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FALL PREVENTION FOR OLDER ADULTS

in Fractures, Injuries

Original Article By healthcare.utah.edu

Falls are a serious problem for the elderly. According to the Centers for Disease Control more than one out of every four people over the age of 65 suffers a fall each year. University of Utah Health’s Trauma Program treats hundreds of falls involving elderly patients each year — with nearly half of those patients between the ages of 65-84.

Those falls can result in numerous orthopedic injuries, as well as the potential for skin damage and even a more serious head injury. They also increase the likelihood that the person will fall again. Yet, despite the serious implications of falling, most patients do not tell their doctors when it happens.

This begs the question: What can be done to prevent someone from sustaining a fall while at their home?  The National Council on Aging (NCOA) has some tips that could help you from sustaining a fall in your residence:

  • Find a good balance and exercise program
  • Talk to your health care provider
  • Regularly review your medications with your doctor or pharmacist
  • Get your vision and hearing checked annually and update your eyeglasses
  • Keep your home safe
  • Talk to your family members

When you are looking for an exercise program, find one that will build balance, strength, and flexibility. In Utah, programs such as “Stepping On” and “Tai Chi for Arthritis” are available all across the state. Talking to your doctor about your current health and having them perform a fall assessment could also help prevent a fall.

While visiting with your doctor, ask them to review your medications for unwanted side effects that may cause you to fall. In addition to speaking with your primary care physician, talk to your eye doctor annually about your vision. Update your eye glasses prescription at a minimum of every year. Look for tripping hazards such as rugs or loose carpet, and have them removed. Have family members help update your lighting in poorly lit areas, and install grab bars near stairs. Finally, have your family help as much as possible. Falls can impact families, so ask them for support to make your life falls free.

For additional resources, please contact your primary care provider and tell them you are worried about falling. You can also contact the Faint and Falls Clinic at University of Utah Health, our Trauma Program (www.healthcare.utah.edu/trauma), or the National Council on Aging (www.ncoa.org). Local senior centers have great resources (and workout classes also!) that you could use to help keep yourself free from falls.


New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Untitled-3-1.jpg 300 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2018-10-12 14:29:532018-10-12 14:31:00FALL PREVENTION FOR OLDER ADULTS

How Do Broken Bones Heal?

in Bone Health, Fractures, Injuries, Sports Injuries, Surgery

Original Article By Hallie Levine

Bones are flexible enough to give a bit when physical force is applied, but if that force is too great, they’ll snap like a plastic ruler bent too far. Luckily, they also repair themselves naturally. Here’s how it works.

Adults are held up by a skeleton composed of 206 bones that protect the body’s vital organs. Though it’s a sturdy frame, it’s vulnerable to problems—think issues like like osteoporosis and stress fractures, says Chad Deal, MD, director of the Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Health at the Cleveland Clinic.

Bones are flexible enough to give a bit when physical force is applied, but if that force is too great, they’ll snap like a plastic ruler bent too far. Luckily, they also repair themselves naturally (even better with a cast). Here’s how bones heal.

1. Immediately after a fracture occurs, a blood clot and callus form around it.

2. New “threads” of bone cells start to grow on both sides of the fracture line toward one another.

3. Eventually, the fracture closes up and the callus is absorbed by the new cells. This process may

take from six weeks to a year.

 


New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/physicaltherapy.jpg 300 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2018-09-16 15:09:492018-09-16 15:25:42How Do Broken Bones Heal?

What Is Physical Therapy? How to Feel and Function Better

in ACL, Back Pain, Bone Health, Fractures, Hand & Wrist, Injuries, Knee, Neck Injuries, Shoulder, Sports Injuries
Original Article by WebMD Medical Reference

Your doctor might suggest this type of treatment if you’ve had an injury or illness that makes it hard to do daily tasks. Physical therapy (PT) is care that aims to ease pain and help you function, move, and live better. You may need it to:
  • Relieve pain
  • Improve movement or ability
  • Prevent or recover from a sports injury
  • Prevent disability or surgery
  • Rehab after a stroke, accident, injury, or surgery
  • Work on balance to prevent a slip or fall
  • Manage a chronic illness like diabetes, heart disease, or arthritis
  • Recover after you give birth
  • Control your bowels or bladder
  • Adapt to an artificial limb
  • Learn to use assistive devices like a walker or cane
  • Get a splint or brace

People of all ages get physical therapy. It can treat a variety of health problems.

