The bone and joint experts at Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville remind you to be careful if you’re in the process of moving as the physical intensity of moving can be extreme.

Packing boxes, moving heavy furniture, emptying overhead cabinets – all come with some risk for injury, especially to your back. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for Americans visiting their doctors. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 21.9 million people visited their physician for back pain in 2007 and 4.8 million went to the emergency room for such back ailments.

To avoid heavy-lifting injuries, keep the following tips in mind:
• It is important to separate your feet, shoulder-width apart and bend at the knees while tightening the stomach muscles.
• Try and get help. Ask a friend to help or leave the job to the professionals who are trained to lift properly.
• Do not move a very large or awkwardly shaped item yourself, even if you think it is light enough. You could limit your visual scope or strain your neck or back trying to balance it.
• Use several smaller boxes for heavier items and don’t stack boxes above shoulder level when carrying.
• When moving boxes or any object, remove all obstacles – especially smaller throw rugs – from the walkways and stairways and keep the floor and stairs dry to avoid slipping.

Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville bone and joint experts wish you a successful move!

OAZ’s southeast Ohio Orthopaedic surgeons are pleased to see the National Physical Activity Guidelines recently released. The plan provides a roadmap to get people moving and meeting the recommended amount of activity. It addresses the behavioral, policy, educational, medical, and physical infrastructure issues that affect how and why many Americans are not moving. It also unites professionals across sectors – health care, transportation and urban planning, business, education and recreation – in a massive effort to unite and solve the problem.   

Spring is a beautiful time in southeast Ohio and the Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville encourages you to get out and get active!

Wikitravel lists our many wonderful state parks for you to enjoy. Just a few examples are Muskingum River State Park near Zanesville, perfect for boating and picnics and Wolf Run State Park in Noble County just south of Cambridge, ideal for swimming, camping and hiking.

Tell us your favorite spring activity!

Arthoscopy is a term you may have heard but don’t fully understand. The Ohio orthopaedic surgeons at OAZ explain this diagnostic procedure:

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure orthopaedic surgeons use to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint. In an arthroscopic examination, an orthopaedic surgeon makes a small incision in the patient’s skin and then inserts pencil-sized instruments that contain a small lens and lighting system to magnify and illuminate the structures inside the joint.

By attaching the arthroscope to a miniature television camera, the surgeon is able to see the interior of the joint through this very small incision rather than a large incision needed for surgery. The television camera attached to the arthroscope displays the image of the joint on a television screen, allowing the surgeon to look, for example, throughout the knee. This lets the surgeon see the cartilage, ligaments, and under the kneecap. The surgeon can determine the amount or type of injury and then repair or correct the problem, if it is necessary.

Arthroscopy is an extremely valuable tool for all orthopaedic patients and is generally easier on the patient than “open” surgery. Most patients have their arthroscopic surgery as outpatients and are home several hours after the surgery.

If you have questions about arthroscopy, contact the Ohio orthopaedic surgeons at OAZ.

Congratulations to Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville’s own Dr. William Allen, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon, for finishing the Boston Marathon on April 19, 2010. Dr. Allen clocked in at 3:24:47, good for 373rd in his age group! Read more at the Zanesville Times-Recorder.

The Ohio orthopaedic surgeons at OAZ can offer help for elderly patients suffering from knee arthritis and impaired balance.

A study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons shows total knee replacement can successfully relieve pain and improve function in patients with advanced knee arthritis.

The study measured accurately static and dynamic balance with a new computerized system called the Balance Master. The study found:

• Significant improvement in dynamic balance one year after surgery
• Significant progress in balance-determined motor tests
• Strong statistical correlation between the balance and the Oxford Knee Score functional questionnaire and the quality of life questionnaire SF-36

One year after surgery, the correlation between patients’ improved balance and their ability to walk and perform daily activities was stronger than the correlation between their reduced pain and their ability to walk and do daily activities.

Elderly individuals considering knee replacement should talk to their Ohio orthopaedic surgeons at OAZ about the rehabilitation process and ways to improve balance following surgery.

The Ohio orthopaedic surgeons at OAZ have potential good news to share about knee replacements.

It’s generally recommended that total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients avoid activities that cause high stress loads on the implant and may increase the risk of early failure. Such activities include high-impact aerobics, football, soccer, baseball, basketball, jogging and power lifting, among others.

However, according to a new study presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, TKA patients may be able to participate in high-impact sports without increasing risk of early implant failure.

It’s best to talk with the Ohio orthopaedic surgeons at OAZ about your personal knee replacement recovery.

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.