Doctor Heal Thyself

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Well, here I go again.  Four years after the first arthroscopic knee surgery, I've had another, more invasive surgery on the same knee...just buying time until there's nothing left and I've got to replace the joint; but until they tell me they've got a bionic part for me so I can leap the tallest buildings in a single bound, I'll do the best I can with what I've got left.  That being said, I've got six weeks of physical therapy ahead of me and some life style changes to make during those six weeks.  Since I've already been through this experience, I know where I made my mistakes over the past four years and why I've landed in the same situation again.  For starters, no pityparty!  I've the green light yesterday to get into the pool, so I'm charging up my waterproof ipod and it's into the pool with me today to begin walking and then do some upper body workout with the pull buoy between my legs.  I might only last 15 minutes, but it's a start!  Second, I've gone back online to "Lose It" - the FREE online app where you can count your daily/weekly calories and track your exercise regimes.  Excess weight is just terrible for the knees, so I will lead by example and I've got a goal of 10lbs to lose by April 1st.  Planning my meals and weighing my foods helps tremendously.  I have helped many a patient lose 50lbs or more, so I should be able to help my own fat self.  Third, I'll be receiving acupuncture from my mentor (sorry folks - you don't get to stick me), doing my physical therapy and doing what my therapist tells me to do - stay on the crutches, keep the leg up and don't go out in the snow on the crutches.  Fourth, I'll be changing my mental attitude and setting new lifestyle goals.  Unfortunately, I cannot kid myself anymore.  There will be no more jumping rope, running or kicking bags or people for fun.....what a drag....BUT, there will be swimming, spinning, some boxing, conditioning, and just maybe......some tennis down the road one of these days.  I still don't count golf as anything other than a lovely day outdoors.  So, stay tuned for more news and if you are rehabbing from your own surgery or injury, please feel free to comment or post with your own progress or questions, funny stories or observations.  There's safety in numbers.  Doctor Heal Thyself....JUST YOU WAIT AND WATCH WHAT I CAN REALLY DO!!!

What Are You Made Of?

Less than a week after I subluxed my right patella, I was back punching a heavy bag and practiced perfect form kicking the bag with my good leg.  No pity party or lame excuses here.  I had a week to chose:  feel sorry for myself, go off my diet and eat through my misery, or stick with my program, eat well and concentrate on healing.  At the end of 6 days, I'm feeling pretty good and got back to my Insanity 90 Day Challenge Exercise regime this morning.  Since I was feeling fearless, I decided to get onto the scale...when I took my hands away from my eyes (cause I really hate to look at the numbers), I saw that I lost another 3 pounds....that's 20lbs so far, and I've got another 2 weeks to go in the 90 day challenge.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  I've said this before and I'll say it again....Winners don't quit, Quitters don't win and Losers never try.  I'm a Winner....who are YOU and WHO do you want to aspire to become?  No time like the present....enroll in my Wellness Program today and become a Champion and Inspiration to others!

Acupuncture For Knee Pain

As usual, I overdid it recently.  Too much jumping, kicking and of course...those 4" heels - all contributed to some achey and painful knees.  What's an acupuncturist to do?  I went to my colleague for treatment.  Before seeing her, I could not ascend or descend stairs at all.  Squats were out of the question as well as any type of aerobic activity.  One day after treatment, I was able to walk with no pain.  Stairs were still a bit tricky.  Two days after treatment, I was back to jumping, kicking and the stairs have been no problem at all.  O.K., I'll lay off the heels for another day or so...

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  There is a good reason why my patients are referred to me by orthopedic surgeons.  It is to PREVENT surgery.  Acuupuncture is highly effective for knee pain.  We just don't treat the knees, we treat the root cause of the pain (which sometimes can be coming from either the feet or the thoracic spine).  If you are experiencing knee pain and are tired of being miserable, call or email the office today.  917-701-7582  k@kmondesire.com

Acupuncture Treatment For Traumatic Sports Injuries To Knees

Traumatic sports injuries to the knee may be significant precursor events to early onset of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. A MRI is an integral tool to identify structural injuries to articular cartilage and cartilage degeneration.  Acupuncture therapy has long been used to treat traumatic sports injuries for both the professional and amateur athlete.  Elimination of pain, increase in range of motion, and reparation to minor tears of articular cartilage and other connective tissues are common treatments in my clinic.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  got bad knees?  Want to participate in your favorite sport without pain?  Want to perform better?  Call or email the office today and make an appointment.   Join the hundreds who have regained their quality of life and their favorite sport by having acupuncture therapy.
917-701-7582
k@kmondesire.com

Squat This, Squat That

For all you folks out there that have had or presently have knee issues...you too, can do squats.  It's all about HOW you squat.  The error people make when performing squats is that they put all the load and weight on the knees because of incorrect posture.  If you perform deep squats properly, you can actually IMPROVE and STABILIZE the knee joint.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Stick your toushie out as if you're getting on to the toilet, then squat down into a parallel position with the floor with your arms extended out in front of you for balance.  The load and weight is now on your glutes.  Slowly raise up into standing position.  Of course, if you have no articular cartilage or have tracking problems of the knees, aquatics is better for you.  Use common sense when working out, but this tip could bring you stronger, sexier legs and an iron butt to boot!