What Is a Physical Therapist?

These licensed health professionals get specific graduate training in physical therapy. You may hear them called PTs or physiotherapists.

Some PTs get a master’s degree. Others also have a doctorate in physical therapy. They must pass a national exam to get certified. They’re licensed by the states where they practice.Physical therapists look at your needs and guide your therapy. They may perform hands-on treatments for your symptoms. They also teach you special exercises to help you move and function better.In most states, you can go directly to a physical therapist without a referral from your doctor. Or your doctor might prescribe it. Check your insurance policy to see if you need a prescription to cover the cost.If you have a serious illness or injury, a PT won’t take the place of your doctor. But he will work with your doctors and other health care professionals to guide treatments. You’ll feel better and you’ll be more likely to get back full function in the area being treated.PTs often have assistants. They’re also trained to do many types of physical treatments.

What Does a PT Do?

At your first therapy session, your PT will examine and assess your needs. He’ll ask you questions about your pain or other symptoms, your ability to move or do everyday tasks, how well you sleep, and your medical history.

The PT will give you tests to measure:
  • How well you can move around, reach, bend, or grasp
  • How well you walk or climb steps
  • Your heartbeat or rhythm while active
  • Your posture or balance

Then, they will work with you to create a treatment plan. It will include your personal goals like functioning and feeling better, plus exercises or other treatments to help you reach them.

You may take less or more time to reach those goals than other people in physical therapy. Everyone is different. You may also have more or fewer sessions than others. It just depends on your needs.

You treatments might include:

  • Exercises or stretches guided by your therapist
  • Massage, heat, or cold therapy, warm water therapy, or ultrasound to ease muscle pain or spasms
  • Rehab to help you learn to use an artificial limb
  • Practice with gadgets that help you move or stay balanced, like a cane or walker

Your therapist will watch your progress and adjust your treatments as necessary.

You can do the exercises your therapist teaches you at home between sessions. This will help you stay on track and improve your fitness.


New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopaedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopaedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopaedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/physicaltherapy.gif 300 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2018-09-12 21:57:432018-09-12 21:57:43What Is Physical Therapy? How to Feel and Function Better
orthopaedic health clinic, albuquerque

Worried about breaking a hip? There might be something better than calcium.

in Fractures, Hip, Studies

Article by Sara Chodosh | Found on Popsci

Vitamin supplement companies want you to believe their products stave off disease. They can save you from heart attacks and broken bones and common colds. Or at least they say they can. But too often, those claims aren’t based on scientific studies, and consumers are left either mislead or unsure of what can actually help them.

Luckily, we have a panel of people whose job is to evaluate the evidence for interventions like vitamin supplements. They’re called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and they just released their latest judgment: calcium and vitamin D probably don’t help the elderly stave off broken bones. The one thing that they think will do the trick? Exercise.

Here’s what you need to know.

Just the key facts

Lots of older people are worried about falling, and though breaking a hip is now a cliché, it’s also a serious problem for elderly Americans. Alex Krist, a leading member of the USPSTF, noted in a recent interview with the journal JAMA that there are about two million fractures a year, and that those people who fracture their hips often end up being unable to walk again. What’s more, he notes that “more than half require assistance with daily activities, and 20 to 30 percent die within a year of their fracture.” This is why it’s so important to understand which interventions really work to prevent falls and fractures.

But when the USPSTF looked at the studies that have been done investigating whether calcium supplements, vitamin D pills, or both combined had any positive effect, they found evidence that lower doses did absolutely nothing. They now recommend against taking between 400 IU vitamin D (standard pills are often around 2000 IU) or 1000 mg of calcium. As for higher doses, there just wasn’t enough evidence to make a recommendation either way. Calcium supplements did seem to increase the likelihood of kidney stones, especially at high doses, so it’s possible taking more would be harmful. Krist also noted that too much calcium can build up inside arteries, increasing risk of vascular disease in the process.

