Bionic hands, prosthetic legs, and rehabilitation therapy

Life is hard for people who have undergone hand and leg amputations. Without hands to “keep things in order” and feet to “go about doing business,” daily routines will never be as normal as how they used to be. Fortunately, prostheses exist to provide amputees their newfound function and independence.

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One of the latest developments in prostheses is the i-limb ultra prosthetic hands. More commonly known as bionic hands, the technology uses unique biosim software that enables movement akin to natural hands, including the ability of each finger to bend at the natural joints to precisely fit around the shape of objects. Among the hand amputees who use this technology is Aimee Copeland, a woman who was infected with flesh-eating bacteria. Her hands had to be cut in order to stop the spread of infection, but she can now groom her hair, chop vegetables, and pick up tiny items with the help of her artificial hands.

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Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorious is one of the famous people who don prosthetic legs. The sprint runner, whose legs were amputated when he was 11 months old, competes in sprint running events for amputees and able-bodied athletes using his lightning-fast prosthetic legs. He is known as the “Blade Runner” who runs on carbon-fibre prosthetics called the “Flex-Foot Cheetah.”

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Bionic hands and prosthetic legs are just two of the many prostheses that help amputees grasp, stabilize, and maneuver objects just like normal people. In physical and rehabilitation medicine, prostheses function as support to help patients recover from medical treatments and improve their quality of life. The Amputee Coalition of America emphasizes the role of physiatry in improving the physical and emotional well-being of amputees. Physiatrists, like Dr. Mary Kneiser, can also prescribe the right prosthesis and rehabilitation services for amputees.


Visit this Facebook page to learn how a physiatrist can help patients recover from amputations.

Young and at risk: The rising incidence of stroke among adolescents

It seems that no one is really too young to have a stroke.

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A recent study published in the journal Neurology found that the proportion of young people who are having stroke increased from one in eight stroke patients in the mid-‘90s to one in five in just over a decade. This supports a previous report that found trends toward increasing stroke incidence in younger adults (age 20 to 54). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also noted a steep increase in stroke incidence among people in their 30s and 40s.

Many factors have been recognized that raise the incidence of stroke among young adults. These include the usual cardiac risk factors: obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Abuse of alcohol and drugs are also contributing factors. People prone to migraines also have a somewhat higher risk of stroke. Recently, a study noted how being depressed nearly doubled the risk for stroke among young women.

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 Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States with more than 800,000 people dying annually from strokes and cardiovascular disease. Medical experts advocate healthy living to cut down stroke risk among young adults. Moreover, recognizing the signs of stroke is vital to recovery. The National Stroke Association’s Five Sudden, Severe Symptoms campaign provides stroke signs people should watch out for, including a sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.

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Physiatrist Dr. Mary Kneiser works with patients’ post-stroke rehabilitation. More information on stroke rehabilitation is available at this website.

The tennis elbow, outside the pro circuit

Like a notorious misnomer, the tennis elbow afflicts a good number of patients who never picked up tennis racquets. It could very well be an archer’s, shooter’s, or golfer’s elbow. Outside the ownership of sports, it goes by the official medical term lateral epicondylitis, which, by etymology, indicates an inflammation or soreness on the outer part of the elbow.

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The condition reduces the cause to overuse, and its association with tennis stems from the number of affected tennis players and the logical elbow strains common in the dominant arms of those practicing racquet sports. Also prone to the condition are gym rats who lift weights in excess, or gardeners and other crafty hobbyists prone to repetitious arm movements. All are in agreement that pain is debilitating enough to discourage future elbow exertions.

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Pain from the tennis elbow also affects one’s grip. The resulting paralysis can be treated with painkillers or movement inhibitions to allow frayed and inflamed elbow tendons to heal. Several methods are recommended for long-term healing. These involve topical ointments, braces, and a deep-tissue massage. Surgery is also an option for those so-disposed, and it involves repairing torn tendons or reattaching them with just enough tension.

