Health news about young athletes and arthritis
More than 8 million people between the ages of 18 and 44 have been diagnosed with arthritis. Young athletes playing competitive sports are at a greater risk for injuries that can speed up the degeneration of cartilage and bone, which leads to osteoarthritis. The good news is that sports medicine doctors have more options available than ever in treating and managing osteoarthritis in active young adults, with their primary goal to restore optimal joint function to allow their patients to return to their sport.
Greenwich, CT and New York (PRWEB) August 3, 2005 – While the term
“osteoarthritis” usually conjures images of the elderly and inactive, a
surprising number of young, athletic adults are suffering the joint pain and
stiffness associated with this degenerative disease. In fact, according to
recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8.5
million people between the ages of 18 and 44 report that they have been
diagnosed by a doctor with arthritis.
“Osteoarthritis is a real hurdle
for young, athletic adults who simply aren't ready to give up the sports they
love to play,” explains Kevin Plancher, M.D., a leading NY-area orthopaedist,
sports medicine expert and official orthopaedic surgeon of the U.S. Ski and
Snowboard teams. “Fortunately, the sports medicine community has made good
strides recently in helping active young adults with arthritis to stay in the
game,” he adds.
The Ironic Cause of Osteoarthritis in Athletes
Dr.
Plancher notes, “The irony about young adults and osteoarthritis is that it is
often the sports themselves that either cause or contribute to such an early
diagnosis.” That's because engaging in highly-competitive sports puts athletes
at a greater risk for injuries that can speed up the degeneration of cartilage
and bone, which leads to osteoarthritis. The CDC confirms that people who suffer
severe joint injuries, such as Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and meniscus
injuries of the knee or Rotator Cuff injuries of the shoulder, are six times
more likely to develop osteoarthritis than those who have never suffered such
injuries.
“Orthopaedists and sports medicine physicians always have two
goals in mind when treating joint injuries,” Dr. Plancher explains. “The first
is to attempt to restore optimal joint function in order to allow the patient to
return to the sport,” he says. “The second, equally important aim is to ensure
the long-term viability of the joint, so that players can enjoy an active
lifestyle for years to come.”
High – and Low – Tech Techniques for
Arthritis Management
Recent research is proving that a combination of
surgical and palliative techniques may be the most effective approach in
treating and managing arthritis in active young adults. One of the most
unequivocal findings is that arthroscopic surgery is surpassing both imaging and
invasive surgery as the “gold standard” in the diagnosis and treatment of
osteoarthritis.
In a review of data published in the January, 2005 issue
of the journal Clinical Sports Medicine, the authors conclude: “Arthroscopy
remains superior to imaging in the diagnosis of [osteoarthritis]” of the knee,
and that minimally-invasive techniques such as arthroscopic lavage and
debridement “provide benefit in a significant percentage of patients.” A similar
review on data surrounding shoulder arthroscopy and osteoarthritis, which
appears in the April, 2004 issue of the journal Current Opinion in Orthopedics,
confirms that “Arthroscopic treatment of glenohumeral [shoulder] joint arthritis
can offer pain relief and improved function with a quicker rehabilitation and
fewer complications” than joint replacement. And in March 2005, German
scientists published a study of 124 patients who had arthroscopic surgery to
address osteoarthritis of the ankle. The authors report: “Due to minimal
invasiveness and low risk of complications, arthroscopy is recommended for upper
ankle osteoarthritis.”
“In addition to arthroscopy, patients can do a lot
to self-manage their osteoarthritis successfully,” Dr. Plancher maintains.
“First, the American College of Sports Medicine's Action Plan for Arthritis
encourages sports enthusiasts who struggle with arthritis to engage in
low-impact activities, such as yoga or water exercise, in order to maximize the
range of motion in the joints,” Dr. Plancher explains. “This is also helpful as
a warm-up, to get fluid into the joints, prior to other sports activities,” he
adds. Indeed, a study in the February 2005 issue of the journal Arthritis and
Rheumatism found that patients with knee osteoarthritis who exercised
experienced better physical function for everyday tasks than those who didn't
follow their prescribed exercise routines.
“Osteoarthritis, like injuries
and aging, is a challenge that young adult athletes sometimes must contend
with,” Dr. Plancher concludes. “However, with the right treatment plan and good
compliance with self-management techniques that are proven to work, these sports
enthusiasts needn't allow arthritis to force them onto the
sidelines.”
About Dr. Plancher:
Kevin D. Plancher, M.D., M.S.,
F.A.C.S., F.A.A.O.S, is a leading orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine expert
with extensive practice in knee, shoulder, elbow and hand injuries. Dr. Plancher
is an Associate Clinical Professor in Orthopaedics at Albert Einstein College of
Medicine in NY. He is on the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Journal of Medicine and
Sports.
A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine, Dr.
Plancher received an M.S. in Physiology and an M.D. from their school of
medicine (cum laude). He did his residency at Harvard's combined Orthopaedic
program and a Fellowship at the Steadman-Hawkins clinic in Vail, Colorado where
he studied shoulder and knee reconstruction. Dr. Plancher continued his
relationship with the Clinic for the next six years as a Consultant. Dr.
Plancher has been a team physician for over 15 athletic teams, including high
school, college and national championship teams. Dr. Plancher is an attending
physician at Beth Israel Hospital in New York City and The Stamford Hospital in
Stamford, CT and has offices in Manhattan and Greenwich, Connecticut. www.plancherortho.com
Dr. Plancher lectures extensively
domestically and internationally on issues related to Orthopaedic procedures and
injury management. During 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Dr. Plancher was named
among the Top Doctors in the New York Metro area and was the New York State
Representative for the Council of Delegates to the American Academy of
Orthopaedic surgeons. For the past six years Dr. Plancher has received the Order
of Merit (Magnum Cum Laude) for distinguished Philanthropy in the Advancement of
Orthopaedic Surgery by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. In
2001, he founded "The Orthopaedic Foundation for Active Lifestyles", a
non-profit foundation focused on maintaining and enhancing the physical
well-being of active individuals through the development and promotion of
research and supporting technologies. www.ofals.org.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/8/prweb268642.htm