Spine & Rehabilitation Medicine Associates

02/12/2024

🌨️ As the snow continues to fall, it's essential to stay safe and healthy during this winter storm! ❄️ Here are some tips from your friendly neighborhood physician to help you navigate through the snow safely:

Bundle Up: Make sure to dress warmly in layers to protect yourself from the cold temperatures.

Stay Indoors if Possible: If you don't need to go out, it's best to stay indoors where it's warm and safe.

Shoveling Safety: If you need to shovel snow, remember to lift with your legs, not your back! Bend your knees and keep your back straight to avoid strains or injuries.

Take Breaks: Don't overexert yourself. Take frequent breaks while shoveling to rest and avoid exhaustion.

Heart Health: If you have heart problems or are at risk, be extra cautious. Shoveling snow can be strenuous, so listen to your body. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, or any discomfort, stop immediately and seek medical help.

Stay Hydrated: Even in cold weather, it's essential to stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after any outdoor activities.

Check on Neighbors: Keep an eye out for neighbors, especially the elderly or those with mobility issues. Offer assistance if needed.

Stay safe and warm, everyone! Let's weather this storm together. ⛄

Remember, a little extra caution can go a long way in ensuring a safe and enjoyable snow day! Let's embrace the beauty of winter while prioritizing our health and safety. Take care, stay warm, and enjoy the winter wonderland responsibly! ❄️☃️

02/06/2024

Want to learn more about PRP injections?

01/19/2024

Going into this weekend after injecting patient knees with PRP and Gel Shots. Patients feeling better is the ultimate reward!

Have a great weekend everyone!
S Rosenberg

06/16/2023

Lets continue our discussion about knee pain treatment options.

Today, I wanted to talk about a medical treatment called visco supplementation injections, also known as "gel shots" for the knees. You may have heard of them by their commercial names like Euflexxa, Synvisc, Supartz and others.

Don't worry, I'll explain it in simple terms!

👉 So, what are visco supplementation injections? Well, they're a non-active medication that is injected into the knee to help relieve pain and improve mobility for people suffering from knee osteoarthritis (OA). The medication is derived from Hyaluronic Acid which is a compound that is similar to your natural cartilage in the knee joint.

✅ Indications: These injections are usually recommended for individuals with knee osteoarthritis who have not found sufficient relief from other treatments, such as pain medications, physical therapy, or lifestyle changes.

💪 Advantages: The main advantage of visco supplementation injections is that they can provide pain relief and potentially improve joint function without the need for surgery or strong painkillers. This treatment can be an option for those who want to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery.

🩺 Non-active medication: The injected substance is often made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in healthy joint fluid. It acts as a lubricant and shock absorber for the joint, which helps reduce friction and alleviate pain. These injections do not contain painkillers or steroids.

👍 Pros:
1️⃣ Pain relief: Gel shots can help reduce knee pain and improve overall joint function, allowing individuals to engage in daily activities with more ease.
2️⃣ Minimally invasive: Unlike surgery, visco supplementation injections are a non-surgical procedure, which means no incisions or major recovery time.
3️⃣ Potential to delay surgery: For some patients, these injections can help delay the need for knee replacement surgery, providing relief in the interim.

👎 Cons:
1️⃣ Limited long-term effectiveness: The pain relief provided by gel shots may vary from person to person and is usually temporary. The duration of relief can vary but may last from a few weeks to several months.
2️⃣ Cost: This is dependent on the insurance carrier. This is covered by medicare, but may not be covered by commercial insurance plans.

3️⃣ Not suitable for everyone: Visco supplementation injections may not be recommended for individuals with certain medical conditions. It's important to consult with a healthcare professional to determine if this treatment is right for you.

📞 Remember, if you're experiencing knee pain or have knee osteoarthritis, it's always best to consult with a healthcare professional. They can evaluate your condition and recommend the most suitable treatment options for you.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any questions by leaving a comment below.

Sam Rosenberg DO
Spine & Rehabilitation Medicine Associates
845-709-8555

06/07/2023

📣 Hey everyone! 👋 Let's talk about knee steroid injections in simple terms! 🏥

Often times one of the first things your doctor will do for knee pain is to offer a steroid injection. Lets take a deeper dive in understanding this treatment.

First up lets get clinical -
Indication: Knee steroid injections are often recommended for people experiencing knee pain and inflammation due to conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, or bursitis.

