Can Collagen Improve Joint Pain?

Collagen is touted as a miracle with “medicinal qualities” for a number of health and beauty issues including wrinkles and sagging skin, thinning hair, difficulty with digestion, and even common joint pain associated with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions. 

Our own bodies produce collagen, but as we age, production decreases and robs skin of plumpness and elasticity. This translates to brittle hair and sore and aching joints because the spongy cartilage between our bones weakens.

In a recent study that examined the effects of collagen hydrolysate on fitness-related joint pain, researchers found that of the 147 participants who took the supplement (versus those who were given just a placebo), all reported less joint pain at rest, and while walking, standing, and lifting/carrying objects.

These results show there could be future possibilities for using collagen to treat other joint pain like that related to arthritis and its many different forms. However, experts urge that more research on collagen therapy is still needed.

In the meantime, to ease common joint pain, we suggest a combination of:

• healthy diet (with a focus on anti-inflammatory foods such as seeds, nuts, certain seafoods like salmon, olive oil, and plenty of fruits and vegetables)
• regular exercise, like walking or swimming, to keep joints well-lubricated and flexible
• maintaining a healthy weight so there is less pressure put on joints

If you do experience severe or consistent joint pain, please contact us for an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists to discuss other treatment options.

(Adapted from Health.com)

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Most Common Athletic Injuries in Women

This month we celebrate Mother’s Day and all of the women who are important in our lives. At Texas Orthopedics, we are ever grateful for our female physicians and all of the strong women who complete our staff and family.

Did you know that men and women suffer from injuries differently? Specifically, when it comes to sports injuries. A woman’s anatomy and movement patterns make them more vulnerable to certain types of injury than men, no matter how in shape or flexible they might be.

Here are three of the most common sports injuries in women, and ones that we treat all the time in our offices:

1. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears

Women are nearly four times as likely as a man to suffer from an ACL tear, especially if participating in sports that involve quick pivoting and jumping, like soccer and basketball. Women have wider pelvises than men which creates a bigger angle between the knees and hips, often forcing the knees to turn inward and placing greater strain on the joint and ligaments.

2. Rotator cuff or other shoulder injuries

Women tend to be more flexible than men, allowing them to stretch longer and higher when serving a tennis ball, or go deeper into a complicated yoga pose…but with added flexibility comes an added risk for injury. It is easy to overuse the shoulder joint, or even hyperextend it, unknowingly because movement seems so fluid and easy. With overuse comes tendon irritation (tendonitis) or the potential for a more serious injury such as a rotator cuff tear.

3. Ankle sprains

As with the vulnerability to ACL tears, ankle sprains are also common in women due to the excess pressure put on the ankle joint as a result of a widened pelvis. Ankle injuries are also very common in runners whether due to an exhausted joint or unfortunate tripping or a fall on an uneven path…and the sheer number of women who are fiercely loyal to the sport of running these days leads to a greater awareness of this particular injury among them.

Texas Orthopedics encourages dedicated prevention to avoid these injuries by properly warming up before sports, and resting as much as possible in between sessions to allow joints and muscles to sufficiently heal and recover.  

(Courtesy of SELF.com)

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Electrical Stimulation for Muscle Recovery

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) devices have been around for some time and used on everyone from professional athletes to your hometown high school’s leading scorers. These discreet, portable devices are meant to rehabilitate muscles following injury, or enhance muscle performance, via tiny electrical impulses transmitted directly through the skin. Electrical stimulation has been shown to improve muscle contraction and increase blood flow.

At Texas Orthopedics, we often recommend electrical stimulation to reactivate the quadriceps muscles after ACL repair surgery. Sometimes it is also helpful for rehabilitation of the neck or shoulder muscles as well. Benefits of electrical muscle stimulation include:

• Faster recovery times when coupled with a regular physical rehabilitation program

• Decreased muscle atrophy frequently accompanying a serious injury, or after surgery

• Less muscle pain and soreness leading to improved mobility and range of motion

While it may be tempting to purchase and administer use of one of these popular devices on your own, it is best to consult with your board-certified orthopedic surgeon or physical therapist before doing so. If the electrical currents are not carefully monitored, further tissue damage can easily occur...unfortunately setting back your recovery time that you initially sought to speed up.

If you have questions about whether an electrical stimulation device is right for you, please contact us for an appointment.

(Courtesy of STOP Sports Injuries)

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Dr. Joseph Martinez Joins Texas Orthopedics

Texas Orthopedics is proud to announce that Dr. Joseph Martinez has recently joined our team.

Dr. Martinez is one of only a handful of rheumatologists throughout Central Texas. He specializes in treating all types of rheumatological disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, osteoarthritis, vasculitis, scleroderma, spondylitis, and other autoimmune deficiencies.

Additionally, he is certified by the American College of Rheumatology to perform musculoskeletal ultrasound—a highly sophisticated imaging system used in diagnosing various conditions.  

Dr. Martinez has been published in many peer-reviewed medical journals, and he is a frequent presenter at local, national, and international symposiums.

He obtained his medical degree and completed his residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston which was followed by his fellowship training at the LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans.  He has also traveled extensively to support numerous medical missions worldwide.

