You Turned 50 and Now Have Pain. You Are Not Alone!
/Yes, so many of our patients reach the harsh reality that their body doesn’t feel “normal” when they reach those glorious middle ages. For many, this can be a lonely feeling, as they feel like they are unique with their aches and pains. Well, we are here to tell you, you’re not unique, and you’re not alone. And that’s a good thing.
Although there is a reality check that has to occur with an understanding that those aches and pains will often be there, that doesn’t mean that you have to “give in” to these. Some of these conditions can be effectively cured while others can be managed to the point where symptoms are mild, tolerable and do not significantly inhibit you. The good news is that the large majority of these conditions do not need surgery. More than ever, we have a large number of tools in the toolbox to manage chronic tendon problems, arthritis as well as ongoing strains and sprains.
Don’t just rely on “Dr. Google” for your health care. We can provide cost-effective, but very sound advice and treatment interventions to help you feel better, function better and have a greater quality of life.
Typically, when a patient presents with a pain or injury, we will cover all of these aspects of care:
what forms of exercise can still be utilized
what “relative rest” looks like for you
appropriate use of medication
supplements that may benefit you
the potential for physical therapy or a rehab program
various types of injections that may help manage or overcome your condition
lifestyle modifications including weight loss, improvement in ergonomics & sleep habits and stress reduction
only surgery if we feel it is absolutely necessary
An older physician once told me, “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” So, don’t suffer and know that we are here to help you!
F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.
Our Top 5 Treatments for Knee OA
/Whether it be mild, moderate or severe knee osteoarthritis, here are our top 5 treatments. If you can incorporate these into your regimen, then you undoubtedly will see the benefits of less pain, better function and greater longevity for your knees.
1) Weight Loss: for every 1 pound a person is overweight, an extra 4 pounds of force are going through the knees. So, lose 10 pounds, and you have 40 pounds of less force on those knees. Lose 25 lbs, and 100 fewer lbs. of force! A recent study indicated that when those with knee OA lost 10% of their weight, their pain decreased by 50%
2) Healthy Eating with an Anti-Inflammatory Diet: healthy eating doesn’t always result in weight loss, but choosing the right foods often results in less inflammation in our body. This means less pain and a better environment for the joints. Choose fresh foods over processed ones. Reach for the fresh foods in the refrigerator more than packaged food in the pantry. Eat at home more and go out to restaurants infrequently. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats should be the staples of your diet. Alcohol in moderation. Red meat, fried foods and processed food only on occasion and when necessary. Sodas rarely and watch out for artificial sweeteners.
3) Injections: these are often a faster path to relief for most patients. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections utilizing your own blood and concentrated growth factors are the star of this category. Long-term benefits are most common with PRP. Hyaluronic acid injections (brand names: Orthovisc, Trivisc, Gelsyn, Euflexxa, etc.) are good options for many. At times, we combine the PRP and hyaluronic acid injections to boost the benefits. Steroid injections are the final option and can have great utility when a patient needs to feel better quickly such as during a flare or before a big trip.
4) Exercise/Physical Therapy: choose exercise you like, you will stick to, a variety and types that do not cause pain in your knee, both during and afterwards. Sometimes, it’s not just the type of exercise, but the intensity and duration. Find your “sweet spot,” meaning your knee might feel great if you walk a one mile but hurts if you go further. You can bike for 30 minutes, but beyond that causes swelling. So, stay below your pain threshold. Lower-impact options like biking, elliptical, rowing and swimming/aquatic exercises are often the best choices for most with knee OA. Physical therapy is often a good starting point to strengthen the muscles around the joints and to improve biomechanics, functional movement patterns and flexibility.
5) Supplements: our favorites are collagen, curcumin (the active ingredient of turmeric) and for more advanced knee OA, glucosamine and chondroitin. Others like fish oil may have benefits for the joints as well. The key here is choosing a high-quality brand and taking these on daily basis. Admittedly, they don’t help everyone, and you need to make sure that your physician knows you are taking these, especially if you are taking other medications and/or will soon have a medical procedure.
As always, let us know if we can be of assistance to you!
F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.
Knee Replacement Soon? Hit the Pause Button...