It’s important to note here that this is all only true for adults who aren’t at high risk of osteoporosis, which is a weakening of bones that makes them brittle. Those who are at high risk would benefit from added calcium and potentially also from vitamin D, which helps to metabolize calcium inside your body.

Since falls are still a huge problem for the elderly, though, the USPSTF also examined which interventions could actually work. After all, there were 29 million falls in 2015 alone, and 33,000 deaths resulting from those falls. Vitamin D did nothing. Neither did multifactorial interventions, which would entail preparing a plan for nutrition, mobility exercises, and so on for individual patients. The thing that actually does work is exercise. It was only a modest amount, but it helped even those elderly adults who were at high risk of falling. Exercise reduced the relative risk of a fall to 0.89 (compared to a risk of 1.0 without exercise), and reduced the risk of injurious falls to 0.81 (again, down from a default risk of 1.0). The type of exercise varied a lot between all the studies the USPSTF looked at, but generally included three sessions per week of balance/functional training, resistance work, and flexibility components.

One important caveat

In an accompanying editorial to these USPSTF recommendations, David Reuben, a geriatric specialist at UCLA who wasn’t involved in the report, notes that it’s possible some vitamin-based supplements actually could help—it’s just that people don’t take them regularly enough. He points out that in one of the key studies, if you looked only at the people who took at least 80 percent of their supplements you could see a 29 percent reduction in hip fractures.

Of course, if people aren’t able to stick to a vitamin regimen—even one prescribed for a clinical trial—it may be useless to prescribe it as an intervention anyway.

The upshot

If you aren’t at high risk for osteoporosis: don’t bother with vitamins! The evidence all says that you’re unlikely to see any benefit—unless you have a deficiency—and you could end up with a whole new set of problems if you take too much.

If you are at high risk for osteoporosis: go talk to your doctor first, but you’d likely benefit from calcium supplements, possibly alongside vitamin D pills.

Either way: get some exercise! Krist says he tells all his patients (he’s a practicing physician, as well as being on the USPSTF) to at least get out and walk for 30 minutes several times a week, but notes this can be difficult for his older patients who are too scared of falling. He tries to get those people into some kind of regimented program that makes them feel safer, and aims for them to train three times a week.

Resistance and strength training help build muscles that are important for all your daily activities. Walking, standing up from a chair, even just sitting down—you can only help yourself out by getting regular workouts. And apparently, your bones will thank you.


New Mexico Orthopaedics is a multi-disciplinary orthopedic clinic located in Albuquerque New Mexico. We have multiple physical therapy clinics located throughout the Albuquerque metro area.

New Mexico Orthopaedics offers a full spectrum of services related to orthopedic care and our expertise ranges from acute conditions such as sports injuries and fractures to prolonged, chronic care diagnoses, including total joint replacement and spinal disorders.

Because our team of highly-trained physicians specialize in various aspects of the musculoskeletal system, our practice has the capacity to treat any orthopedic condition, and offer related support services, such as physical therapy, WorkLink and much more.

If you need orthopedic care in Albuquerque New Mexico contact New Mexico Orthopaedics at 505-724-4300.

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/orthopaedic_health_clinic_albuquerque.jpg 301 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2018-06-02 20:07:292018-06-02 20:09:33Worried about breaking a hip? There might be something better than calcium.
orthopedic doctors, albuquerque clinic

What are the Symptoms of a Broken Foot?

in Bone Health, Fractures

Article by William Morrisson, MD | Found on MedicalNewsToday

Injuries to the feet are common and can sometimes result in broken bones. Being able to recognize the symptoms of a broken foot can help determine how serious it is and when to see a doctor.