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The tennis elbow lays off people from their normal activities. Surgery is an easy way out of it, but it may require consistent physical therapy. Experts like Dr. Mary Kneiser advise patients to seek rehabilitation programs suited to their occupational needs. Follow this Twitter page for more information on physical medicine and rehabilitation.

A list of lisps and the unpronounceable ‘s’

In the Spanish language, lisp is a special way to pronounce and utter particular words properly or to convey a certain word’s meaning efficiently. However, in other languages, speaking with a lisp is undoubtedly unacceptable.

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Having a lisp, as speech experts, like Veronica Noah, and rehabilitation doctors, like Mary Kneiser, would believe, is not a hindrance for one to live his life normally. It is not an impairment exclusive only to ordinary people. British crooner Morrissey did not let his incapacity to pronounce words with ‘s’ hold him back to achieving a supernova rock star status, and American author Truman Capote’s speech disability did not become a detrimental factor for him not to be blatant during his book signings.

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A lisp is not a disease, but anyone who has a lisp can go to a speech therapist or rehabilitation expert to improve the way he speaks. However, in order to fix one’s speech, a person must first be aware of the specific type of lisp that he has.

The four kinds of lisp


The interdental/frontal lisp, in which the tongue juts on the back of the front teeth, is the most common lisp of all. It creates a hissing /th/ sound whenever the speaker utters a word with ‘s’ or ‘z’ in it.  

Dentalised lisp happens when the speaker’s tongue touches the front teeth every time he talks. Intoxicated people may also produce this kind of lisp.

In palatal lisp, the speaker’s tongue comes into contact with the soft palate (roof of the mouth) as he pronounces words with ‘s,’ ‘z,’ and, sometimes, those with ‘r’ and ‘l’ in it.

Lateral lisp, or most commonly known as the wet lisp, is a kind of lisp in which a wet, sludgy sound comes as the /s/ and /z/ sounds are pronounced.

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Pelvic pain: Diagnosis and treatment

Pain in the pelvis is a symptom that may indicate an underlying abnormal psychoneuromuscular function. Pelvic pain can be acute or chronic. Acute pelvic pain is often experienced after surgery or other soft tissue trauma. If the pain lasts longer than three to six months, it is categorized as chronic pelvic pain. Although pelvic pain is experienced by both men and women, it is more prevalent among women and is usually associated with dysmenorrhea.

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Diagnosis
Pelvic pain can be caused by different conditions, including visceral pain and pelvic girdle pain.
In women, pelvic pain may result from various gynecological conditions such as dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, ovarian torsion, Mullerian abnormalities, and pelvic inflammatory disease. The pelvic pain may also be caused by abdominal problems like appendicitis, colitis, proctitis, and long pain hematuria syndrome.

Chronic pelvic pain in men is called chronic prostatitis. Men with this problem do not have known infections unlike women.

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Treatments
The International Pelvic Pain Society states that chronic pelvic pain is one of the most difficult clinical problems to treat because many patients do not respond to conventional medical or surgical treatment. Doctors who treat patients of chronic pelvic pain must have adequate knowledge about the disorder and must have special skills in physical examination and history-taking in order to uncover all sources of the patient's pain.

Physiatrists like Jung Ahn, Mary Kneiser, and Kathleen Francis are examples of doctors who are trained in treating pelvic pain.

After examining the patient’s medical history, physiatrists conduct diagnostics tests. Men with chronic pelvic pain are usually treated with multimodal therapy, with the goal of relaxing the pelvic nerves. Women may be required to take a pregnancy test, too, before undergoing on a trial of anti-inflammatory medications, hormonal therapy, or neurological agents. In some cases, the chronic pelvic pain can only be treated by the surgical removal of the uterus.

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When planning a consultation with a physiotherapist for chronic pelvic pain, make sure the doctor is licensed and has sufficient training in physical therapy and rehabilitation. Mary Kneiser, for instance, is a physiatrist certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Learn more about her practice at www.abilityassessments.com.