/So many patients with knee osteoarthritis ask me the question “well, if I’m eventually going to require knee replacement, shouldn’t I go ahead and have it done now?”
Well, there’s not just one answer to that question, but here are some of my replies:
-Most knee replacements only last 15 to 25 years. After that, the implants start to loosen, creating pain, swelling or a sense of instability.
-Most patients are at higher risk for surgical complications at the time of a second surgery, known as a “revision,” simply due to their age and likelihood of having more significant medical conditions.
-Surgical techniques are improving with breakthroughs every two or three years. Robotically-assisted replacements and having replacements as an outpatient surgery are two recent examples. More advancements are sure to come.
-One should never base the need to have knee replacement on the appearance of the x-rays. Some patients with “bone-on-bone” arthritis have minimal pain and excellent function. These patients don’t need a replacement.
-What often produces the most pain is an unhealthy environment within the knee joint, some of which may be controlled with injections like platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
-We also believe that PRP may put a stop sign or at least a yellow light on cartilage deterioration. We do not make guarantees about cartilage regrowth, but if we can stabilize a patient’s current cartilage and slow or stop the deterioration, then we are slowing the process of osteoarthritis and perhaps delaying the need for knee replacement.
-For a joint condition like arthritis, we often think of PRP as a maintenance treatment, not just a one-time application. Much like the maintenance for your car, you don’t just take it to the mechanic once or twice and then get a new car. This is an ongoing process.
-Assuming a patient is in that 80% success group with PRP treatments, one should plan on likely having repeat PRP injections every 1 to 2 years. This is a great long-term investment in the health of your knee.
-Want to know more about PRP? Check out this blog:
Five Simple Reasons You Should Consider Platelet-Rich Plasma — Impact Sports Medicine & Orthopedics (impactsportsnashville.com)
In summary, for some individuals, knee replacement is inevitable, but there can be great value in delaying this surgery to increase the odds that it is required just once in a patient’s lifetime. For others, treatments like PRP can eliminate the need to have a replacement.
As always, let us know if we can be of assistance to you!
F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.
TENex for TENnis Elbow
/At times, tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, can be so stubborn that an advanced procedure is needed to overcome this condition. There are two basic types of surgeries used to treat this condition. The first and by far our favorite is a percutaneous tenotomy under ultrasound guidance, commonly referred to as the Tenex procedure. The other is an open release of the tendon which involves cutting the tendon off the bone. Let’s briefly highlight the differences between the two:
Anesthesia
Tenex: Local-lidocaine injection only
Open: General- patient is put to sleep
Incision Size
Tenex: 1/4 inch
Open: 1-2 inches
Trauma To Tissue
Tenex: Minimal
Open: Moderate
Infection Risk
Tenex: Minimal
Open: Mild
Sutures/Stitches
Tenex: None
Open: 1-2 layers required
Recovery Time
Tenex: 2-6 months
Open: 4-12 months
Success Rate
Tenex: 90-95%
Open: 75-90%
Are we biased towards the Tenex? You better believe it! Look at those comparisons above. In our mind, it’s an obvious choice: the Tenex procedure is the better overall option. Why do more physicians not perform the Tenex procedure? Because you are required to have proficiency in musculoskeletal ultrasound to perform this procedure. Not many physicians have taken the time and made the investment in ultrasound-guided procedures, so they tend to revert to the more traditional, sometimes higher-risk and less successful options.
We’ve performed more Tenex procedures in Middle Tennessee than any other physician. So, if you, a loved one or friend has tennis elbow, then come see us!
F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.
Bet You Didn't Know: Tennis Elbow
/Tennis Elbow, one of the most common conditions seen by an orthopedist, is one our favorite diagnoses to make. Why?…because we are almost always able to see complete resolution of the symptoms. Plus, we have numerous traditional and innovative tools in the toolbox to help our patients overcome this often stubborn and humbling condition. Here are some fast facts about tennis elbow you probably did not know:
-90% of those with tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, do not play tennis. Weight-lifting, frequent typing, CrossFit, repetitive labor in one’s work or with household chores are frequent causes.
