Category: Uncategorized
Is fear of falling affecting you or your loved one?
Winter weather causes falling hazards for the most surefooted people. Mix snow and freezing rain with cold temperatures and you have a recipe that glazes sidewalks, parking lots and driveways with ice, increasing the risk of falls.
The seriousness of the risk increases exponentially if you are over 65 years old.
A fall at this age could be as life-threatening as a heart attack. The National Council on Aging reports an older person falls every 11 seconds in the U.S. More than 2.8 million older Americans are treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year for fall-related injuries.
As people […]
A Dozen Do’s and Don’ts for Cast Care
The first week of summer vacation will soon be a reality for many people. Along with free time and summer activities comes the risk of bumps, bruises and broken bones.
If you or your child experiences a fracture, your primary care or orthopaedic provider may prescribe a cast to immobilize the bone above and/or below the joint nearest to the injury. Depending on the injury, your provider may order a cast made of plaster or fiberglass.
- Fiberglass casts are lighter and stronger. If X-rays are needed during the healing process, the fiberglass material creates better images.
[…]
Meet James Messerly, DO
Dr. James Messerly, DO, is a board-certified family and sports medicine specialist who provides primary orthopaedic care to people of all ages. Dr. Messerly joined Bone & Joint in 1995, as the clinic’s first non-surgical orthopaedic provider.
Dr. Messerly provides non-surgical treatment for foot and ankle conditions, hand and wrist injuries, elbow and shoulder conditions, hip pain, neck and back pain, knee injuries and muscle pain and tightness. In addition to general orthopaedic care, Dr. Messerly also treats concussion and other sports medicine related injuries.
Dr. Messerly received his medical degree from the Des Moines University College of […]
It’s springtime. It’s also the year of the bird
… and Wausau and Stevens Point are two of 23 cities that have earned the title “Bird City.”
So, what do all those facts have to do with orthopedics?
When you take a more in-depth look at the hobby of “birding,” the connection is obvious. Birding encourages balance, endurance, and weight-bearing activity that can boost the health of your muscles, bones, and joints.
But isn’t birding just watching birds at the feeder?
Just ask a serious birder, and the answer will be a resounding “no.” Birding is not “just” bird watching.
While […]
Rhabdomyolysis is a rare condition often associated with overexertion.
Whether you enjoy an intense workout, a challenging spin class or competing in marathons, swimming or bodybuilding, you need to be aware of a condition called rhabdomyolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis occurs when overworked skeletal muscles break down, die, and release proteins called myoglobins into the bloodstream. In large numbers, myoglobins cause kidney damage. Left untreated rhabdomyolysis can cause permanent kidney damage, kidney failure, amputation, or even death.
Exertional rhabdomyolysis is related with extreme, intense physical effort.
The condition, also known as Rhabdo or “Uncle Rhabdo,” can occur when a person pushes his or her body too hard or too fast. This […]
Proactive steps you can take to avoid SSI
We’re not talking about social security income. We’re talking about a surgical site infection.
Many people have surgery without any problems at all. Other people spend months and weeks in a nursing home or an assisted living facility hooked up to an intravenous drip containing heavy-duty antibiotics to control and eliminate an infection.
Infections of surgical sites are serious — sometimes, they are life-threatening.
Here are 11 steps you can take to lower your risk of infection.
These steps start in your own home.
- Take care of yourself in the weeks and months before surgery. Eat nutritious food, get […]
What are growing pains?
Once or twice a month, Janet wakes from a deep sleep when eight-year-old Cindy cries out in the wee hours of the morning.
Cindy is not having a bad dream. She‘s experiencing throbbing pain in her calves. Janet goes into Cindy’s room to rub the backs of her daughter’s legs. It helps relieve the pain. Then, together, they walk to the kitchen for a drink of water and Cindy goes back to bed. Janet makes plans to call the doctor in the morning.
Many children between 3 and 8 years of age experience this type of leg pain, commonly called […]
Did you know bone health affects metabolism, memory, and muscle?
Many of us sang the skeleton song as children. It was a fun way to learn the major parts of the body. But, it didn’t tell us the whole story.
Our skeletal system does much more than support our muscles and connect our joints. It plays a role in metabolism, memory, and muscle health.
If you’re like most people, when you think of bones, you picture dried bones whitened by the sun. But your bone tissue is alive, active, and in a constant state of change. When new bone forms, the osteoblasts, specialized bone cells that reproduce and […]
Muscle cramps can be a real pain
Excruciating Pain. Hard knots under the skin. These are just some of the words used to describe muscle cramps.
These involuntary contractions have the power to awaken you from a deep sleep, stop you during a workout, or interrupt your much-needed rest. Muscle cramps can make grown men moan and utter unintelligible words under their breath as they furiously rub their muscles or move to stretch out the muscle and relieve the pain.
Most of us have experienced muscle cramps and spasms at some point in our lives.
Cramps can occur in every muscle of your body. Skeletal […]
What’s the difference between integrated pain management and interventional pain management?
Both integrated pain management and interventional pain management are treatment styles designed to help people relieve chronic and acute pain and discomfort.
According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain – nearly four times the number of people who have diabetes and more than five times the number of people who suffer from coronary heart disease.
Chronic pain is a problem of epidemic proportions.
Though they may look healthy on the outside, people who suffer from chronic pain often exert herculean efforts to get out of a chair, […]
