Get out of the crowds and traffic of the nation’s capital, and into the rolling green of Virginia and Maryland, where thrives the stately and multibillion-dollar business of breeding, raising, showing, and riding horses. That bucolic equestrian life also has a less-known health worry: Horseback riding, not a contact sport, turns out to be the….
Continue ReadingOrthopedics & Sports Medicine
It’s not a stretch: Avoid those over-use boo-boos, older yogis are warned
For seniors who may be rushing to squeeze in a few more pretzel-twisting sessions to ease their stress from a hectic holiday season, this is a gentle reminder: Take it easy with the yoga. It can be good for you, but don’t overdo it or you may hurt yourself. The Washington Post reported that the….
Continue ReadingOverzealous youth athletics can result in hobbled adults later
Here’s another painful reminder to grownups about youngsters and sports: Moderation matters, and youthful games are supposed to fun, diverting, and character building—and most definitely should not leave today’s aspiring athletes as tomorrow’s hobbled adults. The New York Times has reported on what a pediatric sports medicine expert has described as a “dirty little secret”….
Continue ReadingFor young athletes, head contact and infections can pose costly risks
Parents happily send their eager youngsters off to a demanding array of sports activities, in the belief that athletics will improve their health and well-being. But, especially for active young men, life as a jock can carry costly long-term risks and immediate infection perils. A Yale economist and colleagues have scrutinized available public data and….
Continue ReadingWhy do so many boomers suffer knee, hip arthritis when our forebears didn’t?
Although grandma and grandpa and even older ancestors before them didn’t live as long nor usually as well as many of us do, they still can provide valuable insights into how modern Americans can avoid painful debilitation that now leads to some of the most commonly performed surgeries on seniors. Want to avoid an inconvenient,….
Continue ReadingWisconsin appeals court rejects legal changes that GOP seeks nationally
Even as congressional Republicans advance their counter-factual campaign to strip patients who have been harmed while seeking medical services of their rights to seek legal redress, another state appeals court has rejected key GOP arguments about medical malpractice lawsuits. An appellate court in Wisconsin has declared unconstitutional that state’s $750,000 cap on non-economic damages, reinstating a….
Continue ReadingAs summer softball gets into full swing, a caution on players getting beaned
Although fans may fret when pros like the Nationals’ Bryce Harper get hit by a pitcher—and brawls ensue—some amateur athletes are the most likely to be struck and hurt: Ball-contact injuries are highest among female softball players, followed by women who play field hockey. That’s according to new research on thousands of college athletes that….
Continue ReadingThere may be no place like home after joint replacements
Hip and knee replacements, especially among seniors, have become so prevalent that almost 7 million Americans by 2010 had undergone the surgeries. With the cost to Medicare of knee replacements running between $16,500 and $33,000, and with roughly half of the procedures’ expense occurring post-operatively, there’s some good news for patients on saving money—and staying….
Continue ReadingWith all the craziness of new year, what’s a good Rx? Exercise. Get moving.
Get up. Move. Pace. Walk around the block. Swim some laps at the Y. Hit the greens over the weekend, go dancing on Friday night, or jump into Saturday or Sunday games of touch football or pickup basketball. Exercise needn’t be strenuous to benefit your health and well-being in many ways, research continues to confirm…..
Continue ReadingBaby boomers’ big demand for knee replacements challenges Uncle Sam
Uncle Sam is struggling to figure how best to ensure the safety, quality, and accessibility of a major surgery for a sharply rising number of seniors who need it and want the government, through Medicare, to pay for it. Baby boomers, after decades of running, dancing, aerobics, football, basketball, zoomba, and all manner of joint-stressing….
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