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Home  Health No Bones About It
No Bones About It
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Written by No Bones About It
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Friday, 11 February 2011 11:31 |
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If you remember Greek mythology, you’ll remember Achilles, the warrior hero who fought in the Trojan War. When he was a baby, his mother dipped him into a sacred river, which rendered him almost impervious to injury.
I said, almost…
Because she had to hold him by the heel, the waters of the river were unable to cover that part of his body, making that his only “weak” area. Achilles was ultimately killed by an arrow that struck his “Achilles heel.”
Achilles tendon injuries don’t just happen to high level athletes and runners. They can affect literally anyone, and the injury can result from many different causes.
Most people associate Achilles tendon ruptures with sporting activities – football, soccer, baseball, basketball; sports that involve running and jumping. Many have heard it is a “weekend warrior” injury. While this is in large part true, because most recreational athletes don’t pay enough attention to stretching and keeping “limber” which causes a “tight Achilles tendon” and increases risks of injury, this injury can occur from climbing ladders and stairs, or merely stepping the wrong way.
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Written by Ken Chisholm, RN; BS; CNOR; CRNFA; OPA
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Thursday, 09 September 2010 13:59 |
Take time to get educated, get tested & get involved
“You Can Smell Autumn”
I spent quite a while trying to find a title for this month’s article, as it’s a bit of a break from the usual regurgitation of medical facts, diseases, conditions and treatments but there just comes a time…
As we begin to wind down from our summer activities, there is one upcoming activity that bears tribute; the Susan G. Komen breast cancer Race for the Cure. It’s a very special activity to me because breast cancer has personally touched my life. The importance of breast cancer education and awareness cannot be understated, and I thank you in advance for allowing me to share these thoughts with you.
I remember it like it was yesterday…
At Christmastime in 1995. I received a phone call from my “Big Sis” leveling the news upon me. “I just came from the doctor and I have breast cancer.” She had found a “lump” on her breast some weeks before and had a recent biopsy. To this day, I don’t remember my response, if I indeed had one. That phone call marked the beginning of what can only be described as a long frightening journey, especially for her, with absolutely no idea how this journey would unfold. The biopsy results must have been the worst Christmas present a person could receive.
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Written by Ken Chisholm, RN; BS; CNOR; CRNFA; OPA
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Thursday, 05 August 2010 12:50 |
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Most people in our culture associate rotator cuff tears with athletes and sports-related injuries. Indeed, rotator cuff injuries frequently affect young, high-level
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Rotator cuff injuries – tears, more specifically –
are not limited to athletes. (Photo courtesy of
Assenmacher Orthopedics)
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athletes, especially in the throwing sports. Sudden injuries can also produce cuff tears.
You may be surprised to know, however, that rotator cuff injuries – tears, more specifically, have rapidly become a national health concern and that the vast majority of these tears occur in everyday people as they ramble down the road of life.
In fact, according to Dr. Evan Flatow, renowned orthopedic surgeon and chairman of Mount Sinai’s Department of Orthopedics in New York, the numbers are climbing. “Up to 25 percent of people over the age of 60 will have a rotator cuff tear,” Flatow said. It doesn’t stop there. The older we get, the risk increases significantly. People over 40 are considered at “high” risk, while those over 70 are at “very high risk.”
A rotator cuff is actually a group of tendons that attach to the upper portion of the ball of the upper arm bone, or the “head” of the humerus, forming a type of “cuff” that stabilizes and rotates the arm. Shoulder muscles are attached to the humerus bone by these tendons (there are four) and any one can be the victim of a tear.
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Written by Ken Chisholm, RN; BS; CNOR; CRNFA; OPA
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Thursday, 08 July 2010 15:33 |
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If you have ever heard some say they found out they had a Baker’s cyst, it doesn’t mean they just got back from the bakery with a new pastry for you to try.
It’s more likely that you may have heard someone complain of a large bump on the backside of his/her knee. A Baker’s cyst is also known as a popliteal cyst (named after the location in which these cysts are found). The area behind the knee, at the level of the “bend” is also called the popliteal area, in large part because one of the main arteries (you guessed it, the popliteal artery) passes directly behind the knee as it travels down the leg. The cyst can occur in one or both legs and can get rather large.
One of the most frequent complaints that patients bring to the physician’s office is one of feeling as if there was a golf ball behind the knee. There is frequently no history of any injury and the “bulge” has only become bothersome since it has increased in size.
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Written by Ken Chisholm, RN; BS; CNOR; CRNFA; OPA
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Thursday, 10 June 2010 14:35 |
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Recently, a friend of mine asked me to take a look at her arm. It seems she grew an “extra elbow,” according to her description.
There was a big, ugly balloon-like bulge over her elbow, but what in the world was it?”
She couldn’t remember any injury, but did note that the elbow had been sore for some time before she noticed her “friend.”
If you have ever experienced this yourself or know someone who has, then you know that I’m describing what is known as olecranon bursitis, or, bursitis of the elbow.
The olecranon is that portion of the forearm bone called the ulna that has a bony prominence opposite the fold on the front side of the elbow joint. When you rest your face in your hands while sitting at your desk daydreaming, you’re resting on your olecranon processes.
From an information perspective, bursa sacs exist in many other areas of the body as well. Their function is to provide cushioning and protection to various bony prominences and structures. They also allow the skin to move freely over these prominences.
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