Dallas, TX- Knee Replacements, Knee Osteoarthritis on the Rise
Dallas, TX- Knee Replacements, Knee Osteoarthritis on the Rise
According to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, over 6.5 million Americans between the ages of 35 and 84 are expected to be diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis in the next decade. Nearly half of those diagnosed will be individuals between the ages of 45 and 64. This of course will increase the number of total knee replacements and will place an additional burden on our already troubled health care system.
Head author of the study, Dr. Elena Losina, Ph-D and coordinator of the Orthropeadic and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston explained that the mean age of physician diagnosed knee osteoarthritis fell from 72 in the 1990’s to 56 years of age in 2010. “The large number of newly developed cases of knee osteoarthritis in younger individuals will lead to continued increases in the use of total knee replacements. Furthermore, our findings are consistent with the recently observed tripling of total knee replacements in 45-65 year olds in the United States…”
Dr. Losina and her colleagues believe the increase in the number of knee osteoarthritis in younger people is due to the rise in obesity and the number of knee injuries in the United States.
The National Institutes of Health funded this study.
Dr. Schnee’s Perspective:
The companies that manufacture knee replacement parts are ‘jumping for joy’ after hearing about this news. (Of course they knew it all along. It’s impossible for a country to have an obesity epidemic, and NOT have a rise in knee osteoarthritis and total knee replacements). It’s discouraging that the United States hasn’t lead the way in finding a ‘replacement’ too costly knee joint replacements. It is even more frustrating that Medicare and some other health care companies refuse to pay for effective, less costly ‘alternative’ medications and treatments; but are happy to pay for medications that have been rushed through FDA clearance (and have horrible side-effects), a $60,000 knee replacement, and gel injections- where the results remain inconclusive.
Perhaps we should start following the lead of other countries like Scotland, and Germany who WANT to find alternatives to costly knee replacements, so they’ve been studying adult (not embryonic) stem cells as a way to replace cartilage in the knee joint so that they can reduce the number of total knee joint replacements in the population.
For years the Koreans, Chinese, and the Japanese people have been using acupuncture, supplements, cold laser therapy and other alternative practices to relieve knee pain- in their hospitals! The Norwegian healthcare system, in a study led by Dr. Jan M. Bjordal, M.D., found that cold laser therapy eased osteoarthritis knee pain and was twice as effective as NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), and it saved the system money. So guess what? In Norway, Cold laser therapy earned a top spot as a treatment recommendation for patients suffering from osteoarthritis knee pain.
Our healthcare system has to change: Medicare and some other health insurance companies need to stop being dictated by ‘big pharma’ and start paying for treatments that we know are effective, have the research to back them, and are significantly less costly to our healthcare system. Let’s start with cold laser therapy.
To find out more about Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program™ call the DFW Spine & Joint Center at 214-596-1051 or visit http://www.Helpmykneepain.com
Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, D.C. – The Cold Laser Doctor™ for knee pain relief for the non-surgical treatment of knee pain for the Dallas, Fort Worth and Surrounding Texas Areas. “Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program™ has been helping knee pain sufferers without knee injections, medications, or knee surgery since 2001.”
Dallas, TX- Knee Replacements, Knee Osteoarthritis on the Rise
Dallas knee pain relief doctor shares alarming study which shows knee replacements, knee osteoarthritis on the rise, and why our healthcare system has to change.
To read the entire abstract go to http://www.rheumatology.org/about/newsroom/
Knee Osteoarthritis Risk Depends on Shape of Knee
Knee Osteoarthritis Risk Depends on Shape of Knee
Jan Waarsing and her colleagues, researchers from the Netherlands, compared the knee shapes of women diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (oa) to those without arthritis. There were 606 participants used in the study, and x-rays were used to view the shapes of womens knees.
The researchers found three key differences in the knee shape of women with knee oa versus those without knee osteoarthritis:
- Those with knee arthritis had a wider knee on x-ray (wider femoral and tibial bone).
