The Ohio orthopaedic physicians at OAZ treat may patients for foot pain. With over 26 bones, 33 joints, and 5 ligaments, it’s easy to understand how susceptible feet are to injury.

Here are four common causes:

• Plantar Fasciitis: This is one of the most common causes of foot pain. It results from irritation of a thick band of tissue, called the plantar fascia, which runs across the bottom of your foot connecting your heel bone to your toes. Discomfort is more common in the morning after wakening.

• Metatarsalgia: This is a painful foot condition in the area just before the toes, or the ball-of-the-foot, or metatarsals. With prolonged jumping or running activities, an increased stress load is placed on this region. Over time the metatarsal bones become swollen and pain results.

• Turf Toe: A sprain at the base of the great toe can occur when the big toe bends back beyond its normal range of motion. This causes a tear in the ligaments that support it. Pain with turf toe is experienced during walking and running activities.

• Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: Tarsal tunnel syndrome occurs when the main nerve that goes to the foot is compressed by bone or tissue. Symptoms are typically felt on the inside of the foot region and are burning, tingling, and shooting in nature.

Physical therapy is often one of the main ways to treat the symptoms of foot pain. Contact the Ohio orthopaedic physicians at OAZ for an appointment if you experience any of these symptoms.

Dr. Steven Kimberly of Orthopaedic Associates in Zanesville recently shared with WHIZ-TV the benefits of partial knee replacement over total knee replacement.

Read the story and see great photos at www.whiznews.com/content/news/local/2010/03/04/partial-knee-replacement.

To learn more about partial knee replacement from Dr. Kimberly, Genesis is holding a presentation Monday, March 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Genesis-Bethesda Meeting Rooms 1,2 and 3. It is free to the public and there will a representative from Orthopaedic Associates on hand if residents would like to make an appointment to see Dr. Kimberly. To register, call (740) 455-4949.

The cutting-edge technology used by the orthopaedic surgeons at Ohio’s OAZ was featured by the Zanesville Times-Recorder in January!

Be sure to check out Dr. Karl Saunders and his staff discuss the modern diagnostic equipment including digital X-ray.

Becky Tilton, registered radiologic technologist at Orthopaedic Associates is quoted: “We are very fortunate that we have this updated technology. Patients feel that it is a faster procedure and doesn’t take as long. I love it because you can see much more on the digital radiology versus film.”

The team of orthopaedic surgeons at Ohio’s OAZ office agree this technology improves the patient experience.

OAZ’s Ohio orthopaedic surgeons agree knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure. However, knowing the right time for surgery can be difficult. Luckily there are options.

Knee replacement surgery is a procedure that is performed when the knee joint has reached a point when painful symptoms can no longer be controlled with non-operative treatments. In a knee replacement procedure, your surgeon removes the damaged joint surface and replaces it with a metal and plastic implant.

Partial knee replacement is a surgery that may be considered for appropriate patients for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Traditionally, patients have undergone total knee replacement for severe arthritis of the knee joint. In a total knee replacement, all cartilage is removed from the knee joint, and a metal and plastic implant is substituted. The partial knee replacement entails a smaller incision and faster recovery than traditional total joint replacement surgery.

To discuss your options, call OAZ’s Ohio orthopaedic surgeons today.

Don’t become a victim of back injury while shoveling snow this winter. Ohio orthopaedic experts at OAZ provide the following tips to prevent back strain.

First, choose the right shovel for you.
• Ergonomically correct: Many retailers stock ergonomically designed snow shovels with a curved handle. These shovels help keep your back straighter, reducing spinal stress.
• Small, plastic blade: To reduce weight, choose a small, plastic blade, which puts less strain on the spine.

Next, watch your technique.
• Warm up: Warm muscles work better. So take some time to stretch to prepare your body for activity.
• Get the right grip: When gripping the shovel handle, don’t put your hands close to one another. Create some distance between the hands. This will give you more leverage and make it easier to lift snow.
• Watch your posture and stance: Think about good posture and maintaining the natural curve of your spine. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart to maintain balance. Try to keep the shovel close to your body. Bend at the knees—not the waist or back. Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Lift with your legs—not your back. Do not twist your body. Dump the snow in front of you. If you need to move the snow to the side, move your feet—do not twist!
• Pace yourself: Take frequent breaks to stretch your back and extremities.

The Ohio orthopaedic experts at OAZ wish you a safe and enjoyable winter season!

