January delivers some of the coldest temperatures of the year, and this year one of the worst flu seasons on record, but you can stay warm with the right meal. After a long winter workout or a day filled with sledding and snow angels, there is nothing better than a bowl of hot chicken soup to warm you down to the bones. Our friends at the American Council on Exercise provide a healthy twist to this cold weather favorite which we wanted to share. Click this link to see the full recipe from EatingWell.com and the American Council on Exercise or keep reading!

Chicken Noodle Soup with Dill

Ingredients

• 10 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 3 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 ounces whole-wheat egg noodles, (3 cups)
• 4 cups shredded cooked skinless chicken breast, (about 1 pound; see Tip)
• 3 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Cooking Directions

Step 1: Bring broth to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add carrots, celery, ginger and garlic; cook, uncovered, over medium heat until vegetables are just tender, about 20 minutes.

Step 2: Add noodles and chicken; simmer until the noodles are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in dill and lemon juice.

Nutrition Information (per serving)

Calories: 267, carbohydrates: 18 g, fat: 4 g, protein: 38 g

We all know taking the stairs can help take off the pounds, but it can also save you time. According to a study featured in a recent Men’s Health article, doctors saved nearly 20 seconds per trip when opting to climb a flight of stairs instead of riding an elevator. This new study was conducted in a six-story hospital, so it might apply to your office building.

Ronnie Guie, a Queens, New York native, changed his life by taking the stairs. Guie told the New York Times in 2009, he has the same waist size and weight range as his 17-year-old self. He credits his healthy lifestyle to rediscovering the stairs. A Preventative Medicine study found that after 12 weeks, people who regularly chose to climb the stairs:

• Increased stamina
• Cut nearly 2 percent off their waistlines
• Lowered weight by 1 percent
• Lowered blood pressure
• Lowered “bad” LDL cholesterol

The Boston Public Health Commission encourages businesses to implement a “Take the Stairs” campaign, citing better retention of healthy employees and lower health care costs.

So the next time you have the option, take the stairs. It will not only save you time, but it might change your life.

By Dr. Brad Brautigan, M.D.

Everywhere you turn, more people seem to be riding bikes and cities are trying to become more bike friendly. People of all ages are finding out, or being reminded that cycling is fun and keeps them fit.

A regular cycling program often helps people think more clearly, breathe more slowly and climb stairs more easily. Riding a bike strengthens a healthy person’s heart, lungs and circulatory system.

Riding a bike can also improve flexibility while strengthening your muscles and bones. It can lower blood pressure and improve “good” cholesterol. It can help relieve stress and even reduce certain types of chronic pain, such as that caused by arthritis.

But along with the benefits come a few caveates. First, make sure your doctor has checked you out and says you’re healthy and it’s OK. Then, start out slowly. While you’ll reap more benefit from more frequent, longer rides, overtaxing your newly active body can lead to overuse injuries.

Second, make sure your bike fits you and is in good repair. Any reputable bike shop will adjust your bike so that the seat and handlebars are the right height for your body. Most bike shops also will tune up your old bike and put on a new set of tires, usually for a nominal fee.

Third, get a helmet. Helmets that meet Consumer Product Safety Commission standards save lives.

Fourth, if you’re in the market for a new bicycle, your local bike shop can be a great resource to find the right bike for you at a price your budget can afford.

Finally, if you can’t wait for warm weather, don’t. Plenty of people, taking proper precautions, ride all year long. But my advice to the newbie cyclist is to read a good cycling book and start thinking about your riding goals for spring.

A few years ago, TIME magazine had an article on a brief history of sports medicine. Physicians here at Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville focus on sports medicine. Merriam-Webster defines sports medicine as: A field of medicine concerned with the prevention and treatment of injuries and disorders that are related to participation in sports. The term was first used in 1961, only 50 years ago.

Physicians that specialize in sports medicine emphasize enhancing fitness levels and overall health of the larger population through diet and exercise. As we know from high school English class, ancient Greeks celebrated athletes. Herodicus is sometimes referred to the first doctor of athletic medicine. Other ancient Greeks responsible for helping athletes were Hippocrates who spent time treating injuries and helping athletes in competition and Claudius Galen, who was a primary physician for gladiators. Over the next few centuries, the idea and practice of sports medicine all but disappeared.

It wasn’t until the early 20^th century that sports medicine started to become popular. One of the first physicians responsible for sports medicine was A.V. Hill, who won the Nobel Prize of Physiology in 1922. Dr. Hill was awarded the prize for the discovery relating to the production of heat in the muscle.

During the 1968 Summer Olympics, Dr. J.C. Kennedy organized a team of doctors to travel with the athletes to make sure they were well cared for. Dr. Kennedy was also the founder of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine.

What sets sports medicine apart from other areas of medicine is physicians are proactive in the treatment options of athletes. Sports medicine physicians don’t wait until an injury occurs, but we aim to continuously minimize risk in athletes to achieve best results.

If you’re interested in learning more about sports medicine, please contact our office. For your daily dose of OAZ information, follow us on Twitter: @OrthoZane.

Nowadays, people spend hours, an average of 8.5 for adults, in front electronic devices and improper typing habits and long-hours using a mouse and keyboard can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. We’re going to discuss what carpal tunnel syndrome is and what you can do to prevent it.

Here is a video from our website explaining carpal tunnel syndrome in more detail.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

As it says in the video, wrist problems are among the most common injuries we see here at the Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville.

A pinched nerve in your wrist causes carpal tunnel syndrome and the pain is felt in the hand, wrist and arm. Three factors contribute to this:

1. Anatomy of your wrist
2. Certain underlying health problems
3. Possibly patterns of hand use

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway located in the palm of your wrist and protects the main nerve to your hand and nine other tendons. Compression of the nerve causes pain, numbness and weakens the hand. There are three symptoms you should look out for if you think you might have carpal tunnel syndrome.

1. Tingling or numbness in your fingers or hand
2. Pain radiating or extending from the wrist up to the arm
3. Sense of weakness in your hands

If these symptoms are persistent and begin to interfere with your everyday life and routine, it’s time to see a doctor.

Please follow us on Twitter for more information and facts: @OrthoZane