NY Times reports on failing replacement hips. 4 ways to keep your hips healthy.
In today’s NY times, there was an article about the high failure rate of the newer all metal hips, which are disintegrating after only a few short years and often damaging surrounding tissues. (read about it here). The media has reported that although the companies who have produced the devices are paying for a good deal of the cost, there is the suffering, loss of ability of the affected person to do their daily activities, the cost to them such as day care, and other costs that were not borne by the company that produced the device as well as the costs to the system we all pay for such as Medicare. In other words, this is a huge inconvenience, that can be life threatening. Incidentally, this is a wonderful opportunities for class action suits brought about by your local attorney.
Most people want to get older gracefully, and would like to leave here with the same parts that they came here with (their original joints of course). Part of the problem is that the average person, nor the average doctor understands why joints degenerate, even though the medical literature does have the knowledge to recommend preventative and safe methods to keep your joints in tact. The best cure is never having to need a replacement in the first place.
The problem is, your doctor very likely has little knowledge of body mechanics, including the orthopedic who recommended the replacement. They do understand when a joint is bad and they also understand when something needs to be done to allow you to continue to walk, which is the problem.
In the book Cheating Mother Nature, what you need to know to beat chronic pain, the reasons for degenerated hips and knees are disclosed, as well as the preventative measures that should be taken. The crazy thing is, we can begin preventing damage to your body joints as early as age 6 if our health care systems would screen for it.
What is even worse, is the trait that causes hip and knee problems are passed down from generation to generation. In other words, if your parents or your spouses parents had a hip replacement, you are at high risk until you are properly screened and so are your children. While this sounds frightening, there are certain safe and preventative things that work if you only were told about them.
How to screen yourself and your family.
1. Look at your feet. Do they flare out? Does one flare out more than the other?
2. Do your knees crack?
3. Do you lose your balance when you crouch down?
4. Does your tailor constantly have to measure both legs because they are uneven?
5. Does your body ache?
Easy preventative solutions
1. Foot orthotic – this will balance the way you walk and improve the way your hips and knees work.
2. Core training – High school athletic trainers have found out that girls who are going through puberty are less likely to damage their anterior cruciate ligament if their core muscles are better developed.
3. Good musculoskeletal therapist. Chiropractors are among the best trained and most knowledgeable with both diagnosis and treatment.
4. Do not ignore pain and rely on pain relievers like you see on television. This is indeed part of the problem. You need to find someone who understands body mechanics and who can correctly diagnose and address the underlying cause of the problem.
What do you think? As always, I value your opinion.