👍 Pros:
1️⃣ Quick Relief: Steroid injections can provide fast pain relief, reducing inflammation and swelling in the knee. It can help you get back to your daily activities more comfortably.
2️⃣ Targeted Treatment: The injection is delivered directly to the affected area, which means it can have a localized effect and minimize side effects on the rest of your body.
3️⃣ Non-Surgical: Injections are a non-invasive approach, meaning you don't have to undergo surgery. This is appealing to many people who want to avoid more invasive procedures.
4️⃣ Minimal Downtime: After the injection, most people can resume their normal activities with little to no downtime.

👎 Cons:
1️⃣ Temporary Relief: Steroid injections provide temporary relief, and the effects may wear off over time. You may need repeat injections if the pain returns.
2️⃣ Side Effects: Although rare, there can be potential side effects like temporary increase in pain, infection, bleeding, or thinning of nearby tissues. These risks are generally low but should be discussed with your doctor.
3️⃣ Not Suitable for Everyone: Knee steroid injections might not be suitable for individuals with certain health conditions, such as infections or bleeding disorders. Your doctor will assess your specific situation to determine if it's a suitable option for you.
4️⃣ Limitations: Steroid injections may not provide long-term solutions or address the underlying cause of the knee pain. They are primarily aimed at managing symptoms.

Remember, it's important to have a detailed conversation with your doctor to understand if knee steroid injections are the right choice for you. They can guide you based on your individual circumstances and discuss other alternatives too. 🩺

Take care of your knees! 🦵💙 If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave a comment 😊

06/05/2023

🦵 Understanding the Etiology and Treatment Options for Knee Osteoarthritis 🦵

Are you or someone you know suffering from knee pain and discomfort? It could be knee osteoarthritis (OA), a common condition that affects millions of people worldwide. In this post, we will discuss the causes of knee osteoarthritis and explore various treatment options available to manage the condition effectively.

Etiology of Knee Osteoarthritis:
Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease, meaning a wearing down of the joint. This is characterized by the breakdown of cartilage in the knee joint. While there isn't a single cause for knee osteoarthritis, several factors contribute to its development. These factors include aging, genetics, obesity, previous joint injuries, repetitive stress on the knee joint, and certain medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Treatment Options for Knee Osteoarthritis:
Fortunately, there are several treatment options available to help manage knee osteoarthritis symptoms and improve quality of life. Let's take a closer look at some of these options:

1️⃣ Medications: Anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers are commonly prescribed to manage knee osteoarthritis symptoms. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Acetaminophen may also be recommended for pain relief, especially for individuals who cannot take NSAIDs.

2️⃣ Physical Therapy: Physical therapy plays a crucial role in the management of knee osteoarthritis. A qualified physical therapist can design a personalized exercise program to improve knee strength, flexibility, and range of motion. Physical therapy can also help reduce pain, improve balance, and enhance overall joint function.

3️⃣ Corticosteroid Injections: Corticosteroid injections are a popular treatment option for knee osteoarthritis. These injections deliver powerful anti-inflammatory medication directly into the knee joint, providing fast and effective pain relief. Corticosteroid injections can help reduce swelling and inflammation, allowing individuals to resume their normal activities.

4️⃣ Viscosupplementation Injections: Viscosupplementation involves injecting hyaluronic acid (a lubricating substance naturally found in the knee joint) into the knee.
This injection helps to lubricate the joint, reduce pain, and improve mobility. Viscosupplementation injections can provide long-lasting relief for individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

5️⃣ Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP): Platelet-rich plasma therapy involves using a concentrated form of the patient's blood, rich in growth factors, to stimulate tissue healing and regeneration. PRP injections are thought to promote cartilage repair and reduce inflammation, potentially improving knee osteoarthritis symptoms. This is exciting new technology that harnesses your bodies capacity to heal.

6️⃣ Cryo Neuro Ablation: Cryo neuro ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that involves freezing the nerve endings around the knee joint. By numbing these nerve endings, cryo neuro ablation can help alleviate knee pain caused by osteoarthritis. This treatment option offers long-term pain relief for some individuals.

Remember, the choice of treatment depends on the severity of your knee osteoarthritis and the recommendations of your healthcare provider. It's important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional to determine the most suitable treatment plan for your specific situation.

Living with knee osteoarthritis can be challenging, but with the right treatment approach, you can manage your symptoms effectively and regain your quality of life. Stay informed, explore your options, and work closely with your healthcare team to find the best solution for you.