- They also found that those with arthritic knees had raised lateral tibial plateaus (the outer part of the shin bone was higher).
- Also osteoarthritis knee patients extended their knees more on the x-ray than those without knee oa.
More studies have to be conducted about how knee shape affects knee osteoarthritis, but with these new findings researchers hope that this could help predict knee osteoarthritis in patients and offer early knee treatment and counseling to those with knee osteoarthritis in hopes to manage its progression.
Knee Osteoarthritis Facts:
-The Arthritis Foundation stated that women are at greater risk than men for developing oa. Moreover, a 2010 study found that women were likely to develop arthritic knees after the age of forty.
- The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recently reported that more people limit their activity with a diagnosis of arthritis then those with diabetes, cancer, or heart disease.
-One in three people diagnosed with arthritis in the US have difficulty functioning at work.
-Arthritis Today Magazine reports that exercise eases osteoarthritis knee pain; however, most people discontinue exercising because they confuse muscle pain soreness with knee joint pain.
In Conclusion:
If you have been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, are searching for knee pain relief, and live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area then Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee may be able to help you. Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program™ provides relief for those with chronic knee pain, by decreasing inflammation, and improving mobility in the knee. Dr. Schnee’s program is painless and safe. Most importantly, it does not involve surgery, injections or medications. To find out more about her program visit http://www.Helpmykneepain.com or call the DFW Spine & Joint Center at 214-596-1051.
Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, D.C.- The Cold Laser Doctor™ for the Non-Invasive Treatment of Knee Pain for the Dallas, Fort Worth Texas and Surrounding areas – “ Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program™ has been helping chronic knee pain sufferers experience knee pain relief since 2001.”
Citation: D.J HaverKamp, et al. Variation of Joint Shape in Osteoarthritic Knees
Knee Osteoarthritis Risk Depends on Shape of Knee
Knee osteoarthritis risk rises depending on shape of knee. Dallas-Fort Worth cold laser therapy knee pain relief doctor Alexandra Schnee, D.C. shares study and knee treatment option.
What Causes Osteoarthritis of the Knee?
Before I discuss what causes osteoarthritis of the knee let me review what healthy cartilage in the knee is made from. The cartilage in the knee joint is called hyaline cartilage or articular cartilage. It is found at the ends of joints so that it allows for smooth movements. It is made up of the following:
- 70% Water
- 15% Collagen (a protein). Type II
- 15% Proteoglycans (protein), Chondrocytes (cartilage forming cells), non collagen proteins, lipids and organic materials
In a healthy knee, cartilage is always in the process of being remodeled due to normal wear and tear of the knee joint. Hyaline cartilage is constantly being broken down by the enzyme, matrix metalloproteinase, and being replaced and rebuilt by chondrocytes (cartilage cells). In a healthy knee there is a balance between cartilage cells that are rebuilding and replacing cartilage and enzymes that are breaking the cartilage down. Unfortunately, genetics, aging, weight, disease, surgery and injuries to the knee all play a role in contributing to throwing off that balance and allowing more cartilage to be broken down then regenerated. When the amount of cartilage is being degraded faster than it is being synthesized by chondrocytes than cartilage naturally degenerates.
One of the main proteins that is believed to be responsible for causing this imbalance in enzyme activity and inhibiting cartilage development is interleukin-1. This cytokine creates inflammation in the joint, it stimulates more of the enzyme that destroys cartilage, it does not allow collagen to be produced, and it suppresses chondrocytes from producing proteoglycans.
It is reasonable to assume that if interleukin-1 was inhibited, and the number of chondrocytes outnumbered the enzyme that destroyed cartilage then the effects of osteoarthritis would be negligible.
Click here to read more about How Cold Laser Therapy Helps Stave off the Effects of Osteoarthritis in the Knee by Inhibiting Interleukin-1 and Stimulating Chondrocyte production.
If you live in the Dallas, Fort Worth or surrounding areas call our office at 214- 596-1051 to find out if you’re a candidate for Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program.
