and relieved the pain, which fortunately was most of the time.
 
The point of all this is that surgery is NOT without risks. And these risks are magnified and multiplied when an initial surgery fails and needs to be revised. So, it follows that you should NEVER undergo an UNNECESSARY SURGERY. 
 
If you have knee pain, for example, you may be able to relieve your pain and restore your function, by using the methods I’ve outlined in my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY. See how here at  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
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

When I switched on the compouter this morning in my study, I clicked on my email, as I usually do, to see what, beside spam and junk, was in the inbox. As you might imagine, I get lots of emails and referrals and requests for advice about knee pain, hip and back pain, arthritis and all the rest of it. Whenever possible, I try to help, if I can.
 
Oftentimes, that means referring the enquirer to one of my healing programs or books. Sometimes, I can give them some short term advice that may help. Of course, I’m limited by the fact that I can’t see, much less examine them, and I’m further limited by their description of their problems. 
 
Lay people know what they mean, but they often can’t express it well enough for me to understand what the problem is. We don’t share the same vocabulary when it comes to medical problems. That’s one of the most important contributions of my LITTLE GREEN BOOK (see it  at http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html ), which translates a number of medical problems from “medicalese” into everyday plain English, so the average person can understand what we’re talking about.
 
Anyway, recently, I’ve had a number of questions from people who have already HAD surgery, usually arthroscopic surgery, but STILL have pain. As is typical in my experience, many tend to blame the doctor for screwing up the surgery. But in fact, persistent pain may be from residual arthritic changes inside the joint. And it’s now well accepted, backed up by two large studies, that arthroscopic  surgery for arthritis is pretty ineffective. So, it’s not uncommon to have persistent pain after that procedure.
 
Let me give you an example of what I mean. This is the most recent email from someone in this very situation:
 
“I have had arthroscopic surgery on both knees. My right knee is in really bad shape after surgery. I think the surgeon really must have botched it because I am in constant knee pain after being on my feet for a few hours. How will your exercises help with no meniscus left in my knee? By the way, I am 57 and the surgeon says I am too young for knee replacement. Can you help me strengthen my knees through exercising?  Thanks…”
 
And here was my reply:
 
“…Your problem is not uncommon. You may have had a torn meniscus, which the surgeon probably removed PARTIALLY (you generally try to leave some of it as a cushion, unless it is already completely shredded from degeneration).  However, most likely, he did NOT “botch it.” It’s just that you undoubtedly have ARTHRITIS in that joint, which arthroscopy CANNOT CURE. That’s the most likely source of your pain. 

“57 is NOT too young to have a total knee. But, there are a number of proven, very effective non-surgical methods that can help to relieve your pain, and restore your function, at least for a while. You may wish to get my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY   at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
“Exercises help by increasing the stability and the support of the arthritic joint by increasing the mass and strength of the surrounding muscles. But they are only one method, among many others, that can delay surgery. If you have end stage arthritis, eventually you WILL come to a total knee. 
 
” But that day can be delayed in many cases–I had one patient I carried in this way for TEN YEARS,before he finally got it done. But remember, everyone is different, so you can’t predict how well these methods will work for you. Still, isn’t it worth a shot? 
 
” BTW, be sure you have your Total Knee done by a specialist in joint replacement, when the time comes. It’s a very technique dependent procedure, so a guy who’s doing a LOT of them will have better results and fewer problems and complications. Hope these  tips help. Good luck to you!…”
 
Hopefully, he’ll take my advice and click on   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  He’s likely to find a highly effective combination of conventional and alternative measures and exercises that will give him FAST RELIEF from his knee pain and help him AVOID SURGERY, if that’s possible. How 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

When I first arrived on the scene in August of 1973, the other orthopaedic surgeons in Smithtown weren’t exactly thrilled to see me. I didn’t find out til later on, but my new Associates had been in a struggle for dominance in town with another large group and had been sort of “rubbing their noses in it,” about my coming into their practice–the first fellowship trained joint surgeon on Long Island. So, quite naturally, but unbeknownst to me, the other guys were more than a little peeved, before they even met me.
 