To schedule a consultation with Dr Rosenberg to discuss your knee pain, please call 845-709-8555

If you or someone you know is struggling with knee osteoarthritis, share this post to spread awareness and offer hope to those seeking relief. Together, we can support each other on the journey toward better joint health! 💪

12/05/2022

Earlier I posted about using your body's own defensive / repair material to help repair joint damage. Just got through injecting 2 patients this morning with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for knee and hip pain. Patients had minimal discomfort with the blood draw and the actual injection.

After drawing blood from the patient (just like a regular blood test), the sample was placed into a centrifuge to separate the healing platelet cells. After being in the machine for 5 minutes the platelet rich plasma was drawn off and brought to the patient. After identifying the best injection site using our in house ultrasound the PRP was injected. The patient reported minimal discomfort and was able to walk out of the office.

Have you had issues with knee or hip arthritis? Have you been told you need joint replacement surgery?

Find out if all the non operative options have been fully explored and see what works for you.

Give us a call at 845-709-8555 to schedule a consultation.
Most major medical insurances accepted.

Sam Rosenberg DO AOBPMR
Physical Medicine & Spine & Rehabilitation Medicine Associates
www.spinerehabmed.com

09/07/2022

To learn more about PRP see this great video from Johns Hopkins Hospital:

The Johns Hopkins Musculoskeletal Center offers non-surgical options for patients experiencing musculoskeletal pain, sports related injuries and chronic cond...

09/07/2022

Suffering from knee or shoulder pain?
Tried injections? Tried Therapy?
Does it seem like nothing is working?

Pleased to announce that we are now offering Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections. The process is simple - We harvest your bodies own healing cells via a simple blood draw and inject it into the affected joint. This is a cutting edge regenerative procedure.

Want to see if this is a good option for your pain??

Give us a call to set up a visit 845-709-8555

01/23/2022

Back Pain ... Continued Part 2.

In the previous post I listed some of the structural elements of the back.

When patients come see me to talk back pain, I ask specific questions to determine which of the categories of pain this patient has, and then further questions help to pinpoint the causes of the pain.

Acute versus Chronic Pain
Acute pain means that something has happened recently and your body is sending a signal to let you know that all is not right.

Chronic Pain is pain that is happening for longer than 6 months, and often lingers long after the initial injury is gone.

It is important to treat pain while it is acute to prevent it from turning into chronic pain.

For this post will focus on breaking down acute pain causes.

Acute pain occurs in the back due mainly to an injury to either
Bone
Nerve or
Muscle.

When assessing a patient I am looking first for what is causing the hurt and then what is the underlying injury or process.

This is done by a thorough history, comprehensive physical examination and often times Xray and/or MRI.

Once the root cause is diagnosed a individual treatment plan is devised and given to the patient. This can include medications, physical therapy and occasionally a targeted injection. Surgery is usually not necessary.

In the next post will discuss

Call to schedule your back pain evaluation.
Sam Rosenberg DO
Spine & Rehabilitation Medicine Associates
Non Surgical Management of Back Pain
spinerehabmed.com
845-709-8555

01/17/2022

Back Pain

Everyone seems to have it, but whats to be done about it???

First up - Its important to understand that the back or the spine region is incredibly complex and has multiple jobs.

1 - There are 33 bones between the skull and tail bone. The unique structure of these bones allow the spine to performs its multiple jobs, including structure, mobility and protection of the spine.

2 - There is movement between the bones. The unique shape and layout of the bones allow for people to be able to lean forward far more than leaning backwards. There is also ability to rotate and bend.

3 - Protection of the spinal cord. The spinal cord carries information from the brain to the rest of the body. the spinal cord runs down a space in the bones of the spine called the spinal canal. In between each bone of the spine, there is a branch of the spinal nerve that goes out, carrying specific information to a designated part of the body.

4 - Musculature - There are multiple layers of muscle in the spinal region. Some are really small and some are really large. When the small muscles are weak, and do not perform their job the big muscles have to work harder, and tend to lock down, called spasm. When they do so, the big muscle loses ability to be flexible. This tends to be very painful.

5 - Ultimately, the back and spine have allot of areas where things can occur which can lead to discomfort and pain.

In the next post will discuss the methods for evaluating root causes of pain and options for treatment.

Sam Rosenberg DO
Spine & Rehabilitation Medicine Associates
spinerehabmed.com
845-709-8555

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Medicine practice specializing in spine care, musculoskeletal care and neurological rehabilitation.