Good Posture Helps Reduce Back Pain

By John Schubbe, DC
Full article accessible at spine-health.com

Correct posture is a simple but very important way to keep the many intricate structures in the back and spine healthy. It is much more than cosmetic—good posture and back support are critical to reducing the incidence and levels of back pain and neck pain. Back support is especially important for patients who spend many hours sitting in an office chair or standing throughout the day.

Problems Caused by Poor Back Support and Posture

Not maintaining good posture and adequate back support can add strain to muscles and put stress on the spine. Over time, the stress of poor posture can change the anatomical characteristics of the spine, leading to the possibility of constricted blood vessels and nerves, as well as problems with muscles, discs and joints. All of these can be major contributors to back and neck pain, as well as headaches, fatigue, and possibly even concerns with major organs and breathing.

Identifying Good Posture

Basically, having correct posture means keeping each part of the body in alignment with the neighboring parts. Proper posture keeps all parts balanced and supported. With appropriate posture (when standing) it should be possible to draw a straight line from the earlobe, through the shoulder, hip, knee, and into the middle of the ankle.

Because people find themselves in several positions throughout the day (sitting, standing, bending, stooping, and lying down) it's important to learn how to attain and keep correct posture in each position for good back support, which will result in less back pain. When moving from one position to another, the ideal situation is that one’s posture is adjusted smoothly and fluidly. After initial correction of bad posture habits, these movements tend to become automatic and require very little effort to maintain.

Ergonomic Office Chairs for Back Support

Office work often results in poor posture and strain to the lower back. Many people work sitting in an office chair that is not properly fitted to their body and does not provide enough lower back support. One strategy is to choose an ergonomic office chair that often provides better support than a regular chair and may be more comfortable for the patient.

What is a Physiatrist?

This article explains the roles and qualifications of a physiatrist.

Written by: Richard A. Staehler, MD
Article re-posted from: www.spine-health.com

A physiatrist practices in the field of physiatry – also called physical medicine and rehabilitation – which is a branch of medicine that specializes in diagnosis, treatment and management of disease primarily using "physical" means, such as physical therapy and medications.

Essentially, physiatrists specialize in a wide variety of treatments for the musculoskeletal system - the muscles, bones and associated nerves, ligaments, tendons and other structures – and the musculoskeletal disorders that cause pain and/or difficulty with functioning. Physiatrists do not perform surgery.

A physiatrist's treatment focuses on helping the patient become as functional and pain-free as possible in order to participate in and enjoy life as fully as possible.

A physiatrist can be either a medical doctor (MD) or a doctor of osteopathy (DO). A physiatrist may be referred to as a:

• Physiatrist
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation physician
• PM&R physician

Physiatry Training and Specialization

A physiatrist's training includes four years of medical school as well as four years of residency training. The first year of residency training focuses on internal medicine (general practice), and the following three years of residency emphasize specialty training.

After residency, further specialization and training is available through Fellowships in a particular field. A Fellowship is typically one to two years of training in a particular specialty.

Physiatrists may complete one of the following Fellowships that provide additional focus and training in particular forms of treatment:

• Spine - for treatment of back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and any form of pain or dysfunction that originates in the spine
• Pain management - for treatment of many types of chronic pain (e.g. back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis pain). Physiatrists who specialize in pain medicine have additional specialty training in injections used to treat pain.
• Sports medicine - for sports injuries
• Brain injury (e.g. stroke) - for rehabilitation
• Spinal cord injury - for rehabilitation
• Pediatric medicine - for physiatric treatment of children under age 18

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialty

The specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, or physiatry, is approximately 60 years old. Today, there are over 8,000 physicians practicing physical medicine and rehabilitation1.

Many PM&R physicians who treat back pain are part of a Spine Center or Spine Hospital, treating patients within a practice that includes other specialists, such as physical therapists, spine surgeons, rehabilitation specialists, and more.

Whether or not they work in a multispecialty spine practice, many physiatrists also serve to coordinate the patient’s care with a multidisciplinary team of other doctors and specialists, such as physical therapists, spine surgeons, psychologists, chiropractors, and more.