This article looks at the causes and symptoms of a broken foot, and when to seek medical help. It also discusses first aid, diagnosis and treatment, recovery, and prevention tips. Read more

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/orthopedic_doctors_albuquerque_clinic.jpg 300 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2018-04-20 18:27:232018-04-20 18:27:23What are the Symptoms of a Broken Foot?
orthopaedic doctors, albuquerque

Is it a Broken Toe?

in Fractures, Injuries

Article by Jennifer Berry | Found on MedicalNewsToday

Although the bones in the toes are small, they play an essential role in walking and balance. Their crucial role in everyday life means that a broken toe can be inconvenient and extremely painful.

Although some people believe that there is nothing to be done about a broken toe, this is not always the case. In fact, most toe fractures should be evaluated by a health professional. If left untreated, a broken toe can lead to painful problems later.

Toe injuries are common, so it is a good idea to know the symptoms of a broken toe and when to see a doctor. Read more

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/orthopaedic_doctors_albuquerque_6.jpg 301 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2017-12-04 21:19:162017-12-04 21:19:16Is it a Broken Toe?
new mexico, orthopedic doctors

What is a Hairline Fracture?

in Fractures

Article by Aaron Kandola | Found on MedicalNewsToday

Hairline or stress fractures are tiny cracks on a bone that often develop in the foot or lower leg. It is common for hairline fractures to occur as a result of sports that involve repetitive jumping or running.

Hairline fractures may also occur in the upper limb and are often related to falls or accidents.

Hairline fractures usually develop gradually as a result of overuse, as opposed to larger bone fractures or breaks that are mostly caused by acute traumas, such as a fall. While hairline fractures may heal with sufficient rest, they can be painful and last several weeks.  Read more

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/new_mexico_orthopedic_doctors_31.jpg 301 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2017-11-22 23:46:122017-11-22 23:46:12What is a Hairline Fracture?
orthopedic doctors, albuquerque, nm

Bad Break: Osteoporosis-Related Bone Fractures Linked to Air Pollution

in Fractures, Studies

Article Found on ScienceDaily

Exposure to air pollution is associated with osteoporosis-related loss of bone mineral density and risk of bone fractures, according to a new study by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Their findings are published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

The researchers are the first to document high rates of hospital admissions for bone fractures in communities with elevated levels of ambient particulate matter (PM2.5), a component of air pollution, with risk of bone fracture admissions greatest in low-income communities. The findings, from a study of osteoporosis-related fracture hospital admissions among 9.2 million Medicare enrollees in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic between 2003-2010, suggest that even a small increase in PM2.5 concentrations would lead to an increase in bone fractures in older adults. Read more

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/orthopedic_doctors_albuquerque_nm.jpg 300 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2017-11-18 19:37:242017-11-18 19:37:24Bad Break: Osteoporosis-Related Bone Fractures Linked to Air Pollution
best, new mexico, orthopedic doctors, albuquerque

Healing Broken Bones as Quickly as Possible

in Bone Health, Fractures

Article by Jonathan Cluett, MD | Found on VeryWell

Fractures, broken bones—you can call it what you wish, they mean the same thing—are among the most common orthopedic problems; about seven million broken bones come to medical attention each year in the United States. The average person in a developed country can expect to sustain two fractures over the course of their lifetime.

Despite what you may have heard, a broken bone is not worse than a fracture, they both mean the same thing. Read more

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/best_new_mexico_orthopedic_doctors_albuquerque.jpg 301 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2017-09-29 21:47:212017-09-29 21:47:21Healing Broken Bones as Quickly as Possible
new mexico, orthopedic doctors, albuquerque

How Do Broken Bones Heal?

in Bone Health, Fractures

Article by By Yella Hewings-Martin PhD | Featured on Medical News Today

A fall, followed by a crack – many people are no stranger to this. Broken bones are painful, but the majority heal very well. The secret lies in stem cells and bone’s natural ability to renew itself.

Many people think of bones as being solid, rigid, and structural. Bone is, of course, key to keeping our bodies upright, but it is also a highly dynamic and active organ. Read more

https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/new_mexico_orthopedic_doctors_albuquerque-1.jpg 300 833 nmortho https://nmortho.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/new-mexico-orthopaedics-web-logo-vs7.png nmortho2017-09-23 18:17:432017-09-23 18:17:43How Do Broken Bones Heal?
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