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Hiking on Her New Knee 


Hi Dr. Zehr,


Here is a photo of me - I just hiked Mount Henry, a small mountain here in Western Maine.  NO knee pain.  I get clicking here and there but ride the bike 5/6 times a week, walk a lot, up and down ladders.

Anyway, Thank you for taking good care of me.  

 

Our home in Maine has 3 flights of stairs between the garage and bedroom... Took me a while to get used to that but I'm good now, it's been a few months.  

Hope you are well and wish you the best.  

 

Thanks so much for the great job on my knee!

  

Ciao! 
-Maura Mulcahy 

 

Take a Hike, but Don't Overdo It!

You might notice some pain after you exercise if you haven't been active for a while. In general, if your pain lasts longer than two hours after you exercise, you were probably exercising too strenuously.  

 

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, ask us if you should exercise during general or local flares. One option is to work through your joint flares by doing only range-of-motion exercises, just to keep your body moving.

 

Talk to us about what pain is normal and what pain is a sign of something more serious.

Seminar Online

Video link
   

There are no live seminars scheduled, but we want to remind you that the entire educational seminar "Joint Arthritis - What's New, What Works" is available for viewing online, either in its entirety or in segments.   

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Issue: # 14
October 2012 
Greetings!

The ZCO staff and I had an inspiring morning at The 2nd Annual Galloway Captiva Triathlon last month. It was a pleasure to meet Kimberly Huff and John Henry, the winners of our Entry Giveaway Contest. Both competitors finished the race in fine style and we're quite proud of them!
 
 
There were over 700 athletes of all ages, all shapes and all sizes. Although we didn't sponsor this "youngster," we did want to share his smile, and especially the sentiment on his t-shirt - "You don't stop running because you are old.You get old because you stop running." And yes, he's 80 years old!

While running a 5K race may not be for everyone, walking CAN be. So this month I close with my advice for you to...

Take a hike!
Robert J. Zehr, M.D.
Walking for Joint Health

 

Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. Of course, when stiff and painful joints are already bogging you down, the thought of walking around the block might make you cringe.

 

You don't need to run a marathon to help reduce the symptoms of your arthritis. Even moderate exercise can ease your pain and help you maintain a healthy weight. When arthritis threatens to immobilize you, exercise keeps you moving. Not convinced? Read on.

 

Improve Your Health Without Hurting Your Joints

 

Exercise can help you improve your health and fitness without hurting your joints. Along with your current treatment program, exercise can:

  • Strengthen the muscles around your joints
  • Help you maintain bone strength
  • Give you more strength and energy to get through the day
  • Make it easier to get a good night's sleep
  • Help you control your weight
  • Make you feel better about yourself and improve your sense of well-being

Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that's not the case. Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff. That's because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints.

 

Tips to Protect Your Joints

 

Start slowly to ease your joints into exercise if you haven't been active for a while. If you push yourself too hard, you can overwork your muscles. This aggravates your joint pain. Consider these tips as you get started:

  • Apply heat to the joints you'll be working before you exercise. Heat can relax your joints and muscles and relieve any pain you have before you begin. Heat treatments - warm towels, hot packs or a shower - should be warm, not painfully hot, and should be applied for about 20 minutes.
  • Move your joints gently at first to warm up. You might begin with range-of-motion exercises for five to 10 minutes before you move on to strengthening or aerobic exercises.
  • Exercise with slow and easy movements. If you start noticing pain, take a break. Sharp pain and pain that is stronger than your usual joint pain might indicate something is wrong. Slow down if you notice inflammation or redness in your joints.

Trust your instincts and don't exert more energy than you think your joints can handle. Take it easy and slowly work your exercise length and intensity up as you progress.

 

Exercise Programs for People with Arthritis

 

Check with us about exercise programs in your area for people with arthritis. Hospitals and clinics sometimes offer special programs, as do local health clubs. The Arthritis Foundation conducts exercise programs for people with arthritis in many parts of the United States. Programs include walking groups. 

 

Thank You for Choosing ZCO 

I have once again been chosen to receive the Patients' Choice Award, an honor bestowed on a select few physicians nationwide. Over the course of 2012, hundreds of thousands of patient reviews were written and shared.

Only physicians with near-perfect scores receive this honor. In fact of the nation's 870,000 active physicians, only 5% were accorded this honor by their patients in 2012. I have won this award every year since 2009 and want to take this opportunity to thank you for being a part of this honor.