A Physical Therapist, Inc.

Sharp Rise in Total Knee Replacement Surgeries over Last Decade

lhilton — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:27:10 +0000

New total knee replacement statistics show rates for the surgery are soaring. With drastically increasing rates in the numbers of total knee replacements, comes the likelihood that the health care system, including patients, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and other providers, will need to address growing numbers of complications from the surgery and implants.

According to research presented at the February 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

• 4.5 million Americans are living with a total knee replacement, which represents 5% of females and 4% of males older than 50 years of age. Ten percent of Americans age 80 and older are living with a total knee replacement.

• The number of total knee replacement surgeries has more than doubled over the past decade.

• The sharpest rise in this surgery is among younger patients.

• Osteoarthritis continues to be the primary reason for total knee replacement.

For more about what physical therapists do to help patients regain function, flexibility and strength to prepare for and recover from total joint replacement surgery (including total knee and hip replacements), contact A Physical Therapist, Inc.

A Physical Therapist, Inc., is a one-on-one physical therapy clinic in Delray Beach, Fla., and Harrisburg, Penn. For patients in Palm Beach County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Boca Raton or Boynton Beach. For patients in Dauphin County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Hershey and Marysville.

Parkinson’s Symptoms Improve for Long-term with Weight Training

lhilton — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:11:21 +0000

Parkinson’s patients who participated for two years in resistance exercise, also known as weight training, experienced improvements in tremors and other motor symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease, according to a study presented at the April 2012 American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting.

Researchers studied 48 Parkinson’s disease patients. The patients participated in one of two groups: a progressive resistance exercise group, which focused on weight training, or a group doing an exercise program known as fitness counts, which includes flexibility, balance and strengthening exercises. The groups exercised for one hour, twice a week, for two years.

The researchers measured and scored all patients’ motor symptoms, including tremors, after six, 12, 18 and 24 months of exercise.

Both groups experienced reduced motor symptoms at six months. But the weight training participants realized benefits for longer. The resistance, or weight training, group saw a 7.3 point average improvement score after two years, while the fitness counts group returned to the same scores they had at the start of the study.

It’s important to note this study looked only at motor symptoms of Parkinson’s. Stretching and balance exercises address other symptoms of Parkinson’s, such as muscle rigidity and postural changes, and are important to an overall wellness and prevention strategy. This study, however, highlights the importance of weight training in gaining control of and reducing motor symptoms, including tremors.

For more about what physical therapists can do to address Parkinson’s symptoms and, potentially, slow the disease’s progression, contact A Physical Therapist, Inc.

A Physical Therapist, Inc., is a one-on-one physical therapy clinic in Delray Beach, Fla., and Harrisburg, Penn. For patients in Palm Beach County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Boca Raton or Boynton Beach. For patients in Dauphin County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Hershey and Marysville.

New Study Suggests Knee Replacement Lowers Patients’ Risks of Death and Heart Failure

lhilton — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:40:59 +0000

New research presented Tuesday, Feb 7 at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests total knee replacement may do more than relieve pain and disability among elderly patients with osteoarthritis. Resurfacing the worn knee joint with total knee replacement surgery also might lower patients’ probability of heart failure and death.

Investigators identified osteoarthritis patients by looking at Medicare records. They separated these patients into two groups: those who underwent total knee replacement to relieve symptoms, and those who did not. The researchers analyzed rates of death, heart failure, diabetes and depression, comparing the two groups at one year, three years, five years and seven years after surgery.

They found patients who had total knee replacements had lower average total Medicare expenses than people with osteoarthritis who did not have the surgery. In the total knee replacement group, the risk of death was half that of the group that did not have the surgery. Congestive heart failure rates at three, five and seven years also were lower in the total knee group versus the non-surgical group. The groups did not differ in diabetes rates. Depression rates were slightly higher in the total knee replacement group during the first three years after surgery. There were no differences, however, in depression rates between the groups by five and seven years.

For the study’s press release, click here.

For more about what physical therapists can do to prepare patients for total knee and total hip replacement surgery, as well as help patients regain motion, mobility and strength after total joint replacement surgery, contact A Physical Therapist, Inc.

A Physical Therapist, Inc., is a one-on-one physical therapy clinic in Delray Beach, Fla., and Harrisburg, Penn. For patients in Palm Beach County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Boca Raton or Boynton Beach. For patients in Dauphin County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Hershey and Marysville.

Excess Weight Leads to Spine Disc Degeneration, Study Concludes

lhilton — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:25:06 +0000

Overweight and obese adults are more likely than normal weight adults to have degenerated discs in the lower spine, according to a study published Jan. 30, 2012, in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism.

The authors recruited 2,599 adults from Southern China between 2001 and 2009. Their ages were 21 and older. Some had back pain; some didn’t. All participants underwent assessments, including lumbar spine MRIs. The assessments also included determining each participant’s body mass index, or BMI. The researchers found that 7% of subjects were underweight, 48% were in the normal weight range, 36% were overweight and 9% were obese.

When they looked at images of participants’ lumbar spines, the researchers found 73% of participants had disc degeneration. The prevalence was higher for men, at 76%, than for women, at 71%.

Amongst participants in the study, increased age and higher body weight were two factors associated with a higher likelihood of lumbar disc degeneration. MRIs showed that people with higher BMIs were more likely to have greater numbers of degenerated discs, as well as more severe disc degeneration. End-stage disc degeneration with narrowing of the disc space was more pronounced in obese adults, according to the study.

Previous research has linked higher BMIs to low back pain. Disc degeneration is one cause of low back pain.

For the study’s abstract, click here.

For more about how physical therapy not only helps people with low back pain, but also helps prevent it, contact A Physical Therapist, Inc.

A Physical Therapist, Inc., is a one-on-one physical therapy clinic in Delray Beach, Fla., and Harrisburg, Penn. For patients in Palm Beach County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Boca Raton or Boynton Beach. For patients in Dauphin County, A Physical Therapist, Inc., is easily accessible from Hershey and Marysville.