-Teenagers almost never get tennis elbow. Why? They have an amazing ability for their tendons to recover much faster and more efficiently than middle age and older individuals.
-Lateral epicondylitis is the medical term for tennis elbow and may be one of the more misnamed conditions in orthopedics. This implies there is inflammation of the bone on the outside of the elbow, but instead, this is a tendon problem.
Patients who receive cortisone/steroid injections are often better in the short term but worse in the long term. Our own experience and the medical literature validates this.
Neovascularization, essentially new blood for vessel formation, commonly occurs in advanced cases of tennis elbow. Increased blood flow seems like it would be a good thing for the tendon, but in reality, is a sign of more advanced tendon damage.
We believe that adjacent to those new blood vessels in the tendon are new nerves that are very hypersensitive and only make you feel pain. This is why many patients with advanced cases of tennis elbow complain of “burning” over the lateral elbow.
Platelet-rich plasma injections, now a commonly used and innovative treatment option for many orthopedic conditions, were first studied in the medical literature about 15 years ago in treating tennis elbow. PRP remains one of our advanced treatment options for tennis elbow.
One of our best treatment options for very stubborn cases of tennis elbow is the Tenex procedure. Not many people know about Tenex because we are one of the few physicians in middle Tennessee who have expertise in performing this procedure. We’ve done it for 11 years, and it involves a tiny incision, local anesthesia only, and use of a small needle-like device to excise the unhealthy part of the tendon. No stitches are required and only about two minutes of actual treatment time in the operating room. It carries a 95% success rate in our experience.
If you have pain on the outside of your elbow that is interfering with your quality of life, then come see us. We will have some great options for you!
F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.
Five Keys to Successful Outcomes with PRP Injections
/Quality Equipment- we’ve chosen a PRP system created by one of the industry’s leaders in orthobiologic injections.. This is our 5th PRP system to use over the past 12 years. Thus, we are always searching for the best option to produce a high-quality PRP solution.
Appropriate Selection of Patients- we attempt to choose patients and conditions that are excellent candidates for PRP injections. Admittedly, not every patient is an ideal candidate, yet their options may be limited in terms of other forms of treatment, or they are willing to have PRP due to its excellent risk-benefit and cost-benefit ratio compared to more invasive treatments. Partial tendon tears, plantar fasciitis and osteoarthritis of the knee, hip and shoulder comprise 95% of our PRP injections.
Appropriate Pre-Procedure and Post-Procedure Instructions and Compliance-little things can be the difference between PRP succeeding or not succeeding or between a good outcome and a great outcome. For example, it’s important for a patient to be off any anti-inflammatories at least a week before and 2 weeks after a PRP injection. It’s also important to rest the treatment area, and this form of rest really varies depending on the patient and their area treated. A patient’s timetable for return to exercise and/or rehabilitation must be carefully outlined.
Quality Preparation of the PRP solution- not all PRP is the same. The platelet concentration and number of platelets can vary and are important aspects of the potential success of PRP. How much blood we take from the patient and the PRP system dictate these numbers. Also, we typically create a leukocyte-poor (low numbers of white blood cells) for joint injections and leukocyte-rich (higher white blood cells and the highest number of platelets) solution for tendon injections.
Accuracy of the Injection, Preferably with Ultrasound Guidance- using ultrasound for the injection often results in less pain, lower risk, and greater accuracy. We place the PRP exactly where it needs to be and avoid hitting other structures like bone, cartilage, nerves and blood vessels. We often say, “if you’re going to invest your time and money in this procedure, don’t you want it done as precisely as possible?”
More medical professionals are performing platelet-rich plasma injections than ever. This innovative treatment is not going away and will only evolve in the years to come. If you think you are a first-time or repeat candidate for a PRP injections, then come see us!
F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.
You Want To Run in the Turkey Trot, and You Haven’t Even Been Exercising: 5 Tips
/Turkey Trot races can be a ton of fun, a great way to celebrate the holiday with the masses and can jump start the winter “get back into shape” mindset. Fortunately, many of these races attract a wide variety of competitors, many of which are not even currently exercising. So, these tips are directed towards those individuals.