I had just completed the Aufranc Fellowship, arguably the finest and most prestigious joint reconstruction fellowship in the country. But like all residents and fellows, I had been part of the house staff in the hospitals in which I trained. I had no airs, no sense of entitlement and I hope, no arrogance. Training programs are all very cooperative: The patients always come first, but everyone is in it together and we all help one another, in a spirit of good-fellowship.
 
So, the motives and behavior that the other guys in town projected onto me, were wholely undeserved and were frankly mystifying to me. I had always gotten along with everyone–my nickname was “Easy Bill.” To be treated with suspicion, paranoia and thinly veiled hostility for (to my knowledge) no reason, right out of the box, was quite a shock. I was, in short, clueless about the now competitive nature of my relationship with the other surgeons. Welcome to ”Private Practice,” kid!
 
Since I had no inkling of what had provoked this response, I tended to be a little defensive and decided, “Well, I’ll show THEM.” And I did.
 
I did procedures that I had been trained to do, complex surgeries that no one else in town had even seen, much less done. And I was adept at scooping up free patients from the ER, making friends with the ER docs and nurses, the family physicians and internists in town, and especially the rheumatologists. I did consultations and saw patients in the office and the ER with the raw energy of the newly minted doctor.
 
I was aggressive in doing surgeries, like no one but a young surgeon can be. And although I NEVER did a surgery that wasn’t warranted, I tended to view all problems through the prism of my training: “If you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” As a result, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy–I BECAME exactly what my collegues had feared and was soon acknowledged as THE regional expert in my field.  And yet…
 
It’s an old, but true saying: “There are OLD surgeons and there are BOLD surgeons; but there are NO old, bold surgeons.” Things I did then, though strictly indicated, I would never do, or recommend today. Certain things you only learn through time and experience. And after nearly a quarter century in the Operating Room, I’ve learned that the very best surgery is the one you AVOID. I’ve learned to respect the integrity of the body and appreciate its capacity for self-healing. 
 
In short, I learned the wisdom of the non-surgical solution.
 
That’s not to say that there aren’t times when only surgery will do. There are. But many times, patience and the use of time-tested non-surgical solutions, from across the entire medical spectrum, conventional, alternative and complimentary, will help relieve your pain and restore your function–but do that WITHOUT SURGERY. And that’s why I wrote my newest healing program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY. See it here at:    http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Even if you don’t have knee pain right now, the methods and strategies revealed in this program will help you PREVENT conditions that result in pain. And, of course, if you DO suffer an injury, you’ll be prepared to get the right treatment, avoid mistakes and vastly improve your chances to AVOID KNEE SURGERY, if that’s possible.  So be smart, before the fact. BE PREPARED. Get your copy of this unique program, today. Click on the link NOW:    http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
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

Just yesterday, I came across an article on one of the sports blogs about the various knee injuries seen with a number of sports, including basketball, soccer and football. With the Olympics in full swing, it’s easy to focus on the more dramatic sports that get much of the press, when it comes to knee injurues, acute and chronic.
 
But surprisingly enough, one of the most frequent causes of chronic and acute knee problems is… GOLF! Now, golf is a gentleman’s (or gentlewoman’s) game, no doubt about it. And it looks like the players mainly walk around, when they’re not riding in their electric golf carts. They don’t even carry their own golf bags–a caddy does that for them. But if the knee problems generated by this sport aren’t as dramatic as some, they’re no less real. 

You see, golf applies more subtle forces across the knee joint, that are often internal. Walking on uneven terrain, rolling hills, even sand traps, induces the same irregular joint forces as walking on a beach. And the torque, or twisting forces, imposed on the knees with every drive are tremendous.  In fact, it’s that twisting stress, with full body weight on the knee, from every swing of the driver that’s responsible for most of the injuries.
 
You normally don’t even think in terms of golf injuries until some high profile player, like Tiger Woods, is knocked out of competition by his bad knees, or some specific knee injury. But the danger is always there, maybe especially for the average player, who isn’t conditioned as well as the professional athletes.
 