Knee Pain and the Posterior Thighs

Knees are tricky business, indeed!  But did you know that quite often, knee pain is a result of insufficient strength of posterior thigh muscles?  Yessiree...lack of strength of the semitendinosus, semembranosus and biceps femoris can lead to instability of the knee joint because they attach at the superior and inferior posterior ends of the thigh (to put it in plain English).  Women, particularly can 'hyperextend'  at the knee joints, which makes them look like bow-legged sailors (not a very attractive look for skirts and dresses).

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you are experiencing knee pain, make an appointment today for an orthopedic evaluation and treatment.  Acupuncture is highly effective in the treatment of orthopedic injuries and along with your treatment, you will receive suggestions for muscle-strengthening exercises that will make you legs long, hard, lean and mean, and...oh yeah...you'll get rid of that nasty knee pain in the process!

Trepidation and Self Intimidation

Yesterday, I took my first run in Central Park for the first time in about 2 years.  It started off not so good....uphill, downhill on the bridlepath.  What was wrong??  My stride was off, I was having difficulty breathing.  My head was running, not my body!  All I kept thinking about was "maybe I shouldn't do the hills - not good for the knee, maybe I should change my stride from toe strike to heel-to-toe, maybe, maybe, maybe.....".  There was so much noise going on in my brain, I couldn't hear my Crystal Method song blasting through my headphones.
.....so, I stopped and started to walk.  I realized I was afraid to run; afraid to damage my knee; intimidated by the trail I have run thousands of times.
Trepidation and Self Intimidation can sabbotage our best intentions.  When this happens, it's time to stop, take a few good deep breaths, and shut the noise off in your brain.  Quite often, that 'voice' in our heads makes up the most incredible stories why we can't do something.  In the end, we self-annihiliate hook, line and sinker.  All in the fabulous little skull we call a brain which is supposed to be intelligent.  Self Intimidation is counter intelligence and self terrorism.
Having thought about all this while walking up to the reservoir, I decided to adopt the Nike slogan and 'just do it'.  Shut off the brain, listen to my music, look at the beautiful reservoir and just run.  There was a man in front of me who was taking a good pace:  about a 9.5 minute mile.  Slow, but steady, I followed him.  I looked at the cherry trees, the clouds, the birds and before I knew it, I had done a loop around the reservoir.  It's approximately 1.3 miles.  Not much at all, but a victory after not being able to run around the block for 2 years.  As I walked through the park back down to 59th Street, I took in my surroundings and appreciated the fact that I have 2 legs, I CAN run, and I tried my best.  Today is another day.  I'm a little sore because I'm not in running condition, but that's o.k.
....I'll be back!
and I'm gonna leave the self terrorism home!!

Running and Jumping

Wow!  It was about 90 degrees and sunny yesterday in Manhattan.  Taking full advantage of the warm weather and an afternoon break between client appointments, I went for my first outdoor run in well over a year.  I took it slow and in the end, I ran a bit over a mile.  Not much, you might be thinking....but 2 months after knee surgery and almost 2 years of not being able to run at all, I didn't think it was so bad at all.  I had to make a few stops - not because my knee was bothering me, but because I just wasn't used to the exercise and needed to stretch and walk out my peroneal muscles a bit.
After the run, I thought I'd have some fun!  So I fetched the trusty dog and my jumpropes and jumped rope for about 20 minutes.  It felt great!
Here's Your Tip of the Day:  when you're commencing an exercise or sport you have participated in for a while, take your time and listen to your body.  Stop and rest, stretch, or know when you've had enough.  We all want to play again tomorrow, so a little bit of 'smarts' today can go a very long way!