1) Update your footwear: If your shoes are greater than a year in age or show wear on the tread, then it’s time to get new shoes ASAP. Choose a high-quality shoe store where an actual shoe-fitting can be done. Just remember, if you’re not paying at least $75, you’re probably getting a lower quality shoe.
2) Start with run-walk intervals, especially if you’ve not run in a good while: Start with intervals of three minutes of walking and then one minute of running. Consider training every other day for the first 2 weeks, then you can start to train daily. Each week, you can phase out some of the walking and add more running. Your ratio can go from 2:1, then 1:1 and eventually, to a majority of running. However, if you don’t consider yourself a big runner, there’s nothing wrong with doing intervals during the race or simply just walking the race.
3) Set realistic goals: It’s less than four weeks to Thanksgiving, and you’re not even exercising. Thus, your goal is to simply to get to the finish line. Don’t put an emphasis on your time either. Enjoy the process of training, getting back into shape and accomplishing a goal on or around Thanksgiving day.
4) Get the race-day wardrobe ready: Pay attention to the weather report a few days before the race. Don’t forget about something to keep your head warm as well as high-quality socks and gloves, especially if the temperature is going to be in the 40s or lower.
5) If you want to do this race with company, then find some friends and family who have a similar pace to you: Don’t plan on competing in a race with a peer who is much faster or slower than you. This can certainly steal your joy and/or put you at risk for injury.
As always, let us know if we can be of any assistance to you!
Clarke Holmes, M.D.
My Elbow Really Hurts, and I Feel Like a Wimp!
/We hear this comment or one very similar to it on a frequent basis. Good ole’ tennis elbow, also know as lateral epicondylitis. Despite these names, this is not a problem limited to tennis players and does not typically involve the bone on the outside of the elbow named the lateral epicondyle. It is actually a tendon problem. The common extensor tendon on the outside of the elbow is highly involved in gripping, grabbing and lifting. When you shake someone’s hand, this tendon is under a lot of stress. When you lift the coffee mug with a handle, the positioning of your wrist transmits stress to this tendon. When you pull your sheets up to you when in bed, the position and action of the wrist and forearm send stress to this tendon. Finally, when this tendon is inflamed and/or partially torn, it HURTS! I mean, it really hurts. You are not a wimp for complaining about tennis elbow. Fortunately, this is one of my favorite conditions to treat. Why? For many reasons: we usually can cure this problem. Patients are so grateful to see this pain go away. Finally, it’s gratifying to see patients return to things they love to do after successful treatment such as tennis, golf, weight lifting, gardening and even typing!
Turning our attention to treatment options, there are traditional and innovative options. At Impact Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, we specialize in both types:
Traditional:
1) REST and changing the biomechanics- how and how much you lift, grip and grab
2) A wrist splint- yes, immobilizing the wrist and forearm unload the tendon far more than immobilizing the elbow
3) A cortisone injection- in our hands, 90% of patients experience relief with an ultrasound-guided injection. However, since tendon damage is often the cause of the stubborn pain, cortisone, at times, may only provide temporary benefit.
4) Physical Therapy- helpful in changing the biomechanical problems that led to the tendon damage. However, the benefit can be limited if tendon is partially torn.
Innovative:
1) The Tenex procedure- a true game-changing minimally-invasive procedure. This is our favorite option for those patients that have not improved with the traditional treatments. Local anesthesia only, a tiny incision, 2 minutes of tendon treatment with a small probe, no stitches, typically covered by insurance and a 90% success rate. How does that sound? We've loved this procedure for 7+ years.
2) Orthobiologic Injections- platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are very solid choices, isolating and concentrating the platelets from you own blood. This becomes a solution rich in human growth factors utilized to stimulate healing of the tendon.
3) Nitroglycerin patches- placed on the skin over the tendon, these are good choices for those patients needing something extra, but prefer a treatment that is non-invasive. These work by producing nitric oxide in the tissues, which then can be responsible for tendon healing.
In summary, we hate that you have "tennis elbow," but always appreciate the opportunity to treat you. It's our mission to make this common cause of elbow pain leave your life and never return! Let us know if we can help.
-F. Clarke Holmes, M.D.