Or if you would like more information about Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program fill out the form on the right side of this screen to get your FREE report mailed to you entitled, Amazing Cold Laser Therapy the Missing Link to Knee Pain Relief!
Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S.,D.C.,-Your Cold Laser Doctor for the Treatment of Knee Pain in the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas Area-“ Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program Has Been Helping People with Knee Pain and Joint Pain Avoid Knee Surgery in the Dallas, Fort Worth and surrounding areas since 2001.”
Causes of Osteoarthritis in the Knee Dallas Texas | Dallas-Fort Worth
Dr.Schnee D.C.,Dallas Cold Laser Expert,shares what causes osteoarthritis in the knee and why her cold laser therapy knee program can help.Dallas-Fort Worth.
Recently Released: Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Study About The Positive Effect Of Low-Level Laser (Cold Laser Therapy) In Knee Osteoarthritis
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was conducted to find out whether Low level laser therapy (cold laser therapy) actually increases circulation and blood flow in the knee and decreases knee pain in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis were randomly separated into two groups. One group received cold laser treatments the other group received placebo cold laser therapy. The placebo group received knee treatments from an ineffective laser that had the same appearance as the laser that worked. Patients were examined before the study, 2 weeks into the study, immediately after the study and 2 months after completing the study. As part of the examination thermography, knee flexion and knee joint circumference were measured. Knee joint pressure sensitivity along with the visual analog scale (pain scale) were also measured and recorded.
The results showed that the group treated with low level laser therapy (cold laser therapy) felt a significant improvement in knee pain, the knee circumference reduced (due to swelling reduction), pressure sensitivity decreased, and knee joint flexion increased.
On the other hand, the group treated with the placebo laser experienced NO change in pain, and there wasn’t an increase in joint flexion. The placebo group also experienced no significant decrease in knee circumference (there wasn’t a decrease in swelling), or a decrease in pressure sensitivity.
The results of this study clearly demonstrate that the use of low-level laser therapy (cold laser therapy) reduces pain in patients suffering with Knee Osteoarthritis. Additionally, low-level laser therapy improves microcirculation in the treated area, reduces swelling, as well as helps increase knee joint mobility.
If you suffer with knee pain, swelling and tenderness due to osteoarthritis then Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program is considered a complete treatment plan that combines low-level laser treatments (cold laser treatments), non-weight bearing exercises, and other modalities that promote rehabilitation of the knee. Every patients program is different depending on whether they suffer from knee pain due to arthritis, ‘bone on bone’, meniscus tears, bursitis, tendonitis, Baker’s Cyst, post surgical arthroscopic knee pain, or a combination of the listed conditions. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area call our office at 214- 596-1051 to find out if you’re a candidate for Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program.
Or if you would like more information about Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program fill out the form on the right side of this screen to get your FREE report mailed to you entitled, Amazing Cold Laser Therapy the Missing Link to Knee Pain Relief! or visit http://www.helpmykneepain.com
At the DFW Spine & Joint Center we also have programs available that can help most musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, sciatica, disc and nerve problems, hip, ankle, foot, hand and wrist pain, etc…
Dr. Robert Hanson, D.C. an associate at the DFW Spine & Joint Center, offers non-surgical cold laser therapy programs that help treat neck and back pain from herniated, bulging, degenerated discs, stenosis, and pinched nerves in the low back and neck.
Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S.,D.C.,-Your Cold Laser Therapy Doctor for the Non-Surgical Treatment of Knee Pain for the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas Area-“ Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program Has Been Helping People with Knee Pain and Joint Pain in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area Since 2001.”
Cold Laser Therapy Proved To Help Osteoarthritis in Knees | Dallas-Fort Worth
Dallas Cold Laser Therapy Doctor,Dr. Schnee, DC shares the results of a double blind study on Cold Laser Therapy and its affect on Knee Osteoarthritis
Hegedus B, Viharos L, Gervain M, Gálfi M.. Photomed Laser Surg. 2009 Aug;27(4):577-84. PMID: 19530911 [PubMed - in process]</small>
