Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the U.S., attacking 50 million adults and nearly 300,000 children, according to the Arthritis Foundation. May puts arthritis at the forefront with Arthritis Awareness Month, and now, we want to do our part. Thanks to the Arthritis Foundation, you can educate yourself and stay up-to-date on the latest news surrounding the disease.

If you suffer from arthritis, or think you might have symptoms, use this interactive online tool. It lets you search by body part to learn what can go wrong and how to take care of it.

In a previous blog post, we provided the top 10 ways to protect your joints, courtesy of the Arthritis Foundation. The list includes tips such as: maintaining your ideal body weight, pacing yourself and asking for help when you need it. We encourage you to review the full article, because your bone and joint health is our first priority. To schedule an appointment with Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville, please call 740-454-3273.

Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville is proud to help our patients “get back at it.” In 2011, we released a series of videos highlighting three of the most common ailments we treat and procedures we perform: wrist injuries, tendonitis and hip replacement surgery. We encourage you to watch these videos by clicking on the links below, because if you haven’t seen them – they’re new to you!

• Wrist injuries: Wrist injuries are the most common ailment we treat at OAZ, particularly broken wrists and carpel tunnel syndrome. Treatments options include casting, setting the fracture or surgery. As we discussed in an earlier blog post, carpal tunnel syndrome results from pressure on the median nerve and often causes numbness, tingling, night pain and weakness in the hand.
• Tendonitis: Tendonitis occurs when small tears form in a tendon. It is a common injury often associated with weight lifting. Biceps tendonitis is caused by repetitive elbow flexion while triceps tendonitis is the result of repetitive and forceful elbow extension.
• Hip Replacement: Hip replacement is necessary when the covering allowing a joint to move freely is worn or damaged. Often categorized as “bone-on-bone friction,” the result is a loss of movement and a decreased ability to bear weight, which leads to surgery.

At OAZ, our primary goal is to educate our patients on how to make the right choices for their bodies and their bones. If you or a loved one has suffered an orthopaedic injury, please schedule an appointment with one of our physicians by visiting our website or calling 740-454-3273.

Bones are our business. We spend our lives treating orthopaedic injuries and counseling patients on best preventative and rehabilitation practices. Now, we want to make our patients know more about their skeletal systems, because being in tune to your own body makes it easier to recognize and prevent common injuries.

Please enjoy this list of bone and fracture facts:

Did you know: Bones are made up of 50 percent water and 50 percent solid matter.

Did you know: Only 35 percent of Americans consume the recommended daily allowance of calcium (according to American Bone Health).

Did you know: More than 6.3 million fractures occur in the United States each year (American Academy of Orthopaedics).

Did you know: Fractures account for 16 percent of all musculoskeletal injuries in the United States annually (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons).

Did you know: The femur is the largest bone in the human body (and part of the leg).

Did you know: The smallest bone in the human body is the stapes. Found in the ear, the stapes is the size of one grain of rice.

Did you know: Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease with nearly 40 million Americans already suffering or at risk because of low bone mass.

At OAZ, our primary goal is to educate our patients on how to make the right choices for their bodies and their bones. If you or a loved one has suffered an orthopaedic injury, please schedule an appointment with one of our physicians by visiting our website or calling 740-454-3273.

Bone health is an important issue in the African American community and one we will spotlight as part of Black History Month. “The age-adjusted prevalence of osteoporosis and the rate of hip fracture are lower in Black women than in White women in the United States,” according to a report from the Surgeon General.

Despite these numbers, there are some key issues plaguing African American bone health, particularly when it comes to diagnosing and treating osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease classified as low bone mass and it usually affects elderly women.

The following list of facts is credited to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and can also be found on its website:

• Osteoporosis is under recognized and under-treated in African American women.
• As African American women age, the risk for hip fracture doubles every seven year time span.
• African American women are more likely than white women to die following a hip fracture.
• Diseases more prevalent in the African American population, such as sickle cell anemia and lupus, can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.
• African American women consume 50 percent less calcium than the recommended dietary allowance. Calcium plays a crucial role in building bone mass and preventing bone loss.
• As many as 75 percent of all African Americans are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance can hinder optimal calcium intake which can weaken bones.

Orthopaedic Associates of Zanesville is proud to celebrate Black History Month and encourages you to share these bone health facts with your friends and family.

No – We’re not talking about the Vanilla Ice chart-topper Ice Ice Baby. We are referring to R.I.C.E. – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. R.I.C.E. is the proper first aid for sprains, strains, muscle pulls or tears and should be used as an immediate first aid measure. It is believed to relive pain, limit swelling and protect the injured soft tissue. Below, we breakdown the R.I.C.E. method of treatment:

R – Rest is crucial to protect injured muscles, tendons and ligaments from further injury and can promote proper healing.

I – Ice is synonymous with reducing swelling by limiting blood flow to the injured area. Never apply ice directly to the skin and avoid leaving it on longer than 20 minutes at a time. A cold pack, crushed ice bag or frozen bag of peas wrapped in a thin towel are all effective methods.

C – Compression also helps limit swelling and can reduce pain. The easiest way to compress an injury is to wrap with an ACE bandage.

E – Elevation, like ice, reduces blood flow and limits swelling. Try to elevate the injured area above the heart. For example, if you hurt your ankle, lie down and prop it up on two pillows.

The P.R.I.C.E. method also advocates “protection,” and is one of many treatments for common injuries. Our orthopedic surgery glossary is filled with terms and acronyms you need to know in order to stay healthy.