You go into any golf club or country club locker room and all you’ll hear about is aches and pains of shoulders and knees. Well, part of that is simple aging. Lots of boomers and seniors play golf, which aggravates dormant conditions, like arthritis, or synovitis, or chondromalacia patellae (for a complete run-down of the many problems of the knee, in layman’s language, see my LITTLE GREEN BOOK FOR ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN   http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html ).
 
But part of it is newer injuries, like ligament sprains or ACL tears, or especially torn menisci, caused by that repetitive twist. Pain in the knee is so common in this sport that I call this chronic knee pain “Golfer’s Knee.”
 
While Tiger had a completely ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament, as well as a meniscus tear and articluar cartilage damage, all of which require surgery, in many cases, proper conservative treatment of Golfer’s Knee can avoid knee surgery. As it happens, my latest publication provides golfers and anyone else with all the tricks, tips and effective techniques from across the entire medical spectrum, conventional, alternative and complementary. It’s called HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY  http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
 
Acute pain is treated first by anti-inflammatory measures and joint stabilization, while long term treatments focus on specialized exercises and stretches, to improve strength and stability. These are supplemented by nutritional measures, herbs and nutriceuticals, to enhance healing and retard the development of arthritic changes. 

Yes, there are situations where surgery is needed. But my goal is to teach you how to prevent an UNNECESSARY surgery, of which there are far too many. So, if you have knee pain, from Golfer’s Knee, or any other source, learn how to relieve your pain and restore your function, with the best conventional and alternative non-surgical methods. Go see how at   http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
You’ll be glad you did. 

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

Over the last few days, I’ve been trying to contain my excitement. The printer promised me delivery today on the first batch of my new programs. I’ve been working on it for the last few months. It was written in response to this most pressing question: “How can I get relief of disabling knee pain, but stay OUT of the operating room?” 

It may seem ironic, given how many thousands of surgeries I’ve performed over the years, that my newest, best course would be on how to AVOID what I spent a career doing. But you have to realize that I probably operated on barely 10% of the patients who came to see me with knee pain. 

You see, I’ve always believed that the very best surgeons only operate when they have no other choice–in other words, only when it’s REALLY necessary. Seen in that way, I hope this makes more sense. What I’m trying to do is teach you how you can give yourself the benefit of the doubt, when it comes to your knee problems. 

There ARE times when surgery is absolutely necssary. Anyone who claims otherwise is a liar or a fool. What I hope to do is teach you to recognize when a proposed surgery may be UNNECESSARY, and then show you how to relieve your pain and resolve your disability, using multiple methods from across the entire spectrum of available treatments, including mainstream/conventional, alternative, dietary, nutriceutical, pharmaceutical, orthotic, physical measures, healing programs and much, much more. 

I know these measures WORK, because they’ve worked for my own patients over nearly a quarter century of practice and they’ve worked for ME, personally,  forstalling the progression of pain in my non-operated knee and keeping me from needing surgery on that knee right up to the present.
 
I wrote this program thinking of the many patients who were referred to me, thinking they needed surgery and dreading it, and their shock and amazement when I showed them how to avoid it, using many of these same measures. It seems counterintuitive, if not counterproductive for a guy who earns his living doing surgery to do this. But when you take that approach with people, they tend to be really happy with you and they then send you other people who really DO need surgery. So it really does make sense, when you think about it. And it’s the best way to practice: “First, Do No Harm.”
 
So, today is the day, zero hour, the official launch of my new program, HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY. See it at
http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html  But although today is the official opening of availability for this product, a surprising number of people have already ordered it, using the links in the last few emails, starting last weekend.
 
If you’re one of the first 199 people to order this new program, you’ll get in at the low, introductory price. And you’ll get my Special Report on HOW TO ELIMINATE HIP PAIN, to address pain at the opposite end of the knee, as well as my FREE BONUS CD: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION, which explains the biological basis of pain and how controlling the mind can actually minimize pain.
 
So, we’re off! I hope you will like and benefit from this new pain-relieving product. I did my best. Now it’s up to you. Click on the link and order NOW at http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid _knee_surgery.html    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