Stretching is the act of lengthening muscles in order to increase muscle flexibility and joint range of motion. OAZ specializes in Ohio physical therapy and reminds patients that stretching activities are an important part of any exercise or rehabilitation program.

The Mayo Clinic recently released a list of the top five benefits of stretching and OAZ agrees that these benefits are important for people of all ages to consider. Keep in mind that warming up the body prior to activity decreases the risk of injury as well as muscle soreness.

The top five benefits of stretching are:

1. Increased flexibility and joint range of motion:

Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Flexibility tends to diminish as you get older, but you can regain and maintain it.

1. Improved circulation:

Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you’ve had any muscle injuries.

1. Better posture:

Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.

1. Stress relief:

Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress.

1. Enhanced coordination:

Maintaining the full range-of-motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.

The Ohio physical therapy experts at OAZ remind patients that stretching is one of the most important parts of the rehabilitation process.

Often times caregivers do not realize that taking care of a spouse or family member at home can increase their risk of injury. In fact, certain activities put you at a greater risk for back pain, including:

• Pulling a patient in bed up into a sitting position
• Transferring a person from a bed to a chair
• Leaning over a patient for long periods of time
• Lifting or moving a person

The physicians at Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville offer their patient caregivers the following lifting techniques to be sure that they, too, don’t suffer injury.

• Maintain the proper alignment of your head and neck with your spine
• Maintain the natural curve of your spine
• Don’t bend at your waist
• Avoid twisting your body when carrying a person
• Keep the person who is being moved close to your body
• Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, which will help maintain your balance
• Use the muscles in your legs to lift, not your back
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Patient caregivers can avoid back pain by keeping these simple tips in mind.

Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville, a bone and joint clinic, offers osteoporosis treatment options in Ohio and only performs surgery when necessary. Non-surgical treatments for fractures include braces, plaster cases, and manipulation of the fracture.

To lessen pain, several surgical procedures are available: percutaneous vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty involves the injection of a cement-like bone substitute into damaged vertebrae. It stabilizes the spine and relieves pain in patients with spinal compression fractures due to osteoporosis or cancer.

Kyphoplasty is a variant of percutaneous vertebroplasty that may help prevent kyphosis (hunchback) in patients whose spines have collapsed. The procedure inserts a balloon into the fractured vertebrae. As the balloon inflates, the spine is moved upward, to its original location. The balloon is then removed, and the bone and the core of the newly erect vertebrae are filled with cement.

If a fracture happens, reconstructive surgery is usually performed within 48 hours, assuming the patient has no other complicating medical conditions.

At Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville, we thoroughly review your treatment options with our patients. Our number one priority is keeping our patients healthy – that’s what makes us the best bone and joint clinic with osteoporosis treatment options in Ohio.

Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville offers leading physical therapy in Ohio to treat neck strain and whiplash.

Symptoms such as pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, abnormal sensations such as burning or prickling are all symptoms of neck strain. In some serious cases, some people may even experience memory loss, concentration impairment, nervousness/irritability, sleep disturbances, fatigue or depression.

Neck strain is caused by an irritation to tendons, muscles and ligaments in the upper back and neck area. Whiplash is characterized by a collection of symptoms that occur following damage to the neck, usually because of sudden extension and flexion, such as in a car accident.

To treat neck strain at home, get plenty of bed rest to minimize movement. Over-the-counter pain medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen and applying heat and ice packs intermittently can help ease the symptoms.

If symptoms persist, the physical therapy team at Ohio’s Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville can help by guiding you through exercises or even provide ultra sound therapy

As a bone and joint clinic in Ohio, Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville attends to Ohio athletes.

That’s why OAZ is proud supporter of the Zanesville-Muskingum County Police Athletic League (P-A-L) boxing team where Dr. Karl Saunders volunteers as a ringside physician. P-A-L boxing is aimed at teaching respect, discipline, sportsmanship, proper nutrition and exercise.

OAZ recently made a donation to the team in their endeavors to compete at the 2009 U.S. National P-A-L Boxing Tournament. The tournament is an Olympic qualifier for the U.S. team and three Zanesville boxers are competing for a spot. In 2008, a Zanesville athlete made history as the first-ever from the area to win the championship. This year, boxers include Travis Jerig, Michael Roark and Michael Norris.

Dr. Saunders and the staff at OAZ are proponents of maintaining an active lifestyle and frequently provide Ohio athletes with tips and strategies for staying fit.