How Sweet It Is...Training, Comradery and Friendship

Yesterday, my training partner and I went 10 (3minute each) rounds.  We did a few rounds freestyle punching, then it was all knee, push, and roundhouse combo kicks, punches and blocks followed by sicilian situps and stretching.  As I would with any other patient, I rubbed a little bit of Chinese medical 'hot pepper sauce' on my left knee to 'sweat out' any remaining extraneous fluid.  After about 30 minutes, we could actually see my knee 'sweat'.  Chinese Medicine is just so cool.
One month after surgery I was back!  Although I kicked only with my right leg (because of the tremendous force of impact of the leg to the pad and possible impact of limb to limb), my left leg was my pillar of strength.  I spent all my time up on my toes, perfectly balanced and as light as ever as my right leg once again reached up to 6ft while my left leg danced perfectly in balance.
Today, there is no swelling, no pain and I slept like a baby...not so bad for an old dog!
The Tip for Today?....how sweet it is to do your sport again!  The hard work of doing physical therapy is paying off and I will continue to do exactly what my physical therapist tells me.  The acupuncture and laser self treatments are doing their work to improve circulation and rebuild connective tissue.
The Second Tip of the Day?  How blessed I am to have a great comrade and friend who took the time to support my journey and train with me yesterday.  Your training partner is just that...your partner.  It's a two way street - you support oneanother through your ups and downs and help oneanother to prepare for any event that comes along.  Take time out today to say 'thank you' to your training partner (s) and let them know how much they contribute to your journey of reaching your goals!

So, What Am I Eating For Breakfast and How's That Knee????

Many of you ask me what I eat for breakfast and what my daily food intake is now that I'm on my way to health and fitness. O.K., here's a typical day:
Breakfast:  1 scoop low carb protein with 8oz skim milk and 2 tblspns of flaxseed oil.
Midmorning:  an orange, or a half a grapefruit, or a banana
Lunch:  2 oz lean protein with a handmade salad.  Dressing is a tblspn of olive oil with either balsamic vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon.
Midafternoon snack:  a bit of peanutbutter and honey on a flatbread and a fruit.
Dinner:  3 oz protein, dark leafy greens (hot or cold) and a green vegetable.  Maybe a flatbread or 1/2pita (since I'm a breadaholic).
Beverages:  I usually have a cup of coffee in the morning...or not.  I drink a pitcher of green tea during the day, plus lots of fresh water and at dinnertime, either seltzer with fresh lemon/lime or water.
That's basically the plan.
Today, it is 29 days since my knee surgery and my wonderful and talented surgeon tells me I'm doing just great!  We are going to add a minitrampolene to the mix and I'm bound for the elliptical machine!  Today, I wore real shoes (2.5" heel) and so far, so good!  Stairs are still a bit challenging but we both feel that within another 4 weeks, I might just be seen running again in the downtown area with my trusty dog, Sooki!
What's the secret to the success so far???  Acupuncture and laser for the knee, lots of physical therapy exercises that I do everyday, and proper diet.
Someone asked me today if it is true that acupuncture really works for diet.  YES!!!!  Acupuncture and herbal pills can stimulate thyroid function and boost the metabolism.  It can help drain excess fluid, reduce appetitie and clear toxins from the body that trap fats in the body.
Call or email me if you are interested in my 12 week total health program for Fitness!  It's worked quite well for many of my patients and can work for you too!!

1 Pound Of Fat Equals 6 Pounds of Pressure On Your Knees!

Did you know that just 1lb of excess weight adds 6lbs of additional pressure on your knees?
Let's do some simple math here....if you are 10lbs overweight, that means that you are putting 60lbs of addtional pressure on your knees!!  If you are 20lbs overweight...that's 120lbs of additional pressure on your knees.....imagine you are a 5'5" woman whose ideal weight is 135lbs.  You are 20lbs overweight...that means that you are walking around like a 255lbs woman.  Now...if you go out and jog, you are putting 255lbs of pressure with each step you take...
So, when you're thinking about the extra cheese, roll or added serving of high fat sauce, keep that fact in mind.....
How's that for your free tip of the day??

Progress of the knee

To all those who asked....I've been able to do the subway steps today...gently and slowly, but getting there.  The knee is becoming more and more flexible; stronger and stronger everyday.  Today, while during my physcial therapy exercises, I added shadowboxing into the mix...very carefully push kicking with my right leg and practicing knees with the left - imagining I was once again, back in the ring or training for another fight.

Read more about sports medicine, injuries and how to make a comeback from a physical injury by logging onto the link I've got listed on this blog.  You'll be surprised with how much you learn and how important it is to take care of yourself!!
http://www.kmondesire.com/sportsmedicine.html

Post Operative Recovery Tip

I've just had arthroscopic surgery performed on my left knee 8 days ago. Too many years of jamming my knee into too many competitors' ribs led to an inevitable 'cleanup' job. 8 days post op, I'm on the exercise bike everyday for 30 minutes, I have full extension of the knee, almost full flexion, and am doing all my physical therapy exercises to strengthen my core and quads. We expect I will be on the elliptical machine within 7 days and I WILL RUN AGAIN! '
Here's the tip of the day:
If you are surgery-bound, get set up for your physical therapy sessions and get to them as soon as you can. This makes a huge difference in the healing process. DO WHAT I DID: acupuncture before and after surgery speeds up healing, reduces swelling and scarring. Low Level Laser treatments twice weekly for the first 4 weeks will shave so much time off your road to full recovery.

Stay tuned for more on my personal progress and stay healthy!