Dr. Martinez is seeing patients in our newly-opened Kyle office, as well as at the Central Austin location. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Martinez, please contact us. 

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Texas Orthopedics is Expanding

The Texas Orthopedics family just got a little bigger. We are excited to share the opening of our permanent location in Kyle on May 2^nd, 2017. Along with the new office, we are proud to welcome three new physicians, Dr. Ryan Tibbetts, Dr. Joseph Martinez, and Dr. Benjamin McArthur who will be treating patients there.

The new Kyle location (4215 Benner Rd., Ste. 300, Kyle, TX 78640; Phone: 512-439-1007) meets the demand of the rapidly surging population in Hays County, located south of Austin. Hays County is currently the fastest growing county in the state of Texas (U.S. Census Bureau).

Dr. Ryan Tibbetts specializes in shoulder and elbow reconstruction, sports medicine, and joint replacement. He graduated from Texas A&M University and earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. Dr. Tibbetts later performed his orthopedic resident training at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, and completed a shoulder and elbow fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.   He has been practicing in the Kyle area for seven years.

As one of only a handful of rheumatologists in the Central Texas area, Dr. Martinez’s focus is on rheumatologic disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, scleroderma, vasculitis, gout and osteoporosis. He received his medical degree and completed his residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and subsequently completed his fellowship training at the LSU Health Science Center in New Orleans.  Dr. Martinez has also authored medical articles and abstracts and presented his findings at several scientific meetings.

In June, Dr. Benjamin McArthur will be joining the practice in Kyle. Dr. McArthur’s expertise is in complex hip and knee replacement surgeries, hip preservation surgery, and corrective revisions of prior surgeries. He graduated from both Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine before completing his orthopedic residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Dr. McArthur fulfilled a fellowship in adult lower extremity reconstruction at the Mayo Clinic.

Services that will be offered at the new Kyle location include general orthopedics, sports medicine, joint replacement, rheumatology, infusion therapy, physical therapy, and onsite X-rays.

Screening for ACL Injuries

With more and more kids participating in youth sports these days, the risk for injury is climbing higher and higher. ACL injuries are among the most commonly occurring sports injuries in children and adolescents. We see these injuries daily at Texas Orthopedics when the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) snaps or tears rendering the knee joint dysfunctional and causing a great deal of pain.

An ACL injury at such a young age can lead to a number of serious issues later on, including lack of mobility, chronic knee, hip, and back pain, and even obesity.

For this reason, innovative screening programs are being developed to help identify which young athletes may be at greatest risk for an ACL injury. Kids who play sports that involve running, jumping, quick cutting, and pivoting – like basketball, football, and soccer – are the most vulnerable, as are kids who play the same sport across multiple seasons.

Sophisticated 3D imaging has been designed to evaluate movement patterns of an athlete and diagnose current and potential wear and tear to the knee joint and surrounding ligaments.  Through initial screenings, examiners have been able to determine that while some ACL injuries are due to physical contact, the majority of them (up to 70 percent) are non-contact and likely could have been prevented.

As development of the screening technology is still in its early stages, experts agree that taking great measures to prevent an injury before it actually happens is the next best thing to a proactive screening.

The more coaches, athletic trainers, and parents encourage their athletes, and children, to properly stretch and warm up before playing, as well as taking time to rest afterwards, the less chance there is for injury. Many sports organizations and school teams already have dedicated injury prevention programs in place specifically addressing the knee and ACL.

Texas Orthopedics encourages all parents to take an active role in their children’s sports to ensure their utmost safety. If you have any concerns about an ACL, or other youth overuse injury, please contact us for an appointment.

(Courtesy of STOP Sports Injuries)

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Yoga Moves to Combat Back Pain

More than 26 million Americans between the ages of 20-64 years experience frequent back pain, with the most common type being lower back pain (American Academy of Pain Medicine). The vast majority of sufferers are on a constant quest for some sort of pain relief – whether it be medication, physical therapy, frequent massages, or even surgery. 

At Texas Orthopedics, we believe that stretching and proper exercise can go a long way in alleviating back pain. It is often one of the first forms of treatment we recommend to our patients. Regular movement keeps the back muscles and spine limber and flexible and less susceptible to aching and tightness.

Yoga is an easy and effective way to get some healing stretches in throughout the day. Here are some simple moves to try that are easily done while seated in a chair—they can be performed as comfortably at your office as they can right at home:

1. Backbend arch

While sitting at the chair’s edge, place hands directly behind you and prop yourself up on fingertips. Raise your chest and arch your back to form a seated backbend position. Hold the pose for eight to ten seconds, then release and repeat.

2. Cat/Cow pose       

Sit at the edge of chair with feet positioned flat on the floor. Place hands on your knees and take in a deep breath while lifting chest upwards and straightening spine. As you exhale, curl your belly inward and drop head towards your sternum (breastbone). Repeat up to ten times in a row.

3. Lower-back circles

Place feet hip-width apart and rest your hands on knees. Circle hips and torso clockwise with movement coming from the base of the spine. Perform eight to ten rotations, then reverse the circling motion in the other direction. Alternate for two to three minutes.

If your back pain is still persistent even with regular stretching and exercise, contact us to schedule an appointment.

(Courtesy of Health.com)

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