Skis Can Save Your Knees
Dr. Ronald P. Grelsamer's recommendations for saving your knees on skis: How knee and hip pain sufferers can enjoy safe winter sports without strain and pain.
(PRWEB) January 11, 2005 -- There is good news for knee pain sufferers eager
to hit the slopes in Aspen, Beaver Creek or Vail this winter! According to Dr.
Ronald P. Grelsamer, Orthopedic Surgeon at the NYU Medical Center and Hospital
for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute, chief of hip and knee reconstruction
at Maimonides Medical Center, and author of "What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You
About Knee Pain and Surgery" (Warner Books), safe skiing CAN be a knee
saver.
"The truth is that the sport of skiing is easier on our knees than
jogging or tennis. Partial or total knee replacement surgery need no longer mean
trading in one's skis for off-slope recreation activities. With the ongoing
advancements in knee surgery, as well as the breakthroughs in sophisticated ski
equipment, expert skiers with previous knee conditions are reporting fewer
problems than ever before.
"This recommendation pertains to advanced
skiers in controlled situations on well-groomed intermediate slopes with optimum
visibility. It is not advisable for inexperienced skiers with knee replacements
to take up skiing as a new sport."
Here are some tips to avoid injury on
the slopes:
• Watch out for the fatigue factor, which
can lead to
accidents.
• Strengthen the ski muscles, specifically
the quadriceps, the gluts
and the torso.
• Keep your ski bindings safe by having
them serviced
regularly.
• Remember to maintain a balanced skiing
position over the tops of
the skis at all
times.
Leaning back can be dangerous.
• Don’t fight a fall, and
try to drop to
your side
if possible. Don’t try to get
up while still moving.
• At the
onset of pain, stop and see a
doctor before returning to the slopes.
"If an
injury does occur, remember that 95% of knee sufferers will show a meniscus tear
on an MRI, and yet surgery is not always in order. While MRI testing is an
extraordinary diagnostic tool in certain areas, its accuracy for knee pain and
arthritis is arguably one of the greatest myths of our time. In my experience,
the odds of coming across a false-positive MRI range from 10 to 100 percent,
depending on the knowledge and integrity of the radiologist. The MRI provides
nothing more than thin, flat slices of a complex, colorful three-dimensional
structure, so it is subject to interpretation and can miss conditions such as
arthritis, partial ACL ligament tears, and kneecap
malalignment.
Tendonitis and irritations of the iliotibian bands, running
along the outside of leg and knee, can be misread on MRIs as torn cartilage. A
severe arthritic flare-up will eventually quiet down on its own. All of these
conditions can and should be treated without surgery.”
Ronald P.
Grelsamer, M.D., is currently the chief of hip and knee reconstruction at
Maimonides Medical Center, and a noted staff orthopedic specialist at the NYU
Medical Center and Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute. A
highly-regarded knee and hip surgeon, Grelsamer has been listed in Castle
Connolly’s “America’s Top Doctors,” and in New York Magazine’s “Best Doctors of
New York” for many years.
Traditionally trained and educated, Grelsamer
is an avid patient advocate at the forefront of orthopedic research and
technology, who integrates the latest treatments and surgery options into his
practice. He has been treating people of all ages for over twenty years at his
two offices in New York City and Brooklyn, New York. He has also shared his
expertise with the public on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Eyewitness News, FOX TV,
and in publications such as Forbes Magazine and USA Today.
Books Authored
By Ronald P. Grelsamer, M.D.
"What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Hip
and Knee Replacement Surgery."
Ronald P. Grelsamer. Warner Books,
2004
"What Your Doctor May NOT Tell You About Knee Pain and Surgery." Ronald
P. Grelsamer. Warner Books, 2002
"La Rotula - approcio d'equipe." Ronald P.
Grelsamer and J. McConnell PT, GDMT.
Translated by A. Albasini. Masson
Milano, 2001
"The Patella: A Team Approach." Ronald P. Grelsamer and J.
McConnell PT, GDMT. Aspen Press, 1998
"The Columbia-Presbyterian
Osteoarthritis Handbook." Ronald P. Grelsamer and Suzanne Loebl, New York:
Macmillan, 1996
“Dr. Ronald Grelsamer is a meticulous surgeon who takes
extraordinary care of his patients. He is a true artist – the Van Gogh of
orthopedic surgery.”
DR. Lewis Maharam, MD, FACSM
NYRR and ING New York City Marathon
Medical Director
Dr.
Ronald Grelsamer is available to answer all questions on how to save your knees
and hips this winter while enjoying safe outdoor sports activities.
To
schedule Dr. Grelsamer for in-person and telephone interviews, or to request a
media kit, please contact Diana Aceti Public Relations, Phone/Fax
1-631-613-6057; Cell 1-516-382-0922, e-mail protected from spam bots